Unusual Bindings
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We all know the old adage, but never mind what they say. Sometimes it's okay to judge a book by its cover.
We love to read, but it's an extra treat when the book is an object of beauty, craft or art, as well. These editions have all been thoughtfully bound in atypical materials, some in direct correlation to the subject matter, some for the sake of beauty or functionality. They have become not only literature, but art.
Ranging from absolutely affordable to extravagantly expensive, here are some of the most unusual bindings found on AbeBooks, from eelskin and ivory to goatskin and gold.
Go on. Judge.
Four-legged Fabrics
Pigskin
De Rebus Oceanicis et Novo Orbe
Peter Martyr
£ 5781.31
Cowhide & Fur
Martin Fierro
Jose Hernandez
Sold
Goatskin
Observations on Popular Antiquities
John Brand
£ 2500.00
Horsehair
Far Away and Long Ago
W.H. Hudson
Sold
Pigskin
Opera Omnia Cum Commentariis...
Plato
£ 9500.00
Interesting Inlays
Mother of Pearl
Elegy and Other Poems
Thomas Gray
Sold
Cloisonné
La Guirlande D'Aphrodite
Ferdinand Herold
£ 1870.42
Ivory
Personal History of David Copperfield
Charles Dickens
£ 4500.00
Different Woods
Art Deco Design Blank Book
£ 578.13
Metals and Gems
Metal cover
Siddur Avodat Israel with English translation
Sold
Brass
Archival Collection of Bookbinding Brasses
£ 16609.35
Semi-Precious Gems
Blood Brother
Elliott Arnold
£ 1224.28
Steel
Annual Banquet Carnegie Steel Co.
Andrew Carnegie
Sold
Silver and Turquoise
Siddur Avodat Israel with English translation
Sold
Silver Filigree
La Route D'Emeraude
Demolder, Eugene.
£ 1264.85
Copper
1611 King James Bible
£ 83620.37
Silver
The Haggadah
Szyk, Arthhur & Cecil Roth
Sold
22 Karat Gold
The Talisman
Scott, Sir Walter
Sold
22 Karat Gold
Ficciones
Shirer, William L.
Sold
Slithering and Swimming
Python skin
Elsie Venner: A Romance of Destiny
Oliver W. Holmes
£ 1428.32
Eelskin
The Flounder
Günter Grass
£ 408.09
Sharkskin
Gospels of the New Testament Scriptures
Sold
Salmonskin
Some Of It Was Fun
Hugh Falkus
Sold
Snakeskin
Heads and Tales
Malvina Hoffman
£ 952.22
Velvet Goldmine
22 Carat Gold
Confessions of
Nat Turner
William Styron
Sold
Silver & Velvet
Hymn Book for the Protestant Church
in Wurtemburg
Sold
22 Carat Gold
Speeches of the American Presidents Podel & Anzovin
Sold
22 Carat Gold
The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
Sold
Velvet
Hashem El Madani Studio Practices
Le Feuvre & Zaatari
Sold
Miscellaneous
Mother of Pearl
The Book of Humorous Poetry
Sold
Fireproof Asbestos
Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury
Sold
Silk
Hana. A Daughter of Japan.
Murai, Gensai
Sold
Fur
Little Fur Family
Brown, Margaret Wise; Williams, Garth
Sold
Velvet
Violin - Limited B.E. Trice Edition
Rice, Anne
Sold
Silk
An Attic Philosopher
Emile Souvestre
Sold
Plastic
Andy Warhol's Index
Andy Warhol
£ 1020.23
Burlap
An A.B.C. of Golf
by a Victim
D.W.C. Falls
£ 680.15
Rubber
Fetish: Masterpieces of Erotic Fantasy
Tony Mitchell
Sold
Hologram of Chimpanzee Heads
The Uplift War
David Brin
£ 1326.30
Do you own a book with an unusual binding? Do you have a great story about a uniquely bound book? If so,
we'd love to hear from you. We may feature your story in an upcoming AbeBooks feature.
