LETTERS FROM THE 15TH CENTURY: ON THE ORIGINS OF THE KELMSCOTT CHAUCER TYPEFACE. A STUDY, WITH SPECIMEN LEAVES, OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE EARLY GERMAN PRINTERS ON WILLIAM MORRIS' MASTERPIECE

2019 · McMinnville, Oregon

by (LEAF BOOK - KELMSCOTT PRESS AND PRINTING HISTORY). PIRAGES, PHILLIP J.

McMinnville, Oregon: Phillip J. Pirages, 2019. ONE OF 84 COPIES in floral-patterned cloth from a total edition of 165 COPIES. Text: 244 x 154 mm. (9 1/8 x 6 1/8"); Case: 502 x 372 mm. (19 3/4 x 14 5/8"). ii, 75 pp.
Bound in floral-patterned cloth after a Morris design by Amy Borezo, who also constructed the case holding the volume and leaves. The book printed letterpress on Zerkall Book Laid Vellum paper by Arthur Larson at Horton Tank Graphics. Book layout by Jill Mann. EACH COPY WITH FIVE LEAVES: ONE FROM THE KELMSCOTT CHAUCER with six- and three-line initials AND ONE EACH FROM THE PRESSES OF FOUR GERMAN PRINTERS FROM THE 1470s--PETER SCHOEFFER, (truncated) JOHANN MENTELIN, GÜNTHER ZAINER, AND ANTON KOBERGER. The incunabular leaves consistently excellent, with only minor defects, and the Kelmscott leaves (which were never part of a bound volume) in entirely fine condition.

This is a unique leaf book in the way that it combines three elements: a significant private press production involving people at the top of their craft, a scholarly commentary that contributes to a further understanding of the history of printing, and--most important--five leaves: one from the Kelmscott Press "Works" of Geoffrey Chaucer and four from books issued by German printers at work in the 1470s. The book has been printed and bound by hand by gifted professionals; the essay addresses a topic of significance to typophiles in a considerably more thoroughgoing way than has been done before; and the assemblage of leaves represents a powerful visual reinforcement of the text, as well as an opportunity to share in the ownership of four important incunabula, along with the extraordinary Kelmscott Chaucer. The story of the production is heavy on serendipity: in the winter of 2012, after purchasing a very incomplete copy of the Kelmscott Chaucer at auction, we considered the possibility of producing a leaf book, but because the Chaucer--universally considered to be one of the most beautiful books ever printed--had been written about by so many different people in so many different ways, we didn't know what aspect was left for us to explore. The one topic we fastened on as thus far inadequately examined is the origin of the work's typeface. We soon learned that Morris, who is known to have owned more than 500 incunables, most admired--and was, consequently, most likely to have been influenced in his typographic design by--Peter Schoeffer of Mainz, Johann Mentelin of Strassburg, Günther Zainer of Augsburg, and Anton Koberger of Nuremberg. Over the course of the years succeeding the purchase of the defective Chaucer, we were fortunate beyond all expectation to acquire incomplete books from each of these four eminent printers. As a result, the present leaf book will allow the reader not only to read in the accompanying essay about the influence on Morris of his typographic forebears, but also to compare with his or her own eyes the resemblances between the Kelmscott leaf and the leaves from four centuries earlier.. (Inventory #: ST15039bC)

$2,340.⁰⁰ add to cart or Buy Direct from
Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books

Offered by

Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books & Manuscripts

1709 NE 27th St. Suite G
McMinnville, OR 97128

info@pirages.com

(503) 472-0476

Specializing in Bindings, Medieval Manuscripts, Early Printed Books, STC & Wing Books, Incunabula, English & American Literature, Fine & Private Press, Illustrated Books, Medicine.

More from this seller

SCHOLASTICA HISTORIA MAGISTRI PETRI COMESTORIS SACRE SCRIPTURE SERIEM BREVEM NIMIS ET EXPOSITA[M] EXPONENTIS

by (INCUNABULA). COMESTOR, PETRUS

Strassburg : [Printer of the 1483 Jordanus de Quedlinburg (Georg Husner?)] , post 24 Feb. 1485
(click for more details)

First Edition

CHRISTOPHER PLANTIN AND THE PLANTIN-MORETUS MUSEUM AT ANTWERP

by (BINDINGS - SANFORD). (PLANTIN, CHRISTOPHER). (EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED). DE VINNE, THEODORE L.

[New York] : Grolier Club , 1888
(click for more details)

The ABAA
Promise

You can be confident that when you make a purchase through ABAA.org, the item is sold by an ABAA member in full compliance with our Code of Ethics. Our sellers guarantee your order will be shipped promptly and that all items are as described. Buy with confidence through ABAA.org.