1894- Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám - Elihu Vedder Illustrated

Description: Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, Elihu Vedder Illustrated Edition by Edward Fitzgerald ***The great Khayyam's poem, Fitzgerald's beautiful translation and Elihu Vedder’s AWARD-WINNING ILLUSTRATIONS!*** Published by Houghton Mifflin in 1894 in Boston. First edition, first printing of the octavo version of Vedder’s sublimely illustrated edition. In original fine binding - medium grey flat-weave cloth over beveled boards; front cover with gilt ruled borders, lettering, symbolist design of vase, vine, swirl and stars; rear cover without decoration; spine with gilt lettering and gilt and black ruled borders, floral ornaments, blue endpapers with printed grapevine decoration; top edge gilt; French fold pages. Illustrated with ornamental title and preliminary pages and 56 magnificent full-page drawings by Elihu Vedder. Collated and complete. Octavo, 8.5” x 5.5” OVERALL CONDITION: VERY GOOD ABOUT THIS BOOK From the moment of its publication, Elihu Vedder's Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám achieved unparalleled success. The first edition appeared in Boston on 8 November 1884; six days later, it was sold out. Critics rushed to acclaim it as a masterwork of American art, and Vedder (1836 - 1923) as the master American artist." [Smithsonian American Art Museum]. This is the first printing of the octavo edition, published ten years after the first, elephant folio, edition in 1884. ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR Elihu Vedder, N.A. (1836-1923) was born in New York, and his artistic talents were precocious. Among his murials are a mosaic in the Library of Congress and a commission for the Walker Art Gallery at Bowdin College. His best known illustrations were done for the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Elihu Vedder was a visionary artist much drawn to imaginative, enigmatic themes. He regarded his illustrations for Omar Khayyam (1884) as his best work. This is a superior copy in the publisher's dramatically decorated cloth. The gilt swirling motif, the petals, lettering and stylized decoration are bright, bordering as the genesis of Art Nouveau. CONDITION: In GOOD to VERY GOOD condition - some spine lean, rubbing to extremities, some board soiling and a pencil mark on bottom board. Signs of finger handling, smudges, a few pages with tears, darkening to page margins. Please see pictures as they are an important part of the condition description. As a fellow book collector, I know how frustrating it can be when items aren’t accurately described or poorly packaged for shipping. That is why I (1) take a lot of pictures and try to describe condition issues as accurately as possible and (2) pack your book purchases with the utmost care before shipping. I have been selling and buying on eBay for over 10 years and have a 100% satisfaction rating, and offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee 30-day return policy. Please follow me as I have thousands of highly collectible books to list in the coming weeks and months!

Price: 200 USD

Location: Litchfield Park, Arizona

End Time: 2025-01-05T03:26:25.000Z

Shipping Cost: 8.38 USD