Rendered into English Verse by Edward Fitzgerald.
A book of verses underneath the bough, A jug of wine, a loaf of bread -- and thou
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Rendered into English Verse by Edward Fitzgerald.
Hodder and Stoughton, 1913.
First edition with Rene Bull's illustrations. Large 4to. Publisher's primary binding of brown cloth with gilt lettering on the spine and gilt embossed decoration to upper cover, bordered with Persian design in blue and gilt. This copy housed in the original publisher's box and protected by the glassine wrapper. A beautifully designed book, printed on rectos only, many text pages have decorative blue borders. There are ten full page colour plates mounted within gold borders, protected by captioned tissue guards and nineteen smaller colour plates mounted in the text and numerous line drawings printed in blue. A near fine copy, with a little foxing to the preliminary leaves. All illustrations perfect. The glassine wrapper is creased, with a couple of closed tears, but has prevented the habitual wear to the joints. The publisher's box shows a couple of splits to the lid and is a little dusty, but sound. A sumptuous production.
Bull's interpretation of this classic work is without doubt one of the most beautiful. A contemporary review read, "In its binding of peculiar beauty this latest Omar is a triumph of charm and intuition."
Bull had worked as a war artist in many major campaigns from 1896 onwards. His first hand knowledge of Arab customs and costume helped him produce such suitable designs for this work. The Bookman reviewer described the book as having, "caught in these remarkable paintings the spirit and atmosphere of Fitzgerald's immortal adaptation; the glowing imagination, the sombre occultism, the mystery and Oriental magnificence of the poem are sensitively and glamourously expressed in this beautiful, ornately decorative work."
Stock ID: 32646
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