The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. [Cosway].

The Works of William Shakespeare elaborately bound by Bayntun Riviere in a beautiful cosway binding with a hand painted ivorene miniature portrait of William Shakespeare

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. [Cosway].

SHAKESPEARE, William [Cosway].

Item Number: 119760

London: Oxford University Press, 1947.

The complete works of William Shakespeare bound by Bayntun-Riviere in an elaborate Cosway-style binding. Octavo, bound in full levant blue morocco by Bayntun Riviere in a Cosway-style binding with a hand painted miniature ivorene portrait of Shakespeare under glass to the front panel within a gilt border, gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, quadruple gilt ruling to the panels with ornamental cornerpieces, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. In fine condition. Edited by W. J. Craig. A beautiful example.

Cosway bindings (named for renowned 19th-century English miniaturist Richard Cosway) were popularized, if not invented, in the early 1900s by the renowned London bookselling firm of Henry Sotheran. The earliest Cosway bindings were created by Miss C.B. Currie who faithfully imitated Cosway's detailed watercolor style of portraiture from designs by J.H. Stonehouse, Sotheran’s manager. These delicate miniature paintings, often on ivory, were set into the covers or doublures of richly-tooled bindings and protected by a thin pane of glass.

We're sorry, this item has sold.

Ask a Question SHIPPING & GUARANTEE