Description:
In these days of PalmPilots, pagers, hastily typed e-mail messages, and cars equipped with fax machines, the art of hand-writing a letter has morphed into something rather quaint, if not downright Victorian. The folks at Kate's Paperie, a sumptuous, even decadent paper and writing-supply store with three Manhattan locations, seek to remedy this situation with Paperie: The Art of Writing and Wrapping with Paper. It's a reference for creative touches that no party planner, wedding coordinator, gracious businessperson, or love-letter writer ought to go without. Paperie begins with an enthralling, lavishly illustrated tour through the histories of the written word; the art of papermaking (from China's first paper 2,000 years ago, through the Egyptian development of papyrus); to printmaking, including the background of the watermark, business card, social stationery, penny postcard, and letter-sealing wax; and developments of calligraphy, embossing, and engraving. This is a book that appeals to the Martha in all of us: the artful design and elegant prose, from the textured tangerine endpapers to step-by-step directions for artful gift-wrapping, will likely inspire you to excitedly order some custom-engraved Crane's stationery or marbelized Japanese sheets at the very least. Etiquette enthusiasts will appreciate the explanations of the various stationery elements, from monarch notes to "at home" cards. The scores of full-color photos of Crane's stationery; vellum, origami, kraft, and tissue papers; raffia from Madagascar; and gorgeous silk ribbons (some of which are so wide that visitors to the store purchase by the yard to wear as scarves!) beg for creative projects and heartfelt letter-writing. The staff at Paperie honor the ceremonial aspects of paper, hint that other cultures could benefit from treating it as a sacred thing as Asians do, and suggest dozens of ways for turning an everyday memo, thank-you note, or gift into something truly artful and memorable. --Erica Jorgensen
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