Lot 295: A VINTAGE BOOK COVER TITLED IN ARABIC AL-HAJAR AL-ASWAD (THE BLACK STONE), MECCA, CIRCA 1960

This item is a vintage Panascopic pop-up book titled in Arabic Al-Hajar al-Aswad (The Black Stone), attributed to the Czech illustrator and paper engineer Vojtech Kubasta. Produced by Artia in Prague circa 1960-1970, this work was designed as a pilgrimage souvenir for the Middle Eastern market. The front cover features a central colour lithograph of a man in traditional Arabian attire placing his hand upon the Black Stone within its silver frame at the Kaaba. The illustration is framed by an ornate border of Islamic-style geometric patterns and stylized flame motifs. A signature, appearing to read M. Kubašta, is present at the lower left of the central image, alongside the reference mark 107 GT 01. The back cover displays six colourised photographic prints of various Islamic holy sites, including the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, city fortifications, and large gatherings of pilgrims. The book is bound in pictorial paper wrappers with a blue cloth-reinforced spine. Internally, the volume contains an intricate three-dimensional pop-up scene characteristic of the Panascopic series.