The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli, Unique Fine Binding by Richard Tuttle

Binding Details:  As with all of Richard Tuttle’s pieces, this is a one of a kind binding that captures the spirit of the book and returns us to a time when books were beautiful to display as well as read. In a world of mediocrity and mass produced books, he believes important literary works are special and should be treasured and passed on to future generations.

The book has been rebound by Richard Tuttle in lamb skin over highly sculpted boards that feature a combination of raised bands on the spine and a cover treatment that includes a sarcastic dedication to the Lorenzo Di Pietro De Medici. Decorative paper was used for endpapers. The binding date and artist’s symbol signature are contained on the copyright page. The binding was done in 2012. The book measures 9.5” x 6.5”

Book Details:  This is the Heritage Press edition of “The Prince” published in 1955. The preface was written by Irwin Edman. The internals of the book are in FINE condition.

Artist Statement: Included with the book is a signed artist statement by Richard Tuttle on the making of “The Prince”.

About the Artist: Richard Tuttle is a painter, writer, graphic designer, carpenter, bookbinder and lover of literature. For the past 20 years, he has combined his many interests to create one of a kind works of art that merge the written word with fine leather, paper, paint, wood and veneer. These original book bindings have been exhibited in numerous galleries and were featured in a PBS documentary on the Chicago Art beat. Richard describes his work as follows:  “I make literary artifacts. They are designed to pull books down off the shelf and display them in the salon, gallery or home as if they were works of art, which, of course, they are. Whether binding books with leather, paper, paint, wood, and found artifacts or building sculptures to encase the volumes, I seek to find a perspective that shouts out a piece of the essence of the literary work. I try to put myself in the author's or character's mind to say something about the time it was written in; the attitude that is explored and expressed; the magic that makes it a work of art. While I obviously respect and admire the books I work on, the humor, wit and raw energy I find so attractive in their works leads me to places that some might call disrespectful, but are, for me, essential parts of these literary works. Motivated by Marcel Duchamp's attempts to elevate the object into art and William Blake's efforts to remake his world and James Joyce's efforts to include all culture and all action in one whole: Motivated by the ongoing conversation of Jazz musicians between its earliest practitioners and its most avante garde practitioners: Motivated by the great world library of "what we are" as extolled by Jorge Luis Borges: Motivated by the desire to live in a world that is conscious of itself and conscious of its ability to create itself: I create these art objects out of books in order be surrounded by a physical environment that reflects the world of ideas I want to live in.”

Condition Report: FINE. Please note that the book has a weathered look that includes some rubs to the leather, loss of gilt to the rays, and the label on the cover treatment looks like it has seen better days. This is all part of Rick Tuttle’s work and he intended the book to look this way.

Photographs of the book and the decorative endpapers appear in the photo section of the listing.