Glue and Lacquer. Four Cautionary Tales : The Special Edition Of Only 30 Copies With Reproductions Of Eric Gill's Original Drawings : With The Publisher's Prospectus by Acton, Harold & Yi-Hsieh, Lee (Translators) - 1941

The First UK printing published by The Golden Cockerel Press in 1941. Number '12' of 30 specially bound copies. The BOOK is in Very Good++ or better condition. Original full blue morocco (by Sangorski and Sutcliffe with their monogram to the lower front pastedown), spine lettered in gilt, four Chinese characters in gilt on the front cover, top edge gilt with others untrimmed. The binding remains tight. Some rubbing to the spine folds with a little light offsetting to the end papers. A couple of minor nicks to the untrimmed edge of the front free end paper. A small bookseller's label (Sotherans) to the lower front pastedown. Free from inscriptions and bookplates. Lacking the plain card slipcase. All five full page copper-plate engravings by Denis Tegetmeier (Eric Gill's son-in-law) are present and in fine condition. Additionally and only in this special edition, the collotype reproductions of Eric Gill's original drawings are complete and present at the rear of the book. This special edition was printed on handmade paper and bound in full morocco. The 'ordinaries' edition of 320 copies were printed on mould made paper, bound in quarter morocco and lacked the collotype reproductions to the rear. Eric Gill composed these images during the last week of his life and they were subsequently engraved by his son-in-law Denis Tegetmeier. With an introduction by Arthur Waley. 'In 'More Memoirs of an Aesthete' (p88), Acton says that the edition was sold out on publication and in a letter to Sandford (Golden Cockerel Press) dated 26 March 1951 he recalls he defrayed the production costs himself. Beryl de Zoete, anthropologist, to whom the book is dedicated, was for over forty years until her death in 1962, the companion of the orientalist Arthur Waley who contributes the preface' (Woolmer p.43). The book is protected in a loose archival Mylar cover. Loosely inserted is the publisher's original four page prospectus. A very scarce title with as far as I can tell, only two copies having appeared at auction in the last twenty years. A very handsome production. More images available on request. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.