Binding—Sangorski & Sutcliffe—Omar Khayyam | Rubaiyat, London, 1872, third edition, in a magnificent jewelled Peacock binding

Omar Khayyam, [Edward Fitzgerald, translator]

Rubaiyat of... the astronomer-poet of Persia. Rendered into English Verse. London: Bernard Quaritch, 1872.

Third edition, small 4to (250 x 157 mm), presentation inscription in margin of title [washed], IN AN ELABORATELY JEWELLED BINDING BY SANGORSKI & SUTCLIFFE, upper cover with a peacock in green, cyan and brown morocco gilt encrusted with pieces of mother-of-pearl surrounded by a gilt pointille and floral design, below a Persian palace in morocco and mother-of-pearl, flanked by two morocco birds, outer fillets enclosing a border of round and oblong gilt compartments containing mother-of-pearl, opals, turquoise clusters with pearl centres, and pearl clusters with garnet centres, lower cover with a snake surrounded by a gilt pointille and floral design underneath an arch of foliage and grapes surrounding the moon and stars on green morocco, outer fillets similarly enclosing border of round and oblong gilt compartments containing mother-of-pearl, first and last quatrains of the Rubaiyat lettered in gilt on upper and lower covers respectively, blue morocco doublures with gilt and red floral designs, a line of the Rubaiyat lettered in gilt in each centre, blue satin free endpapers, spine in six compartments, second lettered in gilt, the rest with matching designs, housed in black gilt-ruled quarter morocco clamshell case, 2cm closed marginal tear to p. vi, rear free endpaper detached, spine slightly sunned, extremities very slightly rubbed

FITZGERALD'S FAMOUS TRANSLATION OF THE RUBAIYAT, IN AN ELABORATELY JEWELLED PEACOCK BINDING BY THE ROLLS ROYCE OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY BOOKBINDERS.

The present volume, boasting a fine example of the bindery's ornately jewelled peacocks, is not listed in M. Wieder Elkind's census of jewelled Sangorski & Sutcliffe bindings (see The Book Collector, Autumn 1975, pp. 401–416), which lists three copies of the present edition in jewelled peacock bindings, all of which have different designs. However, for an identical binding (likely the present volume), see American Art Association, New York, 1 March 1927, lot 492 (illustrated).

PROVENANCE:

"J.S. [?]from J.S. May 1893": traces of washed ownership inscription to outer margin of title-page

LITERATURE:

Potter, Bibliography of the Rubaiyat 137; The Cinderella of the Arts, pp. 28, 32, 37, 64-7