Justin Rowe creates these magical sculptures from hand cut books and found images with the help of just a touch of gum arabic and 24 carat gold or palladium leaf. Some are very much in the realms of fairy stories like the one above, but my favourites are the stories below where Justin’s skill brings the book’s own illustrations to life.

Maria, 18, wearing a traditional Sevillana outfit, poses for a portrait during the traditional Feria de Abril (April fair) in the Andalusian capital of Seville April 16, 2013. (Photo by Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters)

Spur Lacasse of Cochrane, Alberta rides the horse Rebel Warrior in the novice bareback event during the Calgary Stampede rodeo in Calgary, Alberta, in this July 12, 2014 file photo. (Photo by Todd Korol/Reuters)

A Christie's auction house employee wears The Rosebury pearl and diamond tiara, bracelet and brooch on June 6, 2011 in London, England. The jewels, which formerly belonged to Hannah, Countess of Rosebury, feature in Christie's “Important Jewels” sale which take places in London on June 8, 2011. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

People take part in a lowrider car show celebrating lowriding culture and supporting immigration, in San Francisco, California, U.S., September 20, 2025. (Photo by Manuel Orbegozo/Reuters)

A tern chased away a ghost crab that was threatening its chicks at a beach near Fort Myers, Florida in the last decade of June 2023, before feeding them with freshly caught fish. (Photo by Judy Rogero/Solent News)

A mahout rides an elephant among the traffic down a street in Piliyandala, a suburb of Sri Lanka's capital Colombo on September 27, 2020. (Photo by Lakruwan Wanniarachchi/AFP Photo)

Chinese-American actress Bai Ling attends “The Key” screening at The Real Experimental Film Festival at Laemmle's Music Hall on November 21, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Barry King/WireImage)