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1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding
1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding

1859 Rare Tennyson Elaine – Exquisite Vellum and Gilt Binding

Sold out
$225 USD - $225 USD
$225 USD
$225 USD - $225 USD
$225 USD

Author: (Alfred Tennyson).
Title: Elaine. (No title page, only the half-title page).
Publisher: No place, no publisher, no date. (London, Edward Moxon, 1859)
Language: Text in English.
Size: 6.5 x 4 inches.
Pages: Pages 147–222.
Binding: Attractive and near fine exquisite contemporary full cream vellum binding, elaborately tooled in gilt in an interlaced Renaissance-style pattern on both boards within triple gilt-ruled borders, with decorative cornerpieces. Five raised bands to spine, compartments tooled in gilt, with a dark green morocco title label (“ELAINE”). All edges gilt. A single thin 1" crack visible on the lower front board, barely perceptible. An exceptional one-of-a-kind presentation binding, unsigned but clearly the work of a skilled artisan.
Content: Clean and fresh throughout with light scattered foxing on a few leaves, notably the opening blank. The text consists of the full “Elaine” section from Tennyson’s Idylls of the King, paginated continuously from page 147 to 222, corresponding precisely with the 1859 first edition.

Estimate: (Scarce with no other copies in this exquisite binding available for sale worldwide).

The book: This unique copy of Elaine stands as a poetic tribute in both content and form. Lovingly extracted from Tennyson’s Idylls of the King (1859 first edition), the entire “Elaine” narrative—arguably the most tender and tragic episode from the cycle—has been preserved and elevated through an exceptional, bespoke binding. The opulent full vellum cover, richly gilt in a tracery-like pattern evocative of stained glass or illuminated manuscripts, suggests a deeply personal commission—perhaps a memorial or romantic gift. Whether intended for a namesake “Elaine” or simply to highlight the poem’s enduring pathos, this edition transforms a single idyll into a devotional object of rare beauty.

The author: Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892), Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign, was one of the most popular British poets of the 19th century. His Idylls of the King, a retelling of the Arthurian legends in verse, was a monumental work of Victorian Romanticism. The “Elaine” idyll—also known as Lancelot and Elaine—was first published in 1859 and captures the tragic story of unrequited love and devotion through the figure of the lily maid of Astolat, who dies of love for Sir Lancelot.

The binding: Although unsigned, this elaborate gilt vellum binding exhibits the hallmarks of fine late 19th-century craftsmanship, with a geometric interlace reminiscent of the Doves Bindery or early Guild of Women Binders, though more decorative in execution. A singular example of private press-style devotion to a single text, this is not merely a book, but a shrine to Tennyson’s “Elaine.”