Final chapter in mystery of book sculpture

Like all good tales, it had to come to an end sometime. It would appear the story of the mystery book sculptor has reached its final chapter.

An unknown artist has left seven intricate sculptures carved out of books at cultural hotspots across the city over the past few months.

Now another two – marked 9/10 and 10/10 – have been secretly deposited at the Poetry Library and the National Museum of Scotland.

It is believed an eighth sculpture has been found, but its location has not yet been revealed.

The artist responsible has left a note which suggests the run of sculptures has now come to an end.

As the story of the sculptures progressed, it attracted a flurry of interest in the media and on Twitter. News of the bizarre campaign even reached the United States.

The latest works of art – one a dinosaur and the other, birds, feathers and a pair of gloves – were discovered on Wednesday.

The bird and gloves, fashioned from Jules Verne’s In Search of the Castaways, were discovered at the women’s anthologies section of the Scottish Poetry Library.

The library received the first sculpture in the series – a tree – in March.

An accompanying note read: “It’s important that a story is not too long . . . does not become tedious.

“Often a good story ends where it begins. This would mean a return to the Poetry Library. The very place where she had left the first of the ten.”

The note said the sculptor was a woman, but the Evening News – which uncovered the identify of the artist in September but chose not to reveal it – believes the artist is, in fact, male.

Thanking the Twitter community, the artist said in “some strange way” it gave rise to the idea in the first place. The note concluded: “Cheers Edinburgh, it’s been fun!”

Director of the Scottish Poetry Library Robyn Marsack said: “I was having my cup of tea when I heard the gasps of delight as the sculpture was discovered on the shelf.

“It’s absolutely beautiful and uncannily bird like.”

The dinosaur left at the National Museum has been carved out of the Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle.

It was found at the entrance to the natural world galleries, where the museum’s T-Rex is found.

A spokesman for the museum said: “We’re looking at how will be able to put it on display.

“It was discovered by services staff – no-one saw anyone dropping it off. It was a complete surprise.”