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WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE — THE SONNETS OF SHAKESPEARE
1928 · Bayntun-Rivière Fine Binding · Full Red Calf Leather
An attractive edition of Shakespeare’s complete sequence of 154 sonnets, printed at the Chiswick Press on handmade paper and bound by Bayntun-Rivière of Bath in full red polished calf leather.
The front cover bears a large gilt Shakespeare coat of arms, with the spear-bearing shield and falcon crest framed by gilt borders. Raised spine bands, gilt floral tooling, a black leather title label, marbled endpapers, and gilt-decorated inner borders complete the binding.
The exterior has substantial wear, detailed below, while the gilt arms remain bright and the interior is generally clean and attractive.
The binding bears the stamped signature:
BOUND BY BAYNTUN RIVIÈRE, BATH, ENGLAND
The Edition
London: Robt. Rivière and Son, Ltd., 1928. Text taken from the Cambridge edition. Printed by Charles Whittingham and Griggs at the Chiswick Press on handmade paper by F. J. Head & Co.
Generous margins and blue initial letters give the poems an elegant, spacious presentation. The top edge is gilt; the fore and lower edges remain untrimmed.
• Pagination: [vi], 154, [1] pages
• Size: Approximately 7½ × 6 inches
• Binding: Later full red polished calf leather by Bayntun-Rivière
• Endpapers: Marbled, with gilt-decorated rubbing to the spine, joints, raised bands, board edges, and corners. Chipping and localized leather loss at the head and foot of the spine, with exposed underlying material and fraying most evident at the foot. The front joint is heavily rubbed; both boards remain attached.
The covers show surface rubbing and abrasions, with scattered wear to the gilt borders. The large gilt Shakespeare arms remain bright, and much of the spine gilt is preserved.
Interior generally clean, with light age toning and occasional handling marks. Previous owner’s bookplate on the front pastedown and pencil notation on a front blank.
Please examine the photographs for the binding wear, ownership marks, and interior condition.
An appealing example of English fine binding, pairing Shakespeare’s sonnets with Chiswick Press printing, handmade paper, and a richly gilt red leather cover.
