[Hand Illuminated Manuscript]: The Amorist and Other Verse

Hardcover. Near Fine. Verse by Penfield Royce. Designed by Ilonka Karasz. Quarto. Eleven vellum leaves, making 22 pages. Bound in heavy vellum covered boards. Front board heavily decorated by Karasz, with the title, the author, and designer; the back cover features a decorative border surrounding a flower. The pastedowns are decorated at the borders, extending onto the inside edges of the boards. Rubrication, otherwise the lettering is in black, the illuminations are primarily in red, blue, and gold. In all likelihood, a private commission from the mid-twenties accomplished by Karasz for a little-known author. These sentiments on love are presented in calligraphy with decorations by the artist in her typical country-ish, naive style, but display the contemporary influence of art-deco. Karasz was born in Hungary, and after moving to this country as a teenager, she designed furniture, ads, household goods, and more. She was a celebrated cover artist for *The New Yorker*, and illustrated many dust jackets, the most familiar of which might be that for West's *Friendly Persuasion*. She was a neighbor and close friend of Rex Stout's wife, designer Pola Stout. The front cover is a bit rubbed and faded; the boards a little bowed as expected, but overall in near fine condition; in a custom clamshell box.