Specimens of Unlikely Waters Bookmarks | Set of Four

A Set of Four Handmade Bookmarks

Where Natural History Meets Imagination

Crafted by CEDAR Y SAND in our East Hampton studio, Specimens of Unlikely Waters drifts between the worlds of scientific observation and coastal folklore.

Inspired by antique natural history illustrations and the fluid unpredictability of traditional Suminagashi marbling, each bookmark presents an imagined marine specimen that seems both familiar and impossible. A puffer fish bears the fin of a great shark. A starfish develops oversized crustacean claws. A flounder acquires the spear of a swordfish. A clam emerges with the tail of a whale.

Each hybrid begins with hand-marbled paper created through the centuries-old Japanese art of Suminagashi, where ink floats upon water before being carefully transferred to paper. Original illustrations are then layered over these one-of-a-kind marbled surfaces, creating specimens that feel as though they have washed ashore from some forgotten natural history archive.

No two sets are ever exactly alike. The marbling patterns shift and wander, ensuring that each specimen possesses its own unique markings.

Classification Remains Contested

Designed as both functional bookmark and miniature work of art, these die-cut specimens transform an ordinary page marker into a curious discovery. Resting within the pages of a book, they reveal only a fin, claw, tail, or appendage—hinting at something unexpected hidden beneath the surface.

Turn the page and the full specimen emerges.

Hand-drawn  on heavyweight cardstock and individually die-cut, each bookmark is durable enough for everyday reading while retaining the character of a handcrafted paper object.

A Cabinet of Curious Specimens

Part of the Suminagashi Springs collection, Specimens of Unlikely Waters celebrates the intersection of nature, storytelling, and imagination. Equally suited for readers, collectors, and lovers of the sea, these playful hybrids invite wonder, conversation, and a closer look at the boundaries between the known and the unknown.

Included Specimens:

• Tetraodontus magnipinnus — Large-finned puffer
• Asteroides chelaris magnus — Large-clawed star form
• Pleuronectes xiphias — Sword-snouted flounder
• Cyamium cetaceocaudatum — Whale-tailed clam