Details
Poe's The Raven and Other Poems
Sangorski illuminated manuscript, 1927-28
SANGORSKI, Alberto (1862-1932), calligrapher and illuminator. RIVIERE & SON, binders. POE, Edgar Allan (1809-1849). “The Raven and Other Poems.” [London, 1927-28].
Sumptuous presentation of three poems by Edgar Allan Poe: “The Raven,” “To Helen,” and “The Bells.” The richly illuminated manuscript incorporates eight watercolors, with the majority signed by the artist, Alberto Sangorski. The calligraphed certification leaf at the end reads: "This manuscript...was designed, written out and illuminated by Alberto Sangorski. This manuscript will not be duplicated [signed] Alberto Sangorski."
Quarto (360 x 198mm). Illuminated manuscript on vellum, 14 leaves, plus single blank leaves at front and back, mounted on guards. Title-page in blue, red and gold, headline titles for the three other poems in red, the texts calligraphed in black ink in a gothic script with some red initials, many of the pages containing extravagant borders in gold and various colors, predominantly blue, purple and dark red, mostly linear with ornate endings and incorporating ornamental initials in colors and gold, the decoration mainly of stylized flowers and foliage. Eight watercolor miniatures as follows: title-page with a portrait vignette of Poe incorporated into lower border signed AS and dated 1927; full-page drawing of the reader startled by angels signed AS and dated 1928; vignette drawing of the reader letting in the Raven signed AS and dated 1927; vignette drawing of Helen sitting in the moonlight signed AS and dated 1927; vignette drawing of a horse-drawn sled at the opening of “The Bells,” unsigned; full-page drawing of Poe's cottage at Fordham signed AS and dated 1928, the miniatures in a variety of gilt and colored frames; cream silk guards.
Full blue levant morocco by Rivière & Sons, morocco and calf doublures, all edges gilt. Upper cover with an onlaid black morocco strap border between single gilt fillets enclosing a double inner border frame of onlaid black morocco strip gilt, gilt-lettered around the sides with a quotation from "The Raven," the border with knotwork corner ornaments and with a large onlaid bell ornament of tan morocco at the two upper corners, enclosing a broad panel border of swirling gilt stems and leaves with onlaid red morocco flowers and green, small onlaid red morocco gilt circles; in the center an oval medallion of onlaid green morocco, framed in onlaid black morocco gilt strip, of the Raven perched on the bust of Pallas worked in onlaid black and fawn morocco against a background of onlaid white morocco gilt flowers and gilt leaves, an onlaid tan morocco cartouche beneath the oval with gilt-lettered quotation. The lower cover with similar borders, a different gilt quotation around the sides, at the lower center is a gilt oval black morocco medallion lettered with Poe's initials surmounted by an eagle, in browns, black, and green morocco. Spine in six compartments with five raised and gilt-dotted bands, gilt lettered in three compartments, the rest with a repeated gilt panel of white flowers and gilt leaf framed with black morocco gilt strips; board edges with single gilt rule; turn-ins with double onlaid brown morocco straps. Doublures with an all-over mosaic pattern composed of onlaid calf in two shades of blue with a repeated floral gilt leaf design, outlined in gilt and with gilt circles at each intersection, stamp-signed on upper turn-in: "Bound by Rivière & Son." Gray watered silk endleaves (silk frayed). Full dark green straight-grained morocco gilt box lined with cream watered silk and velvet.
Provenance: Frederick S. Peck (bookplate) - Albert H. Small (his sale, Christie’s New York, 18 May 2012, lot 54).
Details
Poe's The Raven and Other Poems
Sangorski illuminated manuscript, 1927-28
SANGORSKI, Alberto (1862-1932), calligrapher and illuminator. RIVIERE & SON, binders. POE, Edgar Allan (1809-1849). “The Raven and Other Poems.” [London, 1927-28].
Sumptuous presentation of three poems by Edgar Allan Poe: “The Raven,” “To Helen,” and “The Bells.” The richly illuminated manuscript incorporates eight watercolors, with the majority signed by the artist, Alberto Sangorski. The calligraphed certification leaf at the end reads: "This manuscript...was designed, written out and illuminated by Alberto Sangorski. This manuscript will not be duplicated [signed] Alberto Sangorski."
Quarto (360 x 198mm). Illuminated manuscript on vellum, 14 leaves, plus single blank leaves at front and back, mounted on guards. Title-page in blue, red and gold, headline titles for the three other poems in red, the texts calligraphed in black ink in a gothic script with some red initials, many of the pages containing extravagant borders in gold and various colors, predominantly blue, purple and dark red, mostly linear with ornate endings and incorporating ornamental initials in colors and gold, the decoration mainly of stylized flowers and foliage. Eight watercolor miniatures as follows: title-page with a portrait vignette of Poe incorporated into lower border signed AS and dated 1927; full-page drawing of the reader startled by angels signed AS and dated 1928; vignette drawing of the reader letting in the Raven signed AS and dated 1927; vignette drawing of Helen sitting in the moonlight signed AS and dated 1927; vignette drawing of a horse-drawn sled at the opening of “The Bells,” unsigned; full-page drawing of Poe's cottage at Fordham signed AS and dated 1928, the miniatures in a variety of gilt and colored frames; cream silk guards.
Full blue levant morocco by Rivière & Sons, morocco and calf doublures, all edges gilt. Upper cover with an onlaid black morocco strap border between single gilt fillets enclosing a double inner border frame of onlaid black morocco strip gilt, gilt-lettered around the sides with a quotation from "The Raven," the border with knotwork corner ornaments and with a large onlaid bell ornament of tan morocco at the two upper corners, enclosing a broad panel border of swirling gilt stems and leaves with onlaid red morocco flowers and green, small onlaid red morocco gilt circles; in the center an oval medallion of onlaid green morocco, framed in onlaid black morocco gilt strip, of the Raven perched on the bust of Pallas worked in onlaid black and fawn morocco against a background of onlaid white morocco gilt flowers and gilt leaves, an onlaid tan morocco cartouche beneath the oval with gilt-lettered quotation. The lower cover with similar borders, a different gilt quotation around the sides, at the lower center is a gilt oval black morocco medallion lettered with Poe's initials surmounted by an eagle, in browns, black, and green morocco. Spine in six compartments with five raised and gilt-dotted bands, gilt lettered in three compartments, the rest with a repeated gilt panel of white flowers and gilt leaf framed with black morocco gilt strips; board edges with single gilt rule; turn-ins with double onlaid brown morocco straps. Doublures with an all-over mosaic pattern composed of onlaid calf in two shades of blue with a repeated floral gilt leaf design, outlined in gilt and with gilt circles at each intersection, stamp-signed on upper turn-in: "Bound by Rivière & Son." Gray watered silk endleaves (silk frayed). Full dark green straight-grained morocco gilt box lined with cream watered silk and velvet.
Provenance: Frederick S. Peck (bookplate) - Albert H. Small (his sale, Christie’s New York, 18 May 2012, lot 54).
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