FALCONER, WILLIAM | The Shipwreck: A Poem. Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1858

Property from the Library of Joseph Vales

FALCONER, WILLIAM 

The Shipwreck: A Poem. Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1858

4to (7⅞ x 5⅝ in.; 201 x 153 mm). Wood-engraved illustrations after Birket Foster by Edmund Evans, the Dalziel brothers, and W. T, Green, wood-engraved vignettes and initials after Noel Humphreys by H. N. Woods. A fine emblematic jeweled binding by Sangorski & Sutcliffe: crushed blue morocco, the front cover with a central sunken panel incorporating polychrome-morocco onlays of marine motifs (scallop shells, dolphins, seaweed, and an anchor) against densely tooled gold ground, the panel within a gilt-diapered frame suggestive of a fishing net and a border of a green-morocco onlay band and a brown-morocco onlay chain, the anchor at the center of the cover enclosed by an oval frame of mother-of-pearl and eight amethysts, the four dolphins' eyes represented by rubies (likely synthetic), and the cover further accented by the inset of eight garnets and eight chalcedonies; the rear cover with a central sunken circular panel with a green morocco onlay torus suggestive of a life preserver gilt-lettered Britannia, the torus enclosing a maroon-morocco onlay coral and enclosed by gilt-ground frame with green-morocco strapwork and eight inset garnets, the panel within a gilt-diapered frame and a border of a green-morocco onlay band and a brown-morocco onlay chain similar to the front cover, but incorporating morocco-onlay dolphins in the corners; the spine richly gilt in six compartments, green morocco doublures within blue and brown morocco frames gilt with scallop-shell tools, green moiré linings, gilt edges gauffered and painted with faux gemstones, signed and with registration no. 609810; slightest rubbing to corners. Blue morocco folding-case; front joint rubbed.

An excellent example of a luxury binding from the zenith of Sangorski & Sutcliffe's atelier, from the library of one their greatest patrons, Phoebe Boyle of Brooklyn, New York.

PROVENANCE:       

Phoebe A. D. Boyle (Anderson Galleries, 19 November 1923, lot 107)