With our Brocaded Paper series we shone a spotlight on the art of creating decorative paper. This Bavarian Wild Flower design is a particularly dazzling example, showcasing a range of techniques that were employed by master papermakers. It has been so popular for us over the years that even though the full Brocaded Paper series was discontinued a few years ago, we have decided to bring back Bavarian Wild Flower as a softcover Flexi notebook!
For centuries leather and textiles had been the go-to decorative materials in all areas of life, but toward the end of the 17th century paper started receiving attention. This is when Bavarian artisans pioneered the application of finishing methods to paper.
Although most decorative paper was manufactured in the German cities of Bavaria, it was the Dutch merchants who ruled the currents of European trade. This journal’s cover replicates what was known as “Dutch gilt” paper. One distinct feature of this type of paper is the splashes of colour which serve as a backdrop to the refined patterns created using embossing and gilding techniques.
Decorative paper was highly prized as a collector’s item by those who could afford this hobby. Owing in part to the popularity of this kind of pastime, a wide variety of sheets of unused paper have survived to present day, including the one reproduced for this shimmering cover design.
Bavarian Wild Flower is available as a lined softcover Flexi notebook in the mini, midi and ultra formats.
