[Rarebooks] Offering: William Morris in a Chivers Binding

[Michael John Thompson]

Offering:

MORRIS, William. Chivers, Cedric [Binding].

THE WATER OF THE WONDROUS ISLES.
In a Fine “Vellucent” Binding by Cedric Chivers of Bath.

London, New York, and Bombay: Longmans, Green, 
and Co. 1897. First trade edition. Octavo. 553 
pp. Bound in full transparent vellum over paper 
boards with fine pen-and-ink watercolour designs 
on all covers. The binding is unsigned is a 
characteristic example of the "vellucent 
bindings" produced by Cedric Chivers of Bath from 
1903 onward. The front cover depicts a woman in a 
small boat sailing towards the sunset, with 
mountains in the distance, a tree growing up the 
spine, and the title within a large scrollwork; 
the rear cover is a continuation of the same 
scene; the spine panel depicts the sunset 
underneath the title. All sides enclosed within 
gilt borders, top edges gilt, others rough-cut, 
marbled paper endpapers. A finely executed work, 
likely from a design by H. Granville Fell. Vellum 
boards a trifle bowed, some minor dust-soiling, a nearly fine copy.

  ¶ The last work written by William Morris. A 
beautiful book. In these bindings the painting is 
on paper under the vellum, rather than on the 
underside of the vellum as in the Edwards of 
Halifax bindings. "Since the art of gilding 
leather was introduced into Europe from the east, 
about the year 1740, by the Venetians, nothing 
new in the external decoration of books has been 
achieved which gives such endless opportunities 
for beautiful and permanent decoration as does 
the transparent vellum, or 'Vellucent,' method... 
The 'Vellucent' method allows of the utmost 
freedom of conception compatible with the tenets 
of good surface decoration; and, since by reason 
of its nature, greater liberty of pictorial 
treatment is legitimised, the field both for 
design and color becomes almost limitless.” - The 
Graphic Arts and Crafts Year Book 1908:  ‘The 
"Vellucent" Process: A New Method Of Decoration 
For Bound Books, After Cedric Chivers.’

$2,750.00 Cdn/US (at par)

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Michael John Thompson
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5275 Jerow Road
Hornby Island, BC
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250-335-1182

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