Quipu

San Francisco: Protean Press [Terry Horrigan], 2004. Sewn binding. Fine. One of 40 copies, quarto size, [17] pp., with "Turkish map" fold etching, signed by Catherine Collins Mutz. The Protean Press was founded in 1970 by Terry Horrigan; she published books as a one-woman fine art press, in limited editions, through 2007.

This work, "Quipu", was created in homage to the Inka (Inca) Empire (ca. 1450-1532 CE). Their lingua franca, and the language of the administration of their empire (which lasted from 1438 through 1533 CE) was in the form of "khipu" (knot; to knot): "knotted-string devices that were used for recording both statistical and narrative information..." (n.b., from prospectus).

While Horrigan had been interested in this form since 1991 when she visited Peru, it wasn't until 2003, when Mutz suggested they do this project together, that the project moved forward. Mutz did the research and wrote the text, with the artist book being designed, printed, etched, and bound by Horrigan at her Protean Press.

The resulting work is part scholarly essay (along with an extensive bibliography) and part artist book. Uncommon in the marketplace, as of this writing we see no copies online; our search of OCLC located seventeen copies with institutions, leaving only twenty-three copies for private ownership.

___DESCRIPTION: The work consists of several layers: the outer wrap of "Lama Li" Heavy Natural Lokta fiber paper from Nepal, which has been folded once and glued on one side to form a double-wrap, the cover with the title calligraphed in brown, the endpapers of "Jazz" Saddle Brown Lokta fiber paper from Nepa, these enclose thirteen leaves sewn with brown thread which contain the text, mounted onto the sixth and seventh leaves, and thus nestled in the middle of the work, is the etching folded in the style known as the "Turkish map" fold and which displays a sample khipu, signed by the author on the title page in black ink, numbered in pencil at the colophon; quarto size (10" by 6 7/8"), unpaginated with [17] pp. Loosely laid in is the prospectus, a single sheet folded twice with four printed pages, measuring 5 3/4" tall by 5 1/2".

___CONDITION: Fine, the wraps clean and utterly without soil or wear, the string binding strong, the interior is clean and bright, and free of prior owner markings; clean, crisp, and as new, as is the prospectus.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

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