Author(s): Paperblanks

Paperblank Diaries 2025

A brilliant Cairo workshop is responsible for this 12-pointed star design, originally crafted in the early 1500s. Cairo and Damascus were at the centre of Islamic bookbinding and design, with Cairo itself having been home to a paper mill since the 11th century. Though the name of the original atelier has been lost to history, the detailed pattern and fine materials used show why books from this workshop were so highly prized. Today the original binding can be found in the collection of the Museum Kunstpalast in Dusseldorf, Germany.