The book is made from the skin of a scientist - in 1532 he donated his body for a manuscript in Latin, forever preserving his mark in its reddish-brown leather cover.
The controversial exhibit is on display in the National Academic Library of Kazakhstan - the book became part of the Amazing Books and Manuscripts exhibition.
Today, edition in a wrinkled "human" binding is terrifying, but such books were quite common in the Middle Ages.
In the 17th century, people were really used to bind books - initially, medical books were made from human skin.
The delicate work of tanning and wrapping books with human skin was done by doctors - they used the bodies of scientists who made these sacrifices for the sake of science. Such binding is called anthropodermic.
“Doctors actively used this and ordered books in covers made of human skin - scientists sacrificed themselves for the benefit of education.
On the part of the doctors, it was a kind of a sign of respect for the people who took this heroic step - in this way, with the help of books, the memory of these people was perpetuated,”the exhibition said.
Note that such rare editions are found in libraries around the world - in England, France, USA, Australia, etc.
Promotional video:
Usually these are books on anatomy bound in the skin of corpses, books in the skin of donors bequeathed to science or executed people, as well as criminal cases bound in the skin of executed criminals. Now there is a rare cover edition in Kazakhstan.