Iona Handcrafted Books...



Iona Handcrafted Books is committed to crafting books in the time-honored tradition of the Italians - by hand. All leathers are selected and cut by hand, and all archival papers are hand-torn to size. Also, the hemp twine used to stitch the books is hand waxed with natural beeswax. The books and albums are crafted to last a lifetime, so no frills are added; just straightforward top quality leather, papers, and twine. We constantly refine our old world techniques to create an heirloom quality album that will preserve the past, present, and future for generations to come. 1-877-IONA-BKS
vade mecum
Until the advent of the printing press, monks and scribes copied manuscripts by hand, often embellishing the texts with elaborate illustrations and border design. Intricately bound in leather, each codex was priceless one-of-a-kind edition, and was carefully guarded within the cloister. Throughout the 16th century, monks kept their library holdings in securely locked cabinets or cases, these texts examined only under the closest supervision. Later, books were chained to their display pedestal or shelf, permanently fixed for their protection.
To make the most of this scared information, scholars needed their own copy of text to refer to and study outside of the library. So, Venetian monks innovated a rugged style of book-binding for their personal journals termed "vade mecum," "to go with me." This style of book still endures withini the culture of Italy and represents a distinctive simplicity which we at Iona strive to emulate.