The Life of Frederick the Great. [Cosway].

The Life of Frederick the Great; In an Elaborate Cosway Style Binding by Bayntun

The Life of Frederick the Great. [Cosway].

YOUNG, Norwood [Frederick the Great] [Cosway].

Item Number: 27014

London: Constable, 1919.

Octavo, bound in full scarlet crushed levant morocco Cosway-style binding by Bayntun-Rivière. Front and rear panels with single gilt filler border, upper cover set with an oval miniature painting of a battle scene under glass, framed with a variety of weapons and emblems gilt; spine in six compartments with five raised bands, a decorative panel in the rest, each bearing crown, eagle or fleur-de-lys; board edges gilt dotted, turn-ins gilt, doublures and free endpages of yellow watered silk, all edges gilt. In fine condition. Housed in a custom cloth folding box.

Frederick the Great was King of Prussia from 1740 until 1786, the longest reign of any Hohenzollern king. His most significant accomplishments during his reign included his military victories, his reorganization of Prussian armies, his patronage of the arts and the Enlightenment in Prussia, and his final success against great odds in the Seven Years' War. Frederick was the last titled King in Prussia and declared himself King of Prussia after achieving full sovereignty for all historical Prussian lands. Prussia had greatly increased its territories and became a leading military power in Europe under his rule. 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.

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