Best Bookmarks For Your Reading Pleasures

27 Sep 2007 Category: Features, Products

Sunset is getting earlier and earlier every day and the nights are getting colder, indicating that autumn is upon us. Speaking of which, that would really be the best season for reading, wouldn’t it? Ah, what could be more enjoyable than curling up on a comfy sofa with a good book on a long weekend… Today PingMag shows you a collection of our favourite bookmarks from all over the world that will undoubtedly enhance your reading pleasures.

Written by Ryoko
Translated by Rie Ishimi

Bookmarks from the Czech Republic

For a start, here are some delightful bookmarks we discovered in a music and grocery store called Lykkelig in the Ishikawa Prefecture. Made in the Czech Republic, they are showing the unique design and Old World charm that is so common to Czech handmade crafts. These bookmarks are actually thin leather straps with little tin charms on either end. The pictures below show the “spectacles and book” edition and the “gardener with hedge clippers”. Versatile as these little cuties are, you can also use them as key rings or mobile phone straps.

Bookmarks from a Chapel in Mexico

Here are some more bookmarks we found at Lykkelig: Actually they are adapted from chapel motifs in Mexico with their bright colouring and distinctive lettering being inspired by Mexican religious and folk art traditions. Even if you are not fluent in Spanish to understand these religious sayings, these colourful bookmarks would nevertheless brighten up any dull grey autumn afternoon.

Gegege no Kitaro Bookmark

We just HAD to show you these leather bookmarks from Gegege no Yokairakuen! Their name means “Gegege Paradise” and they are selling lovely stuff all based on the famous Gegege no Kitaro manga. The illustrations on them are adapted from Shigeru Mizuki’s work “Fifty-three Stages of Yokai“, the title of a play on Hiroshige’s famous ukiyo-e series, “Fifty-three Stages of Tokaido”. One of the most famous characters in the “Gegege no Kitaro” series is Medama Oyaji, the father of the main character, whose head is a gigantic eyeball. So, of course, the end of the straps on these bookmarks are decorated with creepy eyeballs!

The digital “mark-my-time” bookmark clock

Earlier we had cute Czech bookmarks with an antique feel, so how about some high-tech examples as contrast? Here we go: We found these digital “mark-my-time” bookmarks from America at the Yomupara online shop, which is devoted to items designed to make reading more enjoyable. This particular bookmark [pictured below] is supposed to keep track of how long children read – a clever invention that won the “The Best New Product Award 2004″ at the BookExpo America. Needless to say that the digital bookmark’s timer function can also be useful for adults, for example, use it with your favourite cookbook and keep track of how long your cake is in the oven.

Art bookmarks by Aleksander Rodchenko

We discovered the bookmarks [pictured below on the right] when we flipped through the Art Shop Peivo: Designed by Russian Constructivist, Aleksander Rodchenko! Simply awesome!

Waterlily Bookmark and Tree of Life Bookmark by Frank Lloyd Wright

The next bookmarks come from the MoMA Online Store Japan. These delicate examples are based on the architectural designs of one of the greatest figures in 20th-century architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright.

The “Waterlily Bookmark” shown in the left image is adapted from a stained glass window resembling a waterlily which Wright designed, but was too difficult to actually produce. The “Tree of Life” in the right image is based on one of the windows in the Darwin D. Martin House in Buffalo, New York. Though it looks a bit posh, it’s virtually indestructible as it’s made from brass and decorated with enamel.

Next we have works of the +d artist series commissioned by the h concept design company. Meaning, the next three heartwarming bookmark designs were produced through collaboration of three designers from +d:

Animal Bookmarks

The bookmarks pictured below on the left are called simply “Animal Bookmark” by Mai Ono and made from (real) pig suede and bull leather. The tails of the monkey and the giraffe look quite cute when dangling from your book or notebook! Other varieties include a pig and a camel bookmark. What would be your favourite animal to help you keep track then?

Floral Sticky Notes

Next up are the “Floral Sticky Notes” designed by Natsuko Kurosawa which won a “Good Design Award”: Each transparent flower petal has an adhesive back, so if you mark several places in your book, it looks like if a flower would grow out of it. What a nice way to brighten up that boring catalogue on your office desk!

Story of a Bookmark for a Story

Oh, we have to come to an end for today! But lastly, we’re presenting you the “Story of a Bookmark for a Story” by Yuko Tokuda and Yumiko Komiya. These bookmarks really look as if a white bird and a mermaid were protruding out of your book! The designers wanted to play around a bit with our perception of reality as if these characters just escaped from a story inside.

Did you enjoy our favourite bookmark collection today? This is more fun than just using a little piece of scrap paper or folding back the corner of a page. If you know another way to brighten up reading on a long autumn night, let us know!

81 Comments

1. Ahh, your articles never cease to brighten my day. ^-^ Alays quirky and creative. Anyway, I really like the digital ‘mark-my-time’ bookmark. Very modern and high-tech indeed. =) All these bookmarks are making me wanna pick a book up to read. =D

   Posted by: razori on September 27th, 2007 at 8:27 pm

2. What’s so great about these bookmarks is that they are all such simple ideas, but also very different. I think the ‘Story of a bookmark for a story’ range is my favourite — very clever! :)

   Posted by: Barry Bloye on September 27th, 2007 at 9:29 pm

3. Story of a bookmar for a story seems so pure, simple and extremely clever. The idea behind it really appeals to me.

   Posted by: dendoo on September 27th, 2007 at 10:41 pm

4. floral sticky notes look really great~~

   Posted by: tunokuda on September 27th, 2007 at 11:08 pm

5. “The digital “mark-my-time” bookmarks to keep track of your reading time.”

   Is it only me who thinks that people who care THIS much about time elapsed while reading - and who value designer bookmarks in general - probably don’t read THAT many actual books?

   Posted by: calligraphykid on September 28th, 2007 at 12:07 am

6. These are really nice. I liked the Chech ones!

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7. Great!!! is a wonderful ideas!!

   Posted by: Sergio on September 28th, 2007 at 3:43 am

8. Not that I’m expecting to find them — but anyone in the U.S. have any ideas for tracking down the Floral Sticky Notes? Seems I can only find online ordering for Japan residents.

   Posted by: Dean Burchell on September 28th, 2007 at 3:49 am

9. Cool!

   Posted by: Akai on September 28th, 2007 at 12:03 pm

10. My fav is one I got at Sony Plaza, but is a US product. It’s somewhat similar to a paper clip — you attach it to the page and line where you stopped reading. A little window marks the line. Borders bookstore in the US sells them too.
    http://dailygadget.typepad.com/daily_gadget/2007/07/tdg—lastline.html

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