Paperblanks Blue Rhine Bookmark

Never lose your place again with this beautifully crafted Blue Rhine bookmark from Paperblanks – the perfect companion for a favourite novel or journal, and a delightful little gift.

Our Blue Rhine bookmark, with its rippling embellishment suggestive of water in motion, comes from a 1729 book originally published in Basel, Switzerland, along the banks of the River Rhine. Like the Rhine, this bookmark has a long and winding European history.

The Story Behind the Design

In a river’s sinuous progress, we can see glints of the evolution of civilisation. This journal, with its rippling, golden embellishment suggestive of water’s movement, comes from a book originally published in Basel, Switzerland, where the Swiss, German and French borders meet. Basel is famous not just as a cultural centre, including its many theatres and museums, but also for its location on the banks of the River Rhine.

Like the Rhine, this cover has a long and winding history that intersects with that of Europe. Originally bound in red calfskin, it was published in 1729 by Johann Rudolph and Emanuel Thurneysen, a renowned bookbinding duo collectively known as the “Thurneysen fratres” (Thurneysen brothers). The book itself is named Tossani’s Bible after Paul Tossanus, a Huguenot minister whose controversial 1617 translation of Luther’s Bible was held within.

The colour and pattern of our Blue Rhine design are suggestive of the relentless movement of water over rock, reminding us of the cultural evolution that the river has brought through its own long and winding European history.

• Original artwork: Tossani’s Bible binding
• Era: 1792
• Region: Basel, Switzerland

Product Details

• Dimensions: 40 × 185 × 1 mm
• Design: Blue Rhine
• Series: River Cascade
• Double-sided design
• Decorative printed paper
• Textured printing
• Rounded edges
• Subtle Paperblanks branding
• Weight: 10 g
• Product code: PA7307-9 | ISBN: 9781439773079

About Paperblanks

Paperblanks works with museums, libraries, galleries and artists around the world to faithfully reproduce remarkable artwork, historic bindings and treasured manuscripts, bringing the same care and craftsmanship found in its celebrated journals to every accessory.