Artifacts
Carlisle, Ontario: Brandstead Press, 1972. Quarto, 27 x 20.9 cm. Cased in variegated linen over boards; the linen was hand-spun, hand-dyed, and handwoven by Brender à Brandis. The threads were dyed in various shades of light brown and grey using onion skins and logwood chips, and woven into a block motif. Brown Fabriano pastedowns and free endpapers. Edges opened but untrimmed. Housed in a matching brown Fabriano paper covered slipcase. Unpaginated [ll. 24; including the first two and last two blank leaves; these match the text-block leaves but are not strictly integral]. There is a single, almost imperceptible hole (roughly 1mm in diameter) at the top of the upper cover joint: a stray needle or worm may have been the culprit. Occasional spots and minor offsetting from the illustrations to facing pages. Occasional and very mild toning from excess adhesive along the gutter. The slipcase is rubbed and slightly bruised at the corners and along the edges. Else, a fine copy. The text was set in Della Robbia and Kennerley Old Style types and printed on J. Barcham Green Tovil paper. Brender à Brandis’ text is accompanied by 19 of his linocuts. 14 are full-page and were printed in purple and black. From an edition of only 15 copies. This copy is number 10 and is signed by Brender à Brandis in ink on the limitation page. Item #336
“This book is intended to express my delight in the things that surround me. I would call them ‘possessions’ except that I can hardly think of myself as their owner; rather as one of a chain of people in whose lives these objects play a part.
As such, these things link me to people past, present, and future. Many of the articles shown in the prints are old, coming from my ancestors or from earlier inhabitants of this country. Some remind me of other artists, such as the brown pitcher, whose like appears in paintings by Vermeer and Chardin. The Albion press links me to former printers who worked with it before I imported it from England. Much of the pottery was made by contemporary potters of my acquaintance and continues to form a bond between them and me. Many of these things will outlast me, to be used or enjoyed by other people now young or not yet born. But chiefly I enjoy the daily contact with well-made articles because of the quality of rightness which they give to my life.
Yet all this must be understood intuitively by a person who sees these prints. I can only describe their forms and faces, exploiting the patterns they make when combined into groups. And perhaps, by producing this little book with all the skill and care at my command, I can help to perpetuate the value of things well made, and communicate some of the delight I have experienced in having beautiful things in my surroundings.” — Gerard Brender à Brandis.
Price: $650.00