HAND PAINTED BINDING
Days and Hours in a Garden
Elliot Stock, 1898.
A fine vellucent binding by Cedric Chivers of Bath. 8vo (binding dimensions 17.5 x11.5 cm; page dimensions 16.5x10cm). Full ivory vellum, featuring hand painted scenes to both the upper panel and spine. The title lettering is encircled by a mother-of pearl border, and there is a further mother-of-pearl roundel to the spine. Decoration and borders embossed in gilt. The rear turn-in is signed "Cedric Chivers Bath". Top edge gilt. Housed in the original cloth slipcase Black and white drawings by E.V.B. A fine copy, exceptionally clean. Bookplate to front free endpaper.
A well-preserved Cedric Chivers vellucent binding of a most attractive design, which was advertised in the Chivers' Catalogue of Beautiful Bindings at a price of £2/2 shillings.
Chivers's technique reintroduced the style of painted vellum bindings produced by Edwards of Halifax in the 18th century, but rather than have his artists paint directly onto the vellum, they would paint on paper under a transparent layer of vellum. This preserved the design, and allowed "mother of pearl and other exotic materials [to be] added as highlights under the vellum", as in the present example (Tidcombe). The gold tooling, so deftly employed here, would then be added to the surface of the vellum.
Bookplate of Robin de Beaumont.
Stock ID: 44859
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