Is there a definitive edition or printing of the silmarillion. Most of the text itself is typed, but the elaborate calligraphy is harffs own work. To which is appended akallabeth the downfall of numenor and of the rings of power and the third age by tolkien, j. In the strictest definition, the term refers only to manuscripts decorated with gold or silver. In very 21st century elvishmonk style, he handilluminated the text which had been printed on his home canon inkjet printer. He is currently a contributor to boing boing, wink books, and wink fun. Art student handilluminates, binds a copy of tolkiens silmarillion i gotta get back to my handcopying and illuminating the bible, although mine would not be classic looking and i know how to bind my own books. Tolkien, edited and published posthumously by his son, christopher tolkien, in 1977, with assistance from guy gavriel kay. Artist creates illuminated copy of the silmarillion by j. My decision was also aided by my excitement for the new silver screen adaptation of the hobbit i felt the need to fuel up on middleearth. I remember two decades ago or more, hard to remember now i read the lord of the rings and the hobbit and loved them all. A german art student, benjamin harff, decided, for his exam at the academy of arts, to do something only slightly ambitious to handilluminate and bind a copy of j.
Hand illumination and binding of tolkiens silmarillion book art. This handilluminated silmarillion is an astonishing work. Illuminated manuscripts were among the most precious objects produced in the middle ages and the early. Harff created the book as his thesis project in illustration and graphic design. Check out this stunning handilluminated version of tolkiens. Harff created the deluxe silmarillion for his exam at the academy of arts. Art student handilluminates, binds a copy of tolkiens silmarillion german art student benjamin harff decided for his exam at the academy of arts to do something only slightly ambitious to. Tolkiens imaginative writing, a work whose origins stretch back to a time long before.
Tolkien and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Benjamin harff has produced an unbelievably lovely bound and illuminated copy of the silmarillion. His books have been translated into more than fifty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide. All in all, it took harff one year to create his book, financing it himself. One is the silmarillion, the legendarium proper, and then the 1977 silmarillion, which may or may not be what tolkien envisioned. Benjamin harff, a german art student, spent a year creating a copy of the silmarillion in the tradition of medieval european illuminated manuscripts. Pieter collier of the tolkien library interviewed artist benjamin harff back in 2009 after discovering his edelsilmarillion, a 400 page handilluminated copy of j. Tolkien 18921973 is the creator of middleearth and author of such classic and extraordinary works of fiction as the hobbit, the lord of the rings, and the silmarillion.
A gorgeous handilluminated and bound version of the. There has been a lot of talk about an adaptation of the silmarillion lately, with the hobbit movies drawing to an end. Hand illumination and binding of tolkiens silmarillion make. The total volume of tolkiens middleearth manuscripts is vastly greater than that of the completed lord of the rings, but it seems to be a nearhopeless tangle of variants and unfinished reworkings in both prose and verse. Art students hand illumination and binding of tolkiens silmarillion. A german art student handilluminates tolkiens bible of middle earth. This guy made a handilluminated copy of tolkiens the silmarillion. For his final thesis for his degree, he created ahandilluminated version of j. The silmarillion is a collection of mythopoeic works by english writer j. The reader who submitted this question has spent time and money collecting the best possible editions he can find of the lord of the rings but is not certain if any effort should be made to collect a specific edition or printing of the silmarillion to be honest, i dont know if anyone has cataloged errors of in. The silmarillion, the book tolkien spent all of his adult life writing, was, sadly, incomplete when tolkien died at the age of eighty one in 1973. This was something that occurred to us when we happened across benjamin harffs hand illuminated copy of jrr tolkiens the silmarillion.
Typically early printed books and especially manuscripts. Click on the link to see some amazing works of calligraphy. Starting a couple of months ago, steven umbrello began work on an immense project. Benjamin harff produced a handilluminated edition of tolkiens the silmarillion a famously dense set of myths and background for middle earth as. He worked with a binder to assemble the resulting book.
It is the ancient drama to which the characters in the lord of the rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as elrond and. For a school project, a german art student handilluminated and bound a. The tolkien library website got in touch with harff for a lengthy interview and obtained several photos of his deluxe edition silmarillion. The silmarillion tells the fictional history of middleearth before the events of the hobbit and t he lord of the rings trilogy took place. Designed to take fans of the hobbit and the lord of the rings deeper into the myths and legends of middleearth the silmarillion is an account of the elder days, of the first age of tolkiens world. An illuminated manuscript is a book written and decorated completely by hand. The illuminated silmarillion weve posted about this before, but i was reminded of it today, and its such an astonishing hand made work of art in an age of mass production that i truly dont think anyone will mind seeing it again.
John tolkien started to write the silmarillion one hundred one hundred. I created the deluxesilmarillion for my exam at the academy of arts. The silmarillion folio society edition consisting of quenta silmarillion the history of the silmarils, together with ainulindale the music of the ainur and valaquenta account of the valar. Is the silmarillion actually a good book or is it one of those things that only big tolkien fantasy fans like. This illuminated copy of tolkiens silmarillion is the. Interview with benjamin harff, upcoming tolkien illustrator and. Tolkiens the silmarillion is a moving and beautiful story. The silmarillion is an account of the elder days, of the first age of tolkiens world. Known as the silmarillion, a book tolkien would add to throughout his life, this rich tapestry of tales told of the creation of the world in the first age, the coming of elves and men, the theft of the silmarils the jewels containing the pure light that illuminated middleearth and the wars between the first dark lord and the high elves. Benjamin harff, who hopes to work as an illustrator and calligrapher, created. Interview with benjamin harff, upcoming tolkien illustrator and creator of the edelsilmarillion. Tolkiens other works, forms an extensive, though incomplete, narrative. A numberone new york times bestseller when it was originally published, the silmarillion is the core of j.
Til german art student handilluminated silmarillion in. Gareth branwyn is a freelance writer and the former editorial director of maker media. What you see before you, in the pictures on this page, is an illuminated manuscript of the first part of professor tolkiens the lay of the children of hurin from the lays of beleriand having been in love with the tales of middleearth since he was a. Hand illumination and binding of tolkiens silmarillion. This illuminated copy of tolkiens silmarillion is the prettiest thing. The silmarillion the official tolkien online bookshop. Check out an excerpt from the interview here below. Illuminated manuscripts were among the most precious objects produced in the middle ages and the early renaissance, primarily in monasteries and courts.
The lay of the children of hurin illuminated manuscript. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, diy, and geek culture. Free audio books of all 7 books of the chronicles of narnia. This sumptuous, oversized hardback beautifully presents a revised and reset edition of the silmarillion, illustrated by way of almost 50 fullcolour paintings by celebrated tolkien artist ted nasmith designed to match and complement the illustrated hobbit and lord of the rings. Wonderful site and books for calligraphy and illumination art and tutorial by cari ferraro. German art student, benjamin harff handilluminated and bound a copy of tolkiens silmarillion.
All the initials, the calligraphic pages and illumination was drawn and painted by hand. An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented with such decoration as initials, borders marginalia and miniature illustrations. Books go search best sellers gift ideas new releases deals store coupons amazonbasics gift cards customer service sell. Strictly speaking, an illuminated manuscript contains gold or silver, which reflects the light. Handilluminated edition of the silmarillion benjamin harff produced a handilluminated edition of tolkiens the silmarillion a famously dense set of myths and background for middle earth as a.
All of the initials, calligraphic pages and illumination were drawn by hand using a steel pen and indian ink as well as brushes and watercolour. The silmarillion series an outline of the silmarillion. This handilluminated silmarillion is an astonishing work of art. Check out this stunning handilluminated version of. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in the lord of the rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as elrond and galadriel took part. Forty years later, an illustration and graphic design student worked all by himself, for about one year, to produce a wonderful deluxe, handilluminated edition of the silmarillion. All of the initials, calligraphic pages and illumination were drawn by hand using a steel. The question itself reveals why it can never truly be answered to the askers satisfaction it completely misses the visceral, organic link between designer and the designed. Imprint satement of place, publisher and date of publication on a books title page. In very century elvishmonk style, he handilluminated the text and printed on a canon inkjet printer. Benjamin harff produced a handilluminated edition of tolkiens the silmarillion a famously dense set of myths and background for middle earth as a final project at art school. This guy made a handilluminated copy of tolkiens the. From the great body of material dealing with the first age of middleearth, tolkiens son christopher has compiled a prose narrative of the events surrounding the.
Tolkien, it is the story of the creation of the world and of the first age, this is the ancient drama to which the characters in the lord of the rings look back and in whose events some of them, such as elrond and galadriel, took part. For a school project, a german art student handilluminated and bound a copy of j. The chapters were occasionally hard to slog through, and while we made it to the other side, reading from this handillumina. Those of you who participated in nerdist book club and read the silmarillion with me know. Tolkiens silmarillion as an illuminated manuscript. Many fans of jacksons movies want to see movies based on the silmarillion, although anyone who knows the text could tell you a movie or a trilogy based on the book would be. Once in a while i read tolkien related books or website articles in other. This illuminated copy of tolkiens silmarillion is the prettiest thing youll. Issue a group of books issued by the publisher as a discrete unit. Weve posted about this before, but i was reminded of it today, and its such an astonishing handmade work of art in an age of mass production that i truly dont think anyone will mind seeing it again several years ago, german art student benjaminn harff set himself the task of handilluminating and binding a copy of j. Handilluminated edition of the silmarillion boing boing.