Jarmila Jelena Sobotova

Loket, Czech Republic

A. Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles, 1902

Sobota’s “three coverboard” structure. Top boards are covered with black goat skin and application of black frog skin, green fish skin and red calf skin (stomach). Middle boards are covered with green goat skin, doublures with black goat skin. Leather triple headbands. Colored edges. Acrylic painting of “beast dog” on front cover, partly covered by frog skin. Black chain is attached to the back cover. Decorative box: binder’s board covered with black leather with application of lizard’s leather. Title printed on box front’s cover. 18 x 14 x 4 centimeters. Created 2006.

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Jarmila J. Sobotova originally worked as a professor of psychology. During ten years of studying bookbinding as an assistant to Jan Sobota, and studying drawing and painting, she changed careers and has been working as a design bookbinder. In 1997 she received the title “Master of Design Bookbinding” from Society of Czech Bookbinders. Her work has been published in numerous journals and professional books, and is represented in many private and public collections in the Czech Republic, England, Italy, Israel, France, Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Greece, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican, and the United States. She has exhibited in more than eighty group and twenty individual exhibits around the world and has won sixteen prizes for her work. The latest: 1999 – V. Bienale Mondiale de la Reliure d’Art, Saint Jean De Luz, France, First Prize (Cyrano de Bergerag); 2001 – VI. Biennale, Saint Jean de Luz, France, Prix de la Ville d’Urrugne (Pecheur d’Islande); 2004 – The Miniature Book Society Exhibition, Bath, England, Distinguished Book Award Winner (Christmas Carol); 2005 – MBS Exhibition, New Orleans, USA Distinguished Book Award Winner (The Cask of Amortillado); 2005 – VIII. Biennale, Saint Rémy, France, Prix de la ville de Bullion (Le Tour du Monde en 80 Jours). Website at www.jsobota.cz.