Phantom of the Opera Coaster

Description:

A painted paperback cover in black: a figure in a dark cloak and a pale half-mask, one green hand reaching out of the shadow, and a single red rose in the corner above him. Below, the author's name and the title in white serif capitals. The story behind the musical: a masked man who lives beneath the Paris opera house and falls for a young singer. A handmade coaster modeled after a little hardback, spine and all.

The lake under the opera house is real. The Paris Opera was built on waterlogged ground, so its builders turned the problem into a stone water tank beneath the stage, and the water is still there today. Leroux heard about it, gave his Phantom a boat and a lair on the far shore, and swore in the book's opening lines that the whole story was true. Paris firefighters now use the tank to practise diving in the dark.

Why you'll love it:

• A painted paperback cover in black — the masked figure, the reaching hand, and a single red rose
• Handmade from reclaimed wood and shaped like a miniature hardback, printed spine and all
• Fully sealed with a semigloss high-performance top coat — condensation and spills wipe clean
• Felt feet on the back keep your table free of scratches

Perfect for: theatre lovers, late-night readers, or anyone who still knows every word of the musical.

Details:

• Material: reclaimed wood, handmade
• Dimensions: approx. 4.25" × 3.75" × 0.5"
• Finish: fully sealed, semigloss top coat
• Backing: felt feet
• A solid piece — modeled after a book, does not open

The kind of coaster you leave out on purpose.