This week's Book of the Week is titled
I Want to Go to India. It's true. I do. The book is a slat book, which I was told is one of the oldest book structures. The slat book originated around the area that is now India and Nepal and was passed on to the Chinese via the Silk Road. Examples of chinese strip books on bamboo date back to 250 BC. This slat book is made of varying sized pieces of bookboard covered in my pastepapers then tied together with waxed linen thread. Two antique brass buttons are threaded onto the binding threads for wrapping and securing the folded-up slat book.
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| A slip of kozo paper presents the title: I Want to go to India |
When the slat book is unfolded, it resembles venetian blinds. Because this slat book is made of varying sized slats with folded paper pop-ups attached, it looks beautifully ornate... very complex. Which is how I envision India.. full of flowers, beautiful colors on everything, a diverse population of many layers... noisy and full of ENERGY!
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| Folded paper pop-outs hold the words |
The slat book can fold up to set on a table or stack into a bookshelf, or it can be unfolded and hung on the wall as a piece of art. Charlemagne the kitten is fascinated with anything that is paper and especially this book! ...Oh dear, fore-shadowing of an embattled Christmas tree...
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| Temptation of the pretty paper and pop-outs! |
The pastepaper pop-outs each have a strip of kozo paper on which is written the brief text. On page one, "
I want to go to India. Ride elephants."
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| "Ride elephants"..did I really say that?! |
When all the pop-out elements are opened the book resembles a flower garland.. something I imagine I would see in India.
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| Page 2, "and walk along the river..." |
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| Page 3, "and pray in an ashram on a mountain top." |
Travel to an exotic country always includes a large part as t
he unknown.. then expectations become pointless and the events and articles of reality are wondrous. Despite the simplistic statements in this book, that is the journey I seek.
Kathy
