[Rarebooks] fs: Magnificent 1873 Maiolica Book

[Joslin Hall Rare Books]

Fortnum, C. Drury E.  A DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF THE MAIOLICA, 
HISPANO-MORESQUE, PERSIAN, DAMASCUS, AND RHODIAN WARES, in the South 
Kensington Museum. With Historical Notices, Marks & Monograms.

London Chapman & Hall: 1873.

A thick, heavy catalog of this noted collection, featuring many woodcut 
illustrations and a dozen beautiful chromolithographic plates. Solon notes-

"The specimens of Italian and Persian ware in the South Kensington Museum 
form, perhaps, the richest and most comprehensive collection ever brought 
together. A catalogue of such a collection, written by one of our most 
accredited connoisseurs, will always be one of the best text-books on the 
subject that may be placed in the student's hands."

He does note a textual problem, specifically that Fortnum places some 
credence, in his historical notices, on the discredited works of Passeri 
and other earlier writers- "which the latest researches have since 
completely discredited". Solon wrote that in 1906 almost a hundred years 
later Passeri is still a very problematical writer, but that does not, in 
the end, diminish the stately elegance and importance of this book.

Hardcover. 7"x10", cix + 699 pages, with many woodcuts in the text and 12 
chromolithographed plates. Bound in the original green pebbled cloth with a 
leather spine and gilt titles about as nice a copy of this book as you are 
likely to find- there is some minor cover wear -a few bumps and dings, a 
little soil and rubbing, but the hinges are tight and the book is clean. 
Internally there is some scattered foxing as is usual, but the pages are 
partially unopened and although they exhibit some age-toning there is no 
other wear or soil to speak of. A very nice copy of a very thick, awkward 
book which is usually found breaking out of its binding one way or another. 
[04752]  $750.00


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