Effigy ‘Shadow Body’ Edition

Regardless of the cultural form it takes, the ‘spirit-bottle’ intimates that mystery wherein the spirit of life becomes preserved within an earthen vessel, which is to speak of it as ‘effigy’. In the history of magic, the treatment of vessel as effigy has great tradition, particularly where they are made in the likeness of man, god or indwelling genius, the fiery spirit burning brightly within the clay body. Indeed, in the magical arts of the ancient Egyptian and Græco-Roman worlds, pots were sometimes etched with figural representations of a victim, or else marked with their name as magical sigillae. By this act the two became equated as one, the pot afterwards being treated as a proxy in the manner of the witchen poppet.

Martin Duffy’s monumental work of image-sorcery Effigy: Of Graven Image and Holy Idol, was first published in 2015. The book quickly sold out and has been highly sought after since. The book is exhaustive in scope at 560 pages, and richly illustrated with original images created especially for the work by Raven Ebner.

Three Hands Press is proud to announce a special offering of the Shadow-Body edition of the book. Bound from the final remaining text blocks of the first edition, it is limited to 22 hand-numbered copies in full smooth navy-blue goatskin. The book also features marbled endpapers, raised bands, satin ribbon page marker, gilt stamping, and slipcase. The hand-binding work was executed by The Key Bookbindery in Oakland, California and exemplifies the exceptional quality and skill Three Hands Press fine editions are known for.