Tennyson`s "Dream of Fair Women" - photo 1
Tennyson`s "Dream of Fair Women" - photo 2
Tennyson`s "Dream of Fair Women" - photo 3
Tennyson`s "Dream of Fair Women" - photo 4

Tennyson`s "Dream of Fair Women"

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$ 47 880
Auction dateClassic
06.10.2022 12:00UTC -04:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
USA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 813788
Lot 56 | Tennyson's "Dream of Fair Women"
Tennyson's "Dream of Fair Women"

Sangorski & Sutcliffe manuscript and jeweled binding

SANGORSKI, Francis (1875-1912), SANGORSKI, Alberto (1862-1932) and SUTCLIFFE, George (1878-1943), calligraphers, illuminators, and binders. TENNYSON, Alfred Lord (1809-1892). “A Dream of Fair Women.” London, for T. J. Gannon of New York, n.d.



An exceptionally rich jeweled binding utilizing nearly 200 precious and semi-precious stones, on an illuminated manuscript produced as a collaboration by both Sangorski brothers. Unusually, even the doublures feature mother-of-pearl inlays and the flyleaves are thin suede. The full-page portrait of Joan of Arc is considered one of the best works of the Sangorski brothers in collaboration. The certification leaf at ends reads: “This copy of The Dream of Fair Women by Alfred, Lord Tennyson has been specially written out, illuminated, and bound by F. Sangorski and G. Sutcliffe of London for T.J. Gannon of New York. Designer: F. Sangorski / Illuminator: A. Sangorski / Forwarder: S. Byrnes / Finisher G. Lovatt.” It is a stunning production in both illumination and binding.



Quarto (262 x 188mm). Illuminated manuscript on vellum, 22 leaves, plus 5 blank vellum leaves. Title in red with three-quarter border and portrait miniature of Tennyson; full-page frontispiece painting of Joan of Arc in armor after the painting by J.-A.D. Ingres, with full border and titled in gold, text on pp. 3-[27] with large illuminated initials and acanthus borders in colors, gold and tooled gold, incorporating snakes and dragons and 4 larger portraits of women for a total of six miniatures.



Full crushed dark blue morocco jeweled binding by Sangorski & Sutcliffe, chestnut-brown morocco jeweled doublures, blue suede flyleaves, all edges gilt. The upper cover with a recessed panel centered around a marquise garnet and 14 diamonds on a very finely gilt ground of foliate and pointillé pattern, acanthus onlays of mauve, red and green morocco, raised strapwork bands of brown, mauve, and green morocco, the inner arabesque shape of the panel set with 16 further jewels, the corners of the panel with a fanfare pattern using 20 marquise garnets and 108 turquoises, this panel surrounded by morocco inlay strapwork and a pattern of gilt and red onlay flowering laurel, corner-pieces of fine gilt pointillé, inlay, and 4 turquoises each. The lower cover in a symmetrical style but without jewels in the border and with smaller arabesque recessed panel featuring heart-shaped strapwork and 12 sapphires (small areas of minor tarnishing near some jewel settings, slight touch of rubbing to board extremities). Spine gilt in six compartments with raised bands, gilt-lettered in two, a repeated gilt-decorated floral panel with onlays in the remaining; board edges with gilt rule. Inside covers with gilt onlaid frames of both black and green morocco, the green morocco with onlaid red morocco dots of its own, four corner-pieces and two side-pieces depicting bouquets of roses in gilt, red and pink morocco, the four corners with inlaid heart-shaped mother-of-pearl; central doublures of chestnut-brown morocco with black morocco and gilt frame, the inner panel with gilt diaper pattern; the upper doublure additionally with a central heart richly gilt in laurel pattern and with inlaid buds and flowers around initial “T” on light blue ground; flyleaves lined with thin blue suede with gilt framed and central diapered panel mirroring the doublures (upper flyleaf working lose). Stamp-signed by Sangorski & Sutcliffe on the upper turn-in. Later full morocco velvet-lined box.

Provenance: Phoebe A.D. Boyle (her sale Anderson Galleries, 19-20 November 1923, lot 336) [sold to Gabriel Wells] –Stanley Estate (Ranzel Gallery, Chicago, 11 June 1972 lot 117) – Arnold and Miriam Elkind (sale designation, Sotheby’s New York, 7 December 1994, lot 427).

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