Handmade Italian Paper - Collecting

I was strolling through Florence, Italy, one morning as a student when I found some gorgeous handmade marbelized paper beckoning me from a little shop. Upon entering that doorway, I couldn't get enough. Dead center was a large table of loose paper; I rifled through it endlessly. Every piece was more beautiful than the next. I set a small selection aside that I knew I would not be able to part with. On the floor, a large basket held more sheets bundled in rolls. I glanced around the room, and walls of shelving held even more. I was never surrounded by more beauty in one little boutique and I knew my wallet would suffer dearly in the end. A few years later (and still a student) I found a similar setup in Venice. Here are slices of the many pieces I came home with. Someday, a photobook or other project will claim them. For now, I appreciate the way the colors and patterns dance in an array of unmatched beauty.