Bronze sculpture honors well-loved books in Estonia
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Artists Jass Kaselaan and Jenny Katri Elena Grönholm installed a bronze bust titled “Monument to Books Worn to Shreds” in the courtyard of the Estonian National Library.
The sculpture references a common Estonian saying, “raamat on loetud kapsaks,” which compares a well-read book to a softened cabbage. Kaselaan explained the monument pays tribute to books as vessels for stories, knowledge, and imagination that endure over time.
The artists designed the 140-centimetre tall bust to playfully subvert traditional monument forms, using a classical style to highlight the physical impact reading has on books. Riigi Kinnisvara AS chose the sculpture through an art competition intended to enhance the library’s reconstructed inner courtyard. The monument, standing over three metres tall with its concrete pedestal, will undergo final finishing before its official opening at the end of 2026.
