What Makes This Rare 16th Century Book So Special Is Something Everyone Should See

This 16th century book is more than meets the eye. Housed at the National Library of Sweden, this small old book is a marvelous example of sixfold dos-à-dos binding, in which six books are conjoined into a single publication, which you can also read individually with the help of six perfectly placed clasps.

Let’s take a closer look.

rb1

National Library of Sweden

A detail of the embellished page edges and clasps. Depending on which clasp is open, the book can be read several ways.

rb2

National Library of Sweden

Take a good look of the intricately decorated leather cover.

rb3

National Library of Sweden

With its dos-a-dos binding (literally “back-to-back”), readers can peruse the pages in six different ways. Opening different clasps will reveal different directions.

rb4

National Library of Sweden

rb5

National Library of Sweden

[wp_ad_camp_1]

rb6

National Library of Sweden

rb7

National Library of Sweden

rb8

National Library of Sweden

rb9

National Library of Sweden

ezgif.com-resize (18)

National Library of Sweden

Credit: National Library of Sweden / Flickr