How far can you go for something you love? Is $1.5 million for a one-of-a-kind copy of Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s far enough? The sought-after first edition bound by award-winning artist bookbinder Kate Holland will be up for grabs at the upcoming New York International Antiquarian Book Fair for an insane $1.5 million. In addition to being a rare collectible, this copy comes bedazzled with nearly 30 carats of diamonds and one sapphire. A true gem, it marks the centenary of Capote’s birth and has been signed by the literary great himself. While Breakfast at Tiffany’s has been talked about enough, it is Holland’s masterpiece that now deserves the attention and for all the right reasons. Reading a book is an experience that you live.
The limited edition in black goatskin boasts a design of a 1950s New York street map. The main streets are highlighted with platinum pavé set with over 1,000 white diamonds. The striking sapphire pays homage to Holly Golightly’s favorite place, Tiffany’s flagship store, and hand-tooled images of a cat and a bird in flight on the doublures. ‘We made an amazing book with diamonds, but then we were like ‘let’s make it a whole experience,’ says Kate. ‘With bindings this extravagant, you can’t put it on a shelf or in a box. You want it out in the open for everyone to walk around it and appreciate it,” said Holland.
While all that glitters on the outside is indeed diamonds, inside the book is just as packed with treasures. Excitingly for collectors, the book features a full portfolio of photomontages by photographer David Attie. It is indeed the kind of collectible one shows off which is why Holland roped in glassmaker Jade Pinnell to create a glass plinth that the book could rest on. Master cabinetmaker Dom Parish contributed an ebonized birdcage, and the book comes with a custom vintage trunk inspired by Holly’s luggage-filled apartment in the story.
Kate Holland shared, “It was really exciting to have this opportunity to push the boundaries of contemporary bookbinding, to make something that might be noteworthy outside our small world, and to raise the profile of our craft in the luxury market.” She continued, “The design had to be as stylish and iconic as Audrey Hepburn’s little black dress, without slavishly copying the all too familiar motifs already associated with Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I also wanted to resolve the predicament of how to display a book as an art object rather than as a spine on a shelf that only one reader at a time can enjoy. It’s been a long and thrilling journey. We launch at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair and serendipitously in the centenary year of Capote’s birth. I can’t wait to see where it lands in its new home.”
A prototype of the book will be displayed at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair from April 4 to 7. Those with $1.5 million in their pocket can get their hands on the real deal at the Lux Mentis booth.
