The Labyrinth of the World | and the Paradise of the Heart.
London: Golden Cockerel Press, 1950. Octavo. Bound in original white pigskin by Sangorski and Sutcliffe, with red morocco panel inlays to front and back covers, and gilt stamped designs after Braby’s illustrations set within the panels. Binders’ stamp (‘Bound by S & S London’) to lower front turn-in. Sewn end bands, turn-ins and board edges rolled in gilt, and top-edge gilt to pages. Housed in original red-cloth slipcase. [iv] 5-271pp. Slipcase shows some sign of wear and rubbing, spine slightly darkened, but internally pristine. One of 70 specially bound copies, this being number 9. From a total edition of 370 copies. Line block illustrations in two colours by Dorothea Braby. Item #15
“After the worst labour pains yet I have been delivered of an illustration complete for Lab and can hardly wait for your verdict … To prepare you, I have made a compost of dear Flaxman (do you know his Dante illustrations?) and Piero della Francesca and dug it well into the soil about me- and the result is something quite new and Brabyish that I of course can’t judge. I only know that after after six weeks of the most awful groaning & suffering, this seems the only way of treating such a complicated theme! I do hope you’ll like it… (Braby to Sanford, June 14 1948, 'Labyrinth' file, Golden Cockerel papers; Cave, p. 207).
Price: $850.00