"Mundus Sine Caesaribus" — Stacked Books Pen Stand

Note: for a version without text on the book spines, click here.

This is a pen stand sculpted as three loosely stacked books whose spines together spell out Mundus Sine Caesaribus: Latin for "a world without Caesars." The phrase entered the cultural conversation in early 2025, when it became a rallying cry for people who believe that the best thing, like books and writing, belong to everyone, not to whoever happens to own the biggest platform.

I thought it belonged on a desk. After about a year of loving this design on mine, I thought I'd share it with you. 

The stand holds a single upright pen in a center bore — designed for a fountain pen, but sized to fit most writing utensils, from a thin Apple Pencil to a thick Nakaya or Pelikan M800. Thinner pens will lean tastefully one way or the other. The “books” are printed with subtle page-texture detailing on the fore-edges and a thin border on the top face, giving the whole piece the feel of something you might find in the corner of your study. Print it in cream or white PLA for that aged-paper look; go matte black for something more defiant.

This is a three-color print (spine text contrasts against the body contrast against the pages), or you can print in a single color and paint the lettering by hand — a satisfying ten minutes with a fine brush and some acrylic. Both profiles include supports, which I highly recommend using. Some post-processing may be necessary to dissolve or smooth out the remnants of the support interface. Pictures show a “final,” fully touched-up version printed on AMS, and a “draft” printed with monocolor filament and no post-processing. I hope you also see the extra work as a chance to make it truly yours!

Specs:

• Fits most fountain pen barrels up to ~20mm diameter
• Approximate footprint: 60mm × 60mm × 55mm tall
• Recommended: 0.2mm layer height, 15% infill, supports strongly recommended
• Minor assembly required: Print all three books and two connector pins, place pins in bottom book, add trace superglue, stack the remaining books in order. 
• Designed by hand, no AI involved