Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, First and Fourth Renderings in English Verse by Edward Fitzgerald with Illustrations by Willy Pogany. [2 x Signed] Omar Khayyám (Author), Edward FitzGerald (Translator), Willy Pogany (Illustrator). 1930 Condition: Near Fine

Title: Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam The First and ...

Publisher: George G. Harrap London

Publication Date: 1930

Binding: Hardcover

Book Condition: Near Fine

175 [+ blank] printed pages. Introduction by George Saintsbury. SIGNED by Pogany on the limitation page, and again in pencil on his frontispiece etched plate which duplicates the colour plate of the same image. Limited Edition of 750 copies for England, 500 for the United States: this is no. 453 of the English issue. Twelve mounted tipped in colour plates, all in perfect condition. The text leaves printed on China paper with 45 decorations and mounted illustrations. Top edge gilt, others untrimmed, cream and pale green mottled endpapers. 22 x 27 cm. Publisher's original full Persian emerald green crushed Niger morocco, the spine divided into six panels by five raised bands, is lettered in the first, and dated at the foot, the front cover with small roundel featuring tiny flowers in red, blue and tan on a gilt ground within circular gilt decorative border. The Persian & emerald greens, topaz & blue colours of the leather binding have patinated through handling and light into a desirably tactile hue. Omar Khayyám (1048-1131) was a Persian mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, and poet. Edward FitzGerald (1809-83) was homosexual & originally translated The Rubáibyát of Omar Khayyam in 1859, out of consolation for the departure of his friend, Edward Cowell (the friend who had encouraged his first attempts at translating) to India. Illustrated by Willy Pogany (1882-1955), a Hungarian and a prolific & highly sought-after illustrator of children's and other books. Pogany credits his publisher, Harrap, with giving him his "first big chance." His second book for Harrap, an earlier version of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, printed in 1909, established his reputation as a book illustrator. Bookseller Inventory # 4399