About

A Savage Kingdom is the first publication on artist and designer Sabina Savage’s eponymous luxury brand, marking its tenth anniversary. Sabina creates her own visual world informed by nature, myth and history in exquisite hand-drawn illustrations printed on silk and cashmere scarves. A Savage Kingdom explores the fascinating narratives behind some of her most successful drawings to date, meandering across continents and diving headfirst into the depths of legends.

Grouped by collections, the book guides readers through the details and symbolism contained within each design, presenting large-scale images of the pencil drawings and full-colour prints of the scarves. Sabina weaves in stories of the almost life-sized wooden semi-automaton tiger of Tipu Sultan, the 18th century ruler of Mysore in South India; Victorian zoological and botanical illustrators who travelled across the world in the hope of discovering new species; Japanese Noh theatre from the Edo period; and the royal beasts, including ostriches, elephants and grizzly and polar bears, who were housed at the Tower of London’s Menagerie from the 1200s, to name a few. She does not shy from the brutality of nature or her source material, which cast a shadow of unease over many of her works.

Writer Zoë Lescaze introduces the book, covering Sabina’s development as an artist and the tensions between humans and other animals at play in her designs. A Savage Kingdom is for devotees of the brand and those new to it alike, who are interested in drawing, craftsmanship and fantastic tales.

This all-day event incorporates two presentation tours, detailing the hand-laboured, creative process behind Sabina’s designs. She guides visitors on a walk-through of the presentation rooms, exploring her sources of inspiration, unpicking her intricate illustrations and discovering the final, full-colour conclusions of her artworks. The tours and presentation are followed by an early evening drinks reception for public and press.