Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám by HEDEGAARD, Lars, binder; OMAR KHAYYÁM; DULAC, Edmund, illustrator; FITZGERALD, Edward, translator

New York and London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1909. A Stunning 'Amber' Binding by Lars Hedegaard Third Prize in the 2015 Society of Bookbinders International Competition The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, First Trade Edition Illustrated by Edmund Dulac [HEDEGAARD, Lars, binder]. [DULAC, Edmund, illustrator]. KHAYYAM, Omar. FITZGERALD, Edward (trans.). Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Rendered into English Verse by Edward Fitzgerald. With Illustrations by Edmund Dulac. London: Hodder and Stoughton, [1909]. First trade edition. Quarto (11 x 8 1/2 in; 279 x 217 mm). Sixty unnumbered leaves of text. Title-page decoratively printed in sepia and light brown. Twenty mounted color plates, including frontispiece, each with a captioned tissue guard. Decorative borders to plates and leaves. Bound by Lars Hedegaard (stamp-signed in gilt on rear turn-in "L.H. 2015"). Full dark blue morocco, front cover elaborately tooled in gilt with five designs of cascading light, each with one shard heightened in blue, green or red. Two large see-through insets of amber showing the end-paper design. Rear cover with six similar designs of cascading light with one large see-through inset of amber, also showing the end-paper design. Smooth spine with single cascade of light with one shard heightened in red and lettered in gilt, hand-made end-papres with a gray and white psychedelic design. All edges gilt, top edge hand-painted with a cascading light design in red. Housed in the original blue cloth clamshell case, flat spine lettered in gilt. Absolutely fine. Complete with a copy of the 2015 Competition Catalog. This stunning binding won third prize in The Society of Bookbinders International Bookbinding competition of 2015. "Lars Hedegaard Aarhus Denmark. Fine Binding 3rd Prize. The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Hodder & Stoughton (1901) sic [1909]. Spine and sides in blue Morocco. Headbands leather and silk. Top edge gold-tooled and decorated. Khayyam was a sufi and among the sufis it was a tradition to have ritual dances combined with the burning of frankincense, myrhh and amber. The dancers gyrate, vibrate and tremble into a hypnotic state and when they reach that state they see the world around them as looking through a piece of amber. Amber is traditionally associated with the desert and the nights." (The Society of Bookbinders 2015 catalog. Page 13 with color photograph). In his autobiography, George Doran, the book's American publisher, noted "In point of excellence of art, popularity, distinction and profit the crowning achievement... was the publication of the Fitzgerald version of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám illustrated by Edmund Dulac. The book was a joy and a treasure. Its public acceptance was immediate and great." Continuing, Mr. Doran recalled the following amusing incident: "Over the weekend Mr. Hodder had taken occasion to read for the first time Omar's Rubaiyat; also for the first time he had reviewed the art of Edmund Dulac...fresh from the exhausting exhilaration of an evangelically active Sabbath, he thrust himself into the office and presence of [Hodder's grandson and the firm's manager] J.E.H.W. In his shaking hand he held a copy of Dulac's Omar Khayyam... Mr. Hodder: 'Ernest, what is this pagan book you have dared to publish over my imprint?' J.E.H.W.: 'Why Grandad, that is one of the greatest classics of all time.' Mr. Hodder: 'Classic or no classic, I will not tolerate the publication of such heathen rubbish.' J.E.H.W.: 'Grandad, it is beautifully illustrated by one of the very great artists of our day - it is a proud production.' Mr. Hodder: ' The artist only abets the author, whoever he is, in the production of a purely pagan and disgusting book. I will have none of it.' J.E.H.W.: 'But, Grandad, we made a profit of £800 on that book in the last twelve months.'" Mr. Hodder's anger cooled, his indignation evaporated. The matter was settled. Hughey 21a.