British police have discovered a 300-year-old book bound in human skin on a main street in the city of Leeds, located in Northern England.
Most of the text in the book is in French, and it likely dates back to the time of the French Revolution (1789-1799).
The practice of binding books in human skin, known as “anthropodermic bibliopegy,” was known during the 18th and 19th centuries, when the skin of executed criminals was used for this purpose.
During World War II, the Nazis were also accused of using the skin of Jewish victims to cover books.
Many reports suggest that the book may have been stolen from a house in the city and later discarded by the thieves.
A brief statement from the British police indicated that the book contains handwritten text in black ink, possibly dating back to the 1700s, and urged anyone who knows the owner of the book to contact the authorities immediately.
The police have published two photos of the book online but have yet to receive any responses.
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Source: BBC | |
