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5 paise

I 'saw' the cover of this book in my mind's eye as I was walking up on the flat roof of our house one evening: 5-paise coins in a harlequin pattern. My late, thrifty mother-in-law left a bag of coins behind. The smallest denominations have all been demonetised now, as inflation has taken their value away. But I like their varied shapes.


Making a little book like this -- 4.5" x 6.5" -- doesn't take much time, but I like to think lazily about how it should be, and how to go about it; to anticipate.


I cut the covers from an old book, and folded the pages. I used various inkjet papers in white and neutral colours. There are six sections/signatures. I painted, collaged and numbered the first page of each one. The third signature has an Urdu number 3, just to give the person turning the pages a little surprise, and a photograph I took of Badshahi masjid in Lahore. The Urdu text is a recipe for egg-and-tomato pulau, because I didn't want to tear a page out of a book of poetry.


I measured and punched holes, put eyelets in the covers, washed the coins and glued them on. Then I kept everything ready in a small basket -- covers, paper, curved needle, waxed linen thread.


Sewing the book took about 15 minutes. And now... what? It waits.



8 comments:

  1. Wonderful!
    A NY follower on twitter.

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  2. Best entry.

    The details, the absolute absorption in the making of the book from inception to completion, almost a palpable connect with all the objects involved ...
    Truly awesome
    and peace giving.

    PS i have some 3 np coins somewhere
    :)

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  3. What a wonderful inspiration, Nancy--I love the coins, too.

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  4. Very nice! Now what? Fill it with drawings or poetry!

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  5. Nancy,

    Very original.

    I like it.

    Charu

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  6. Lovely, reminds us why we love paper books over digital.

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  7. Now i see it... will try one too. each a unique page with a story of its own

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  8. very beautiful idea thank you for sharing Nancy love and peace in 2015
    angelee

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