The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith, Jeweled Binding by Sangorski & Sutcliffe

Binding Details:  Spectacular jeweled binding by Sangorski & Sutcliffe of full red morocco leather that features 29 jewels (9 turquoises, 9 garnets, 7 pearls, and 4 moonstones) inlaid into the covers of the binding as well as the hand-painted portrait of Oliver Goldsmith on ivory under glass on the inside front cover. In addition to the stunning jewel treatment, the covers and spine contain a beautiful array of multi-colored leather inlays and extensive gilt tooled decorations. The binding also features gold gilted page ends and a spectacular doublure design frames the wonderful hand-painted miniature that elevate this binding to a true work of art.  The beauty and complexity of the design cannot be overstated. This is truly one of those bindings where a picture is worth a thousand words. Included in the photo section of the listing are photographs of the binding as well as the doublures and hand-painted miniature that hopefully will provide you with some insights into this magnificent binding. The Sangorski & Sutcliffe binders stamp appears in gold gilt on the bottom of the front leather doublure. The book is housed in a custom made full leather clamshell box with raised spine hubs, gold gilt titling and ruling.

Note on Sangorski & Sutcliffe Jeweled Bindings

It is generally agreed that jeweled bindings by Sangorski & Sutcliffe represent the peak of twentieth-century book arts. Sangorski & Sutcliffe was founded in an attic in Bloomsbury in 1901 by two apprentice binders, and in only a few years it had become one of the most important binderies in the world. Francis Sangorski and his partner George Sutcliffe produced exquisite luxury bindings incorporating delicate inlays and onlays, detailed silver and gilt work, and valuable gemstones. The firm is perhaps best remembered for the book known as “The Great Omar“, a copy of The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám incorporating 150 individual jewels in its covers, which sank with the Titanic in 1912 only weeks before Sangorski himself died in a drowning accident.

Book Details:  The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith, first published in 1766, is an English classic so classic that it’s frequently mentioned in other classics such as Jane Austen's Emma, Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. This edition published in 1843 by John Van Voorst, London features 32 charming black-and-white headpiece illustrations by John Mulready. From the publisher, "Oliver Goldsmith's hugely successful novel of 1766 remained for generations one of the most highly regarded and beloved works of eighteenth-century fiction. It depicts the fall and rise of the Primrose family, presided over by the benevolent vicar, the narrator of a fairy-tale plot of impersonation and deception, the abduction of a beautiful heroine and the machinations of an aristocratic villain. By turns comic and sentimental, the novel's popularity owes much to its recognizable depiction of domestic life and loving family relationships."

The book measures approximately 8.25” x 6” with 306 pages as well as a list of illustrations, table of contents, and 6 pages of publisher’s advertisements that appear at the end of the book.

Condition Report:  The binding and internals of the book are in exceptional condition with no flaws. The clamshell box is also in FINE condition with some very minor shelfwear. Overall, this is a spectacular jeweled binding by Sangorski & Sutcliffe that houses Oliver Goldsmith’s classic novel.

Photographs of the jeweled binding and the hand-painted miniature of Oliver Goldsmith appear in the photo section of the listing.