CEDRIC CHIVERS. GRANVILLE FELL, Herbert. ~ The Song of Solomon.
Frontispiece, 12 plates on glazed paper, one full-page illustration, historiated initials and tailpieces all by Herbert Granville Fell. Pp. 26, [1]. 22 x 25.8 cms, bound by Cedric Chivers of Bath (signed on lower turn-in) c.1898 to a design by Herbert Granville Fell, being transparent vellum over blue/grey painted paper boards, upper board with a pair of pink-winged angels clad in purple gowns with halos of mother of pearl and with a stippled corona, holding a banner with the book’s title, between and above the angels is a stylised rose tree with pink flowers, entwined stems and foliage, several small gilt tools, the lower board with a double heart-shaped lozenge round a pink rose and two sprays of lily of the valley, spine titled with green leaves and gilt dots, turn-ins ruled in gilt, marbled endpapers, yapp edges, top edge gilt. Housed in a blue cloth chemise and quarter blue morocco slipcase tieh raised bands and gilt titling. A superb binding.
Inscription on front blank from Halsway Manor in Somerset for Easter 1928.
Cedric Chivers of Bath had patented his ‘vellucent’ binding method in 1898 which involved hand-painting on paper and subsequently covering the binding in vellum which has been shaved down until it was transparent which protected the painting. The present example is one of the most impressive and largest Chivers bindings ever produced, the design being featured in Octave Uzanne’s “L’Art dans la Decoration Extérieure des Livres” (Paris, 1898). A Chivers catalogue at the time states that the binding “displays much originality, [being] vigorous in line and gorgeous in its prismatic scheme of crimson purples and orange and flame colour on a ground of blue”. The catalogue suggests that there were a possible 12 copies bound similarly and offered for £5, 5 shillings.