Paperblanks Black Moroccan Midi Hardback Journal with Wrap Closure – Lined, 144 Pages

Capture your ideas, plans and memories in this Black Moroccan midi hardback journal from Paperblanks, with 144 lined pages of 120 gsm acid-free paper.

Morocco leather is a pliable material that has been valued in luxury book bindings since the late 16th century. Its strength provided a rich backdrop for showcasing embellishments, and it is this classic leather and gilt combination that has inspired us to create this cover.

The Story Behind the Design

The timeless beauty of an antique leather journal is brought into the present on the cover of this intricately embellished, leather-like cover.

For our Black Moroccan design we were inspired by one of the softest, most pliable forms of leather. Since the late 16th century, fine Moroccan leather has been valued for use in luxury bookbindings due to its strength and ability to show off gilding. With a delicate foliage pattern set against a rich dark brown background, this design pays homage to the craft of gold tooling, originally brought to Europe via the flourishing trade routes to the East.

When we were first beginning to make Paperblanks journals, we found a piece of William Shakespeare’s handwriting and just knew it could become an inspiring journal cover. Soon we added designs featuring the writing of Ernest Hemingway and Jane Austen and created a series that would become our Embellished Manuscripts Collection. These first covers were minimalist designs with the literary manuscripts written in black ink against beige paper. Eventually, our creative urges started to take over and we sought to play around with the design by adding a gold frame.

Working from a photograph of a small piece of gorgeous gold embellishment, our Art Director created a full frame for the Shakespeare manuscript and highlighted it with a burnt orange background. Of course, our curiosity for what could come next didn’t stop there! By removing the manuscript we immediately saw the possibilities for a design inspired by classic Renaissance leather bindings. And thus, our foundational Old Leather Collection was born.

These days we are free to play around with frame shape and background colour, and this initial beige and black design continues to provide the backbone for two of our most enduringly popular collections.

• Original artwork: Gold-tooled leather bindings
• Era: Contemporary art in a Renaissance style
• Region: Made in Canada with a European influence

Product Details

• Size: Midi – 125 × 180 × 20 mm
• Interior: Lined
• Pages: 144 (72 sheets)
• Paper: 120 gsm acid-free cream laid paper
• Cover: Hardback
• Closure: Wrap closure with hidden magnets
• Binding: Smyth sewn – lies flat and stays durable
• Corners: Square
• Pouch: Memento pouch
• Design: Black Moroccan
• Series: Old Leather Collection
• Satin ribbon marker
• 100% recycled binder boards
• Decorative printed cover paper
• Endpaper with credit and copyright information as well as historical background for the original artwork
• Threaded stitching and glue, as needed
• Acid-free paper
• Memento pouch
• Weight: 334 g
• Product code: PB8393 | ISBN: 9781551568393

About Paperblanks

Paperblanks works with museums, libraries, galleries and artists around the world to faithfully reproduce remarkable artwork, historic bindings and treasured manuscripts. Every book is made to last, with binder boards crafted from 100% recycled materials, and the back endpaper tells the fascinating story behind the cover design and credits its creators.