Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages (Two Vols.)
London: Henry G. Bohn, 1858. Hardcover. Small Folio. Very Good. Item #33781
Two volumes. Titles in red and black, 94 colour-printed, hand-coloured, and tinted full-page plates (including added title), with descriptive text embellished with coloured initials, ornaments, and vignette illustrations. Bound in contemporary half crimson morocco over marbled paper boards, with finely gilt-tooled spine in compartments between raised bands, contrasting labels lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, t.e.g. Minor rubbing to extremities of bindings, scattered foxing to text, not affecting colour plates; overall, an attractive copy of a splendidly illustrated, handsomely bound set. First published in 1843, Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages is considered to be Henry Shaw's most ambitious work on the decorative arts of the medieval period. Described by Ruari McLean, in his Victorian Book Design and Colour Printing, as "a magnificent production... It has a considerable claim to be called the most handsome book produced in the whole of the nineteent h century." Lowndes p. 2371. Ray 102. McLean p. 66.
Price (CAD): $2,000.00