Northern Minnesota Topographic Book with Lake Superior Agate
This customer contacted me looking for a book to give to her husband on their wedding day. This couple met in Northern Minnesota and spent a great deal of time camping in a particular park. The front cover of this book replicates the topography of their favorite park and the lake they often camped near. This couple also liked to search for agates along the shores of Lake Superior. So in the center of the compass point design on the cover there is a Lake Superior "eye" agate mounted in a sterling silver bezel. The idea for this book started with the customer telling me that she and her husband-to-be joked a lot about what the "rules" of their relationship should be. That idea turned into a "guide book" for their relationship that they would write in every year. The front cover has the raised topographic map design in dark green pigskin with an inlaid "lake" of blue cowhide and a recessed Lake Superior agate. The back of the book follows the idea of "walking the path of life" together and has an inlaid piece of brown Sokoto goatskin which acts as a path with the boot print designs blind stamped into the leather. The printing on the front and spine of the book was done with moveable metal type and hot foil stamping with gold foil. The inlays on this cover were a challenge. I should also mention that at the time I was working on this cover, I was also taking a metalsmithing class so I was able to custom-make the silver bezel setting for the agate cabochon. I may not always have access to a metals studio so I may not be able to repeat a stone setting like this in the future. This book measured roughly 10" x 10" and had completely blank (unlined) pages.
A book like this would cost around $475.