About the Artwork

Established in London in 1901, Sangorski & Sutcliffe is widely regarded as the most important bookbinding firm of the 20th century. Founders Francis Sangorski and George Sutcliffe became world-famous for resurrecting the medieval art of jewelled bindings, creating decadent covers crafted from multi-colored leathers, real gold leaf, and hundreds of precious stones. Their most legendary work, known as the "Great Omar," featured three golden peacocks with jewelled tails and over a thousand inlaid gems; tragically, this masterpiece was lost in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Despite this loss and the subsequent destruction of a second copy during the Blitz of WWII, the firm's legacy of "sumptuous" craftsmanship lives on, with a third version now housed in the British Library. Today, the Sangorski & Sutcliffe name remains a pinnacle of fine binding, continuing to produce elite bespoke works for collectors and institutions like the British Museum.

Specifications