Shop with the Folger this holiday season! We have lots of wonderful gift ideas in our online Folger Shop, which relaunched earlier this year.
Use our guide below to find the perfect present for the loved ones in your life: the writer, the artist, the new parent, the book lover, the puzzle enthusiast, and more.
Become a member of the Folger to receive 10% off each purchase. And if you’re already a member, don’t forget to log in to your account to apply your discount. To receive gifts in time for Christmas, please place your order by Friday, December 15. For readers of Shakespeare & Beyond, we have a special offer for free shipping using promo code HOLIDAY2023. (The code expires on December 16 and cannot be combined with any other offers.)
The writer
These handmade Italian leather journals make a perfect gift for someone who loves to write. Each journal features a butter-soft cover, back pocket, and pen loop, with an easy-to-use, wrap-around leather cord.
The beautiful green, blue, or red peacock patterns that decorate the cover are reminiscent of endpaper leaves used by European bookbinders starting in the 17th century, as seen throughout the Folger Shakespeare Library collection.
The artist
For the person who loves drawing, this pencil case is a lovely gift. Handmade in Italy with calfskin, each case comes with 12 pre-sharpened coloring pencils, each with their own pocket. A wrap-around lace closure keeps everything secure.
The book lover
These handmade pure silk habotai scarves were designed with patterns of endleaves from books in the Folger collection. Endleaves, or endpapers, were decorated with marbled swirls, feathered and combed designs, spot and serpentine patterns using marble paper techniques that can be traced back to the Persian Empire, Central Asia, and China. Choose from three scarves, made exclusively for the Folger:
Garden of the Muses
This scarf features a marble paper motif, found in a book of English poetry dating from the 17th century, and added when the book was rebound in the late 18th century.
Two Noble Kinsmen
This scarf features a feathered paper motif, found in a 1634 quarto edition of John Fletcher and William Shakespeare’s Two Noble Kinsmen that was rebound in the nineteenth century.
Merchant of Venice
This scarf features a feathered paper motif from a 1637 edition of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice that was rebound in the 19th century.
The gardener
Botanical Shakespeare, by Gerit Quealy and illustrated by Sumié Hasegawa-Collins, is a lovely compendium of the more than 170 plants that are named in Shakespeare’s poems and plays alongside all the lines in which they appear. From flowers to trees, from herbs to vegetables, this beautifully designed hardcover book is a delight for any gardener.
Fun fact: The author’s inspiration for this book came while sitting in the Reading Room at the Folger.
The Folger fan
For the person who wants to wear their love of the Folger on their sleeve, we have a T-shirt for that! There are many ways to show your Folger pride, but here are a few other great gift ideas.
Baseball cap
Camp mug
Tote bag
The new parent
This book from the BabyLit® series makes a great gift for a new parent who wants to introduce their little one to Shakespeare. A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Fairies Primer features lines adapted by Jennifer Adams from Shakespeare’s play, with whimsical illustrations by Alison Oliver. Also available: Romeo & Juliet: A Counting Primer.
The puzzle enthusiast
The World of Shakespeare Puzzle is a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle that depicts the London of Shakespeare’s day. See if you can spot the actors rehearsing A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Globe. From lovers ascending ladders and bears being baited to tavern brawls and summer fetes, there is something to delight in every detail.
The imaginative child
These hand-painted 7″ wooden dolls of William Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth I were designed exclusively for the Folger by fair-trade company Goose Grease, which is based in Brooklyn, New York.
Each doll is carefully hand-chiseled from Urapán wood on an electric lathe and hand-painted with USA-made non-toxic water-based paints. Each doll is unique and safe for little hands. They are designed in a Brooklyn studio and made by artisans in a small carpentry shop in Bogotá, Colombia. The dolls are made using sustainably forested wood; when one tree is used, two more are planted.
Thank you for shopping with us this holiday season. Every purchase supports the Folger Shakespeare Library.
Find more gifts at shop.folger.edu.
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