Midnight Star (Cairo Atelier) Ultra Lined Journal

Like an exploding supernova, gold tooling and intricate embellishments burst off this Midnight Star journal cover, inviting you to gaze into the cosmos.

A brilliant Cairo workshop is responsible for this 12-pointed star design, originally crafted in the early 1500s. At that time, Cairo and Damascus were at the centre of Islamic book binding and design, with Cairo itself having been home to a paper mill since the 11th century. The supple leather used for the cover would have been imported from the Arabian Peninsula or North African Maghreb.

Though the name of the original atelier has been lost to history, the detailed pattern and fine materials used show why books from this workshop were – and continue to be – so highly prized. The binding was likely originally crafted to hold a book of high importance, such as the Koran, and today it can be found in the collection of the Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Truly a wonder of the ancient world, Midnight Star calls you to look skyward and be transported back to the glory days of Egyptian book binding arts.