Pear-Shaped Binding

Michael Sull (1949–) and Jan Sobota (1939–2012). 
Solomon’s Song of Songs.
Dallas: Jan Sobota, 1990. (BRMS 209)

Transcribed by the calligrapher Michael Sull, this small pear-shaped manuscript of the biblical Song of Songs is accompanied by a pear-shaped leather book box crafted by Jan Sobota. The design of the leather binding and its container is lightly erotic, combining the shape of a pear and a suggestion of the female form. This reflects the dual nature of the Song of Songs as an allegory of the love of God expressed through the language of physical love. The front of the box is covered in green and yellow painted buckskin surmounted by a stem, while the back side features crushed white buckskin. Sobota’s “pear” protects the manuscript within much as did the medieval box bindings that inspired it. 

View a video of the book and binding.