Selections from the 2010 Gift Guide for Book Lovers

Shakespearean coffee, Thoreau’s pen, and a lamp fit for Cicero are some of the unique products available for the literary-minded. by Rebecca Rego Barry

Writing a gift guide for bibliophiles is a plum assignment. I browse boutiques, rummage around online, and peruse sumptuous catalogs in search of items that I would like to find under my tree. This year, twenty incredible products top my list. Here is a sampling from the Guide, published in the 2010 Fine Books & Collections compendium, which, incidentally, makes a great stocking stuffer itself.

Paper Necklace

This striking choker—made of 500 pieces of paper—is just one example of the creativity of the jewelry designer Ana Hagopian, who has exhibited her work in galleries across Europe. Using hand-dyed recycled paper and textiles, she has created a gorgeous collection of delicate necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings. Hagopian is now based in Spain, but you can browse her catalog at anahagopian.com. Some of her pieces, such as the necklace pictured, are available at the Victoria and Albert Museum Shop; they are indeed works of art. (item #98891) $325

+44 (0) 20 7942 2696 \\ www.vandashop.com

Ancient Light

For those at home reading through the Loeb Classical Library, a good reading light is a necessity. The Cicero lamp is just that, plus with its Roman styling, it’s also going to set the mood. Designed by Murray Feiss, this stately table lamp has a Firenze gold finish with a sand-colored crepe shade; it stands 34-1⁄2 inches high. There are two other Cicero lamps (see www.feiss.com) available to complement the look. Now, back to Cicero’s Rhetorical Treatises, volume IV. (item #9582FG) $308

(800) 860-1207 \\ www.novalightingstore.com

Wax Seals

Fountain pen. Inkwell. Paper. Blotter. How to complete such a grand piece of correspondence? Wax seal. This lovely kit from Freund-Mayer & Co. contains a handcrafted blue Murano glass handle, a brass die with a fleur-de-lys design, and a stick of gold sealing wax. The die can be unscrewed and interchanged with other designs in the company’s collection, and a variety of replacement wax can always be found in fine stationery stores. Instructions are included, but it’s simple. Melt a little pool of wax on the paper and stamp it. You’ll feel like Edith Wharton in Florence. (item #268137) $45

(866) 944-2683 \\ www.cambriacove.com

Shakespearean Brew

If twentieth-century book superstores tell us anything, it is this: Booklovers adore coffee. Now there’s a java with an even higher literary appeal. Café Mam, roaster of 100% organic and fair trade coffee, sells an Othello blend, tempting the Bard in all of us. Othello is concocted from one part French beans, one part Italian, and two parts light; it is full-bodied with an herbal aftertaste. You can purchase a “priority pack” of 1-1⁄2 pounds, or a bulk pack of 5 pounds. Other varieties and sizes are offered, in regular or decaf, all roasted fresh to order. Sweet deal! $11.50 for 1-1⁄2 lbs. or $33.50 for 5 lbs.

(888) Cafe-Mam \\ www.finebooksmagazine.com/store