Wiliam Morris Burne-Jones Kelmscott Press Chaucer
Held as the pinnacle of illustration of the late 19th century Arts and Crafts movement, William Morris and the Kelmscott Press took 4 years to produce The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer and it was published from 1896. Only 425 copies were printed on paper, with the typeface and large initials designed by Morris and the 87 woodcut illustrations designed by Burne-Jones and engraved by W. H. Hooper.
To quote The Victorian Web, Edward Burne-Jones called the book 'a pocket cathedral - it is so full of design,' and 'the finest book ever printed if W. M. had done nothing else it would be enough.' Thankfully nearly all the copies produced are still complete. This single leaf from the original edition is sealed in a double sided frame dating to the late 1970s - early 1980s, and is quite a rare discovery giving the opportunity of owning a piece worked on by Morris and Burne-Jones for a fraction of the cost of purchasing the whole work.
It is printed with pages 155 and 156 from The Squires Tale. Page 156 is richly illustrated with a leaf and berry border, ornate title initial and beautiful central image by Burne-Jones, whilst 155, on the reverse, has two columns of typical Morris typeface and it titled in red The Squieres Tale.
It is offered in good condition, commensurate with age, with great definition to the crisp text and illustration. The image measures 38.5cm (15 1/4in) by 26.2cm (10 1/4in), and the frame 55cm (21 1/2in) by 43cm (17in).
StatusSOLD
Ref15885
SOLD
Contact us about this item »
