Mythology, Folklore & Fairy Tales

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  • Fine Binding by Riviere & Son

    A

    Moore, Thomas (1779–1852)

    Lalla Rookh, an Oriental Romance [Fine Binding by Riviere & Son – Illustrated by John Tenniel] Thomas Moore’s ‘Lalla Rookh’ was a defining text of 19th-century British Orientalism

    $250.00

    Blind Horse Books [ABAA]

    A premier Victorian edition of Thomas Moore’s Orientalist epic, notable for containing 69 wood-engraved illustrations by John Tenniel. This copy is presented in a refined three-quarter morocco binding attributed to Riviere & Son, featuring their hallmark ‘bumblebee’ stamp on the verso of the front free endpaper. KEY FEATURES +++ Visuals: 69 illustrations on wood by John Tenniel, plus five ornamental pages of Persian design serving as section headers. +++ Binding: Three-quarter green morocco over ribbed matching cloth. Spine features five raised bands with elaborate gilt-tooled floral ornaments and titles. Top edge gilt (TEG). +++ Associated Names: Bears the ‘bumblebee’ device of Riviere & Son, a hallmark of one of the 19th century’s most respected London binderies. +++ Provenance: Small contemporary bookstore stamp in the gutter; contemporary gift inscription on the half-title page. +++ Imprint: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts (dating this specific company name variation to 1859-1862). +++ Specs: Octavo, 8 inches tall / xxiv, [2], 3-390 pages. CONDITION Near Fine — A Collectible copy with tight, square bindings and minimal shelf handling. Text is generally clean with light, even age-toning. As pictured: The half-title page is heavily toned due to ink bleed from the contemporary gift inscription and the last page – 390. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Thomas Moore’s ‘Lalla Rookh’ was a defining text of 19th-century British Orientalism. This edition is particularly significant for the artistic contribution of John Tenniel, whose work here preceded his fame as the illustrator of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’. The combination of Tenniel’s high-Victorian draftsmanship and the technical precision of a Riviere-style binding makes this a representative example of the luxury ‘Gift Book’ market that flourished in London during the 1860s. SUBJECTS : Orientalism, Persian Poetry, John Tenniel, Fine Bindings, Riviere & Son, Victorian Literature, Book Arts, Fine Binding, Illustrated Book, Poetry, Rare Books.

    Offered for Sale by: Blind Horse Books [ABAA]

  • First Printing of the 1956 Caldecott Award Winner

    1226

    John Langstaff

    Frog Went A-Courtin’

    $650.00

    Quaint Book Shop

    New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1955. First Edition. Binding: Hardcover. Illustrator: Feodor Rojankovsky. Book Condition: Very Good+ Condition. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good+. Size: 9″ -11″ – Small Quarto (Sm. 4to). [32] pages. Stated First Edition of the 1956 Caldecott Award Winning book. The dust jacket does not have the award sticker or mention the award, which is the case with later printings. The classic folk tale put to music of Frog’s courting of Mouse. In his introductory “Story of This Story,” Langstaff traces its origins to Scotland and journey to the American colonies. “The story of the ‘Frog and Mouse’ became a part of America,” he writes, “and belongs to all of us today.” The last page of the text includes the tune the author says was sung by “the children of the southern Appalachian mountains ….” The two-page facing illustrations alternate between green, black and white drawings and full-color illustrations. In their 1982 annotated bibliography Newberry and Caldecott Medal and Honor Books, Peterson and Solt wrote, “The predominantly red, yellow, and blue illustrations, as well as the monochromic ones, humanize the tale’s characters without stripping them of their dignity and natural traits.” They add, “Rojankovsky has recorded this tale so that it works well with the text and extends and synthesizes word and picture in a manner which retains the humor and fun of its original intent.” Supplementing the story and in keeping with the fun are matching full-color end papers showing the animals at play. Bound in blue textured paper over boards with the title in black on the spine and an illustration of Frog in black at the lower right corners of the front cover. Corners are sharp with minimal wear. The top of the spine has been bumped, resulting in a light crease 1/2″ down from the head of the spine and a diagonal crease in the upper left corner of the front cover. There is some light purple-ish spotting around the edges. Text block is tight, bright and unmarked. No foxing in this copy. Side and bottom page edges are clean, neat and free of foxing. There is some light dust speckling to the top page edges. The unclipped ($2.50) dust jacket has some wear at the folds with a 3/8″ chip at the head from the front flap’s fold and a small 1/8″ chip at its foot. There are small (1/8″ or less) chips at the head of foot on the fold between the front panel and the spine. The spine and exposed edges of the folds are slightly darkened from handling or exposure and there is some light spotting visible in the light areas of the front and rear panels. The dust jacket is protected in a clear archival Brodart sleeve.

    Offered for Sale by: Quaint Book Shop

  • Persian and East Asian Motifs - Edwardian elegance

    1

    Housman, Laurence (1865–1959)

    Princess Badoura: A Tale from the Arabian Nights [Golden Age Color Plates]

    $650.00

    Blind Horse Books [ABAA]

    London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1913. Illustrated by Edward Dulac (1882-1953). First Printing, Trade.  A luminous Edwardian retelling of an Arabian Nights tale, lavishly illustrated by Edmund Dulac at the height of his powers. The jewel-like color plates and richly decorated binding make Princess Badoura one of the most visually striking productions of the Golden Age of Illustration.This 1913 trade first presents Laurence Housman’s retelling of the story of Princess Badoura, drawn from The Thousand and One Nights, and illustrated with ten color plates by Edmund Dulac. Issued during Dulac’s most celebrated period, the book exemplifies his refined decorative style, combining Persian and East Asian motifs with a distinctive Edwardian elegance. The story follows the love between a Persian prince and a Chinese princess, both confined by their royal parents after refusing arranged marriages. Their fates are intertwined through the intervention of genies, leading to trials, transformation, and eventual reunion. Housman’s text emphasizes wit, resilience, and moral agency, echoing Scheherazade’s role as both storyteller and survivor within the larger Arabian Nights tradition. Bound in cream cloth decorated in gilt and turquoise; Teal endpapers with peacock embellishments, Quarto; approximately 10¼ × 7¾ inches. [ii], 113 pages. Illustrated with 10 color plates by Edmund Dulac, each mounted and protected by captioned tissue guards. All plates present. Moderate wear to the binding with minor age-soiling to cloth, dimming to the sunned spine, small neat tears to the head and tail of the spine, and mild warping to the rear board. A slight hint of spine exposure at the center of the text block. Binding remains firm and sound. Foxing heaviest at the endpapers, with occasional light spotting or smudging to interior pages; pages otherwise unmarked. Princess Badoura occupies a notable place within the Golden Age of Illustration, pairing Dulac’s ornamental color work with a narrative drawn from one of the most enduring story cycles in world literature. Dulac’s plates emphasize atmosphere and symbolism over literal realism, using stylized figures, flattened perspective, and rich decorative patterning that influenced book design and illustration well into the twentieth century.  The volume remains especially valued by collectors for its visual coherence, period binding, and the completeness of its illustrative program. Subjects: Edmund Dulac’s color illustration, Arabian Nights adaptations, decorative cloth bindings, Edwardian book design, and early twentieth-century illustrated gift books, Illustrated literature of the Edwardian period, fantasy and folklore derived from The Arabian Nights, and Golden Age of Illustration book production.

    Offered for Sale by: Blind Horse Books [ABAA]

  • 1ST ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF LANG'S RED FAIRY BOOK

    86434-1

    Lang, Andrew, editor.

    THE RED FAIRY BOOK.

    $600.00

    Bookfever.com

    Philadelphia: David McKay Company, (1924) First illustrated edition. The second of the color fairy books compiled by Lang, originally published in 1891, consisting of translations and adaptations from their Norwegian, French, German and Russian originals – some well known like Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel, and others like Princess Mayblossom less so. This edition is beautifully illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren with eight color plates, an illustrated title page, illustrated endpapers and a plate on the cover. An early and uncommon Tenggren illustrated book, and scarce in this condition and in dustjacket. Red tinting to top edge. 285 pp.   Very near fine in red cloth with plate on front cover, gilt lettering on spine (bookplate on front pastedown)  in a near fine dustjacket with a bit of wear to the edges, and the ends of the spine.

    Offered for Sale by: Bookfever.com
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