Cover of the Little Flowers of Saint Francis

Cover of the Little Flowers of Saint Francis

Pale green cloth embossed with a die-stamped gilt pattern, made by Paul Woodroffe, on 1899. This elegant Art Nouveau binding is composed of a repeated pattern contained within an interlace. The prime device suggests both a leaf and the movement of water; each ‘leaf’ contains a cluster of parallel forms which could be leaves, thorns, or germinating seeds. The organic imagery as a whole connotes the idea of God’s plenty and prepares the reader for the sacred story contained within the pages. Photograph and text by Simon Cooke.