Company

The ARC Group is a company dealing with the printing and reproduction of facsimiles of antique books. In all its years of existence, the ARC Group has managed to maintain continuance of an old tradition that has passed from generation to generation and which is based on time-tested techniques of printing and binding for writings and incunabula.

In most cases, all the books are hand-sewn and made from carefully selected materials. Special emphasis is given by the ARC Group to the smallest details, that will enrich the originality of the books and fully match them to the originals.

Anyone who buys such a book, has been provided with a part of history and enriched their library with a piece from a charming selection of incunabula and writings.

In its illustrious career, the ARC Group has produced many difficult works for the following clients: Orthodox Church of Moscow, Vatican, Monplaisir Book Club, Bely Gorod Book Club, Library of the President of Russia, Moscow Muslim Community, President of the Republic of Poland. The ARC Group has received many flattering compliments for the quality of its work. [1][2]

[Library – 1] [Library – 2] [Library – 3]



The Qur’an was printed at our printing house. The paper was custom made in Great Britain, and the precious and semiprecious stones as well as the book’s malachite dust cover were all custom made in Agra, India. The gold and silver decorations were made at a well-known filigree laboratory in Milan, Italy.

It took us more than a year to produce this book. At the beginning, we had to prepare the files for the appropriate book format. Then we had to choose the appropriate paper with attributes that enable quality printing and preservation of the stability of the book during the latter binding phase. At the same time, we conducted activities on choosing the materials required for book binding (leather, malachite, decors, etc.). After printing, we began with constructing the book block. We had to manually fold every sheet of paper and make bookbinding sections. During the process itself, an additional check-up was performed to confirm the accuracy of the texts. The book block was then hand sewn. This phase required the construction of a special work table and a special frame that enabled sewing of such a large book format. Once the book block was sewn together, we had to perform rounding and backing of the book. This phase was then followed by a phase of grinding and polishing the book block trimming and afterwards gold plating the trimming in the way they did it in the 17th century – by manually applying 24-carat gold leaves. Once the book block was finished, three 10 cm index strips made of silk with hand carved texts from golden thread had to be made as well. Before manufacturing the covers, we made leather backing that was pre-printed in a gold colour with special clichés and had a built in gold decor with integrated “green aventurine” gemstones measuring 30 mm in diameter. Cover preparation was done in several phases: the base was made of wood (Russian waterproof birch) and was then coated with calf leather. The inner cover edges were printed with gold decorations. Plates of malachite that were beforehand fixated on the metal base were attached to the covers. All other decorations were then attached to the malachite.

The book, with all the decorations, weighs altogether over 500kg.

 

Decoration of the book::

  • The front cover features, with its 14cm in diameter, the world’s largest Turquoise, measuring 3cm in depth and cut “en cabochon”.
  • The 4 corners hold minced corals measuring 12cm in diameter and 25mm in thickness.
  • Furthermore, the front side houses the following gems: 12 “green aventurines” cut “en cabochon” and measuring 8 cm in diameter and 30mm in thickness; 4 “red jaspers” measuring 46mm in diameter and 18mm in thickness; 4 diamond cut “amethyst” stones 8cm in diameter and 30mm thick; 2 “lapis lazuli” stones 46 mm in diameter and 18mm in thickness; 2 diamond cut “lemon topaz” stones measuring 46mm in diameter and 18mm in thickness. 32 zircons all measuring 12 mm in diameter are gathered around the central Turquoise stone. All gems are embedded on gold and gold plated decorations made by masters from the filigree workshop in Milan.
  • Altogether, the book holds 113 precious and semiprecious stones.
  • All of the precious and semiprecious stones embedded in the book did not find their way there by chance. The chosen stones cover 7 human chakras that should ensure all visitors achieve peace and enlightenment while in the presence of the book.

 

The buyer ordered the book with the intention of displaying it as a relic in a newly built museum in Bulga, the former capital of Tatarstan. At least six people are needed for the careful and steady page scrolling that ensures proper manipulation of the book.

-Our product has been listed in the “Guinness Book of World Records”.