The Friends of the KB Association have donated a unique copy of Louis Couperus’s novel Psyche to the KB. This association provides financial support to the KB for acquiring truly special works. The book is bound in a unique, handmade binding.
Psyche
Psyche was first published in 1898. In October 1899, publisher L.J. Veen received this edition in an exceptional binding. Bookbinder J.A. Loebèr Jr. had bound the book in an elegant Art Nouveau style using hand-painted, batiked parchment. The colourful circles on the cover represent the stages of the soul (depicted as a butterfly): the past (cobwebs), the present (a growing plant) and the future (an embryo).
Loebèr wrote to Veen that he would like the book back by Monday 9 October at the latest because it was also to be included in an exhibition in Berlin. Couperus probably saw the book himself before it was returned. Before the KB bought the book, it had been hidden from view in a private collection for more than 125 years. Although the existence of the binding was known, there had never been a picture of it. The book is in very good condition, having been kept in its accompanying box all this time.
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Op deze afbeelding zijn de algemene gebruiksvoorwaarden van KB.nl van toepassing.
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Op deze afbeelding zijn de algemene gebruiksvoorwaarden van KB.nl van toepassing.
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Op deze afbeelding zijn de algemene gebruiksvoorwaarden van KB.nl van toepassing.
Friends of the KB
The Friends of the KB Association provides financial support to the KB for acquiring exceptional works. This helps keep Dutch cultural heritage available for the Netherlands. Members of the association get discounts on their KB membership and access to lectures and excursions, among other things. Read more about the Friends of the KB.
