Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. A Paraphrase from Several Literal Translations
London, Grant Richards, 1897.
Tall octavo (237 × 120 mm), xvi, 86 pages.
Contemporary craft binding (signed by Margaret Chapman with her initials at the rear) of full blind-tooled morocco; spine in compartments hand-tooled with a motif of grapes and small flowers (repeated on the turn-ins); sides bordered with double fillet, and featuring an integrated design extending inwards from the spine; tooling somewhat uneven (likely an irregularity in the heating of the tool or wetting of the leather when drawing out its colour); leather lightly marked and rubbed; top edge dyed, others uncut; minimal light foxing to a few pages, and a small light inkmark to one bottom margin; an excellent copy.
The following is printed on the verso of the half-title, facing the title page: 'Of this book there is a very limited edition printed on Japanese vellum numbered and signed by the Author'. This copy is not numbered or signed, nor is it printed on Japanese vellum, so it may well be a copy of the text block of the trade edition. The paper is watermarked '1895 Unbleached Arnold', one of the earliest manufactured imitation handmade papers. Margaret Chapman (? - circa 1945) 'was one of the first professional craft bookbinders in Australia. She established her Sassafrass Bindery in the Dandenongs (Victoria) in the early years of the century. [She] ... had trained at Melbourne's National Gallery School in 1905-06, and under the leading craft bookbinding firm of Sangorski & Sutcliffe in London. Her work dominated the bookbinding sections of the exhibitions of the Arts and Crafts Society of Victoria from its inception in 1908 until 1923 and, as one of very few practitioners of the craft, she was frequently called upon for demonstrations and for advice to those wishing to take it. In 1910 Chapman wrote an article for the Working Men's College (now RMIT) magazine in which she outlined her theories, revealing a close familiarity with the work of William Morris's firm in England and a strong understanding of and allegiance to his philosophy of craft. Chapman's work was collected by an Australian patron of Morris's firm, Mrs [Joanna] Barr-Smith of Adelaide ... In 1907 Chapman entered the Women's Work Exhibition in Melbourne and won two first prizes; she was chosen to create the binding for the souvenir book of the exhibition which was presented to its patron' (Design and Art Australia Online). Perhaps not coincidentally, this charming item surfaced in Adelaide.
Item #118517
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