Descriptive Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts in the Library of C. W. Dyson Perrins, D.C.L., F.S.A., 2 volumes

Sir George Warner

Verlag: Printed at the University Press, Oxford, 1920

xix, 341; [viii], 126 plates [plus 2 frontis. = 128 in all]; tall folio (16 x 12 in.), original light brown cloth, gilt spine titles, uncut, t.e.g. The rare, lavishly produced catalogue of C. W. Dyson Perrins s collection of 135 illuminated manuscripts, described in Volume I in extensive detail by Sir George Warner, the then-retired Keeper of Manuscripts in the British Museum. Perrins amassed his collection (often in consultation with Fitzwilliam Museum director Sydney Cockerell) during the twenty-year period prior to 1920. Most notably, in 1906, Perrins acquired a group of 33 items from painter, art dealer and collector Charles Fairfax Murray ("whose fine taste and judgement are a guarantee of quality," Warner, vii); other sources included the dealers Sotheran, Quaritch, Leighton and Rosenthal. Dyson Perrins (1864 1958), of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce fame, acquired these illuminated manuscripts "mainly for their artistic interest without any particular regard to the nature of their literary contents" (ibid.). The majority of them are English, French and Italian, rounded out by several Flemish, Dutch, Spanish, German, Bohemian, Swiss, Byzantine and Oriental items. The text volume is printed on thick paper by the University Press, Oxford, from whose own Printer s Library this set originates (with their small tasteful book label on the front pastedowns). Volume II consists entirely of plates, 128 in collotype or photogravure, executed by Emery Walker and many with more than one leaf from the manuscript illustrated. Following Perrins s death, the vast majority of the collection was dispersed at Sotheby s in three sales (1958, 1959 and 1960). A near fine, bright and clean set, with only light wear at the head and tail of the spines and a couple of corners; interior fine but for minor spotting on a couple of pages and mild offsetting on the free endapers. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 2443

Bibliografische Details

Titel: Descriptive Catalogue of Illuminated ...
Verlag: Printed at the University Press, Oxford
Erscheinungsdatum: 1920
Einband: Hardcover
Zustand: Near Fine