Four volumes. Waltham Saint Lawrence: Golden Cockerel Press, 1929-1931, narrow 4to. (12 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches), publisher’s quarter niger morocco with patterned paper-covered boards, gilt-lettered spine with five raised bands, top edge gilt, others uncut, cloth slipcase. 152; 190; 198; 220 pages.
Printed in an edition limited to 500 copies of which this is one of 485 printed on paper (Chanticleer 63, Gill 281). Very minor rubbing to the foot of the spine of volume II, a hint of rubbing to two of the raised bands of volume III, minor dampstaining to the leather of the rear board of volume IV. Else a tight and bright set of this marvelous production.
Chaucer’s consummate narrative tales, an unfinished series of stories purporting to be told by a group of pilgrims journeying from London to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket and back, are presented with a volume devoted to each day of the pilgrimage. Chaucer’s words are beautifully enhanced by one full-page illustration, twenty-nine half-page illustrations, 269 decorative borders, tail-pieces, and line-fillers, and sixty-one initial letters printed in black, red, or blue, all engraved on wood by Eric Gill. These crisply-executed illustrations, featuring figures integrated with leafy, crawling vines, add fluidity to the page. Gill collaborated with Robert Gibbings, owner of Golden Cockerel Press, on the book’s design. It features an attention to type legibility, a harmony of margin ratios, and a clarity of layout. Gill’s imagery doesn’t illustrate a narrative, rather it functions to frame and compliment the text. His revival of Caslon Old Face type and wood engraving techniques contribute to the elegant appearance of his unified double page spreads. Gill succeeds in integrating Arts and Crafts ideology with a more modern design sensibility. Bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe. Finely printed on Batchelor handmade paper containing the Cockerel watermark. Very light discoloration to first volume. Some wear to slipcase corners, bottom part of slipcase on third volume split about 1.5 inches. A remarkable work.
Offered by Oak Knoll Books
$13,500.00
To purchase, contact: orders@oakknoll.com
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