Author: Charles van Sandwyk.
Title: Splendid Crow: Life is Art; Art is Life (also known as A Field Guide to Decent Humans).
Publisher: North Vancouver, B.C., CVS Fine Arts, 2018. First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 9 x 6 inches.
Pages: [6] folded panels. 
Binding: Attractive and fine bronze paper wraps with stitched spine, featuring a mounted pictorial label of the Splendid Crow nestled among books and branches. Crafted from a single sheet of cardstock folded into six panels, sewn into decorative covers.
Content: Fine condition, crisp and clean throughout. No previous ownership marks. 
Illustrations: With a tipped-on color plate to the front cover, and three tipped-on full-color illustrations forming a fold-out triptych within. Interior panels include black and bronze vignettes—owls, nests, scrolls—beautifully printed with expressive typography and design flourishes. Each page proclaims: "Life Is Art", "Art Is Life", and "From the Roots of Wisdom Grow the Trees of Knowledge".

Estimate: (Scarce with no or few other copies available for sale worldwide).

The book: Splendid Crow: Life is Art; Art is Life, also known as A Field Guide to Decent Humans, is one of Charles van Sandwyk’s most poetic miniature productions—a fold-out triptych evoking art, life, and wisdom with whimsy and grace. Issued by CVS Fine Arts in 2018, the work consists of six panels folded from a single sheet of textured cardstock and sewn into bronze paper wrappers. The edition includes finely tipped-in color illustrations and charming interior designs in black and bronze ink. Variants of this booklet were produced with different wraps and bindings, and a special set of 20 string-bound editions compiling all four known variants was released for collectors. A rare and ephemeral gem of Van Sandwyk’s world, this piece distills his gentle philosophy and pictorial delight into one unforgettable field guide.

The author: Charles van Sandwyk (b. 1966) is a South African-born Canadian artist, illustrator, and private press printer whose works combine the timeless aesthetics of 19th-century bookmaking with a whimsical modern sensibility. Based in British Columbia, Van Sandwyk is best known for his richly illustrated books inspired by nature, myth, and literature—often produced in limited quantities using letterpress techniques, hand-tipped illustrations, and calligraphic flourishes. His collaborations with the Folio Society and a growing body of private publications have earned him an international following among lovers of fine press and illustrated books.