The first 100 variations of the iconic Lina Cavalieri’’s face become a limited edition collectors’ book, entirely printed and bound by hand.
On the occasion of 2016 Milan Design Week, Fornasetti published first 100 ‘tema e variazioni’ – a book entirely handmade, and limited to 100 singed and numbered copies.
Fornasetti celebrates its iconic Lina Cavalieri’’s face by dedicating her an artist’s book. made entirely by hand, it contains the first 100 illustrations from the “tema e variazioni” series by Italian painter, sculptor, interior decorator and engraver Piero Fornasetti. The original brass matrices, engraved using the vintage technique of etching, have been printed on cotton paper using a chalcographic press. The result is an exclusive book in a limited edition of 100 copies.
“This is a unique volume, where each cover, made from fine fabric, bears the original brass matrix used to print one of the variations featured in the book. The volume itself is encased in a leather and velvet clamshell; its larger format proves to be the perfect frame to hold the graphic detail in its original form,” explained Fornasetti house.
The handmade binding is made using the “long stitch” technique, a method employed since the high middle age. The text has been printed in letterpress to deliver a distinctively rich tactile experience on each page.
The book is curated by Barnaba Fornasetti and Valeria Manzi while the texts are signed by Barnaba Fornasetti, Gio Ponti, Alberto Manguel and Glenn O’Brien.
