ARKADEMIE OTTER Leather Passport Sleeve ( Singapore Bicentennial Edition )

This limited collector's item, featuring the image of the Otter, is inspired by The William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings comprising of a set of 477 watercolour drawings of the flora and fauna of the Malay Peninsula. 

The collection was commissioned by William Farquhar, the first Resident and Commandant of Singapore (1819–1823), which he brought along when he left Singapore, and subsequently donated it to the Royal Asiatic Society in London in 1827. In 1993, it was put up for auction and purchased by Mr G.K. Goh, who donated the entire collection to the National Museum of Singapore.  

The leather cover is made with robust 5-oz, full-grain natural vegetable-tanned buffalo leather. Each hide has a particular grain pattern, thus making every cover unique. The leather is rigid and structurally stable with excellent repellence to dirt and soiling. Over time, the leather cover will acquire a unique character as it matures and patinates with a satin lustre.