Books and Manuscripts

London: George Allen, 1895-97. In six volumes. 4to. Edited by the famous bibliophile and literary forger Thomas J. Wise. Profusely illustrated in black and white by Walter Crane. Contemporary embroidered padded linen over boards, spine ends variously frayed; top edges gilt, other edges untrimmed; patterned endpapers; scattered minor spotting to text leaves.

Originally fashionable in 16th- and 17th-century England for important religious and presentation volumes, embroidered bindings saw a revival there in the late 19th-century. The rise of industrialization and the growth of the middle class, as well as the popularity of the Arts and Craft movement, and the establishment of the Royal School of Needlework, all contributed to this revitalization and interest. Although unsigned, this beautifully embroidered set, was likely executed by a female bookbinder, as was common at the time.