Wow, now that sure is a mouthful. So what is anthropodermic bibliopegy? It is the practice of binding books in human skin. Interesting and disturbing at the same time. The book on the left is a 300 year old ledger. The book below is the narrative of James Allen the Highwayman, and as he requested on his death bed, is bound in his own skin. I wonder what would make anyone wish for that . . .
The practice of binding books in human skin dates back to around the 16th century, though I imagine there are older examples that have deteriorated. Many museums have books bound in human skin, though few actually put them on display. There are also many skin bound books in private collections. I actually wouldn't mind having one. I'm such a hopeless bibliophile. (lover or collector of books)
It is also very common for fictional grimories to be bound in skin, such as The necronomicon (yes, it is fictitious). It wouldn't surprise me if some of them where, though to my knowledge there are no skin-bound grimoires that have been found. Now, once I did see a grimoire bound in toad skin. That had to have been quite a project.
Meren heart,
Nefabit :3
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