Handmade A5 Notebook - The Pair of Pilcrows (始终)

The pilcrow is an old mark, rarely used today, representing the beginning of a paragraph or section. In the past, the pilcrow is a decorated character in a text. When manuscripts were copied, a space was left for rubricators* to later embellish the work. The pilcrow was usually coloured in contrasting red ink as a decorative flourish but it also served a functional purpose — to guide the eye to important text divisions. As time went on, printing processes developed, the indented space remained. However, the rubricators could not keep up with the significant work. Over time, the pilcrow’s place was usurped by the indented space. (Indented space) is now used to represent the start of a new paragraph. These days the pilcrow is used as an invisible character in word processing applications to represent the beginning and end of a paragraph. We like to think a pair of pilcrows is one which signifies a new beginning (开始) and an ending (终止) as with the opening of and closure of a paragraph. But with every end, there is always another beginning and another ending...a continuous cycle of new beginnings and endings. A new beginning, a new end, a new experience over and over again. "开始 + 终止 A new beginning… An end… All endings end with a new beginning. 始终" *Rubricator - One who embellishes the written work with elaborate initial letters, headings and other section marks. Rubricators usually worked with red ink as it stands out from the sea of black text. Note: Each notebook comes with a book mark summarising the concept and idea behind the product, so that you can enjoy the product even more! [Measurements & Specifications] Size: Approximately 15cm x 21cm Weight: Approximately 350g Binding: Exposed coptic stitch binding (hand bound) Front and back cover: Brown kraft cardstock board - 750gsm Inside Paper: Blank bulky off-white paper - 100gsm Pages: 164Manufacturing location(s)/process(es)Handmade in Singapore