1870 1stED Vellum Binding - Legend of King Arthur, The Holy Grail by Tennyson

Author: Alfred Tennyson.
Title: The Holy Grail and Other Poems.
Publisher: London: Strahan and Co., 56 Ludgate Hill, 1870. First Edition.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 6.5 x 4.5 inches.
Pages: 222 pages.
Binding: Attractive and good contemporary full vellum binding with elaborate gilt and red decorations to the spine (five gilt floral tools) and a richly illuminated front cover featuring a red-and-blue banner with floral tendrils. Rear board with central gilt medallion (hinges tight, overall worn and scuffed - as shown, with a 1-inch tear to the front outer hinge but binding remains tight and secure - as shown, wear to the upper external vellum corner - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. All edges gilt. 
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing to the preliminaries and final page - as shown). 

The book: A unique and handsome 1870 first edition of The Holy Grail and Other Poems, one of Tennyson’s central Arthurian works, deepening his exploration of purity, spiritual longing, and the fading grandeur of Arthur’s court. In The Holy Grail, Tennyson traces Sir Percivale’s visionary quest and the gradual dissolution of Camelot’s moral unity, producing one of the most enduring pieces of Victorian medievalism. The vellum binding of this copy — richly decorated, manuscript-like in spirit — enhances the thematic resonance of the poems, making this an unusually striking example despite vellum wear.

The author: Alfred Tennyson (1809–1892), Poet Laureate from 1850, shaped the poetic imagination of the Victorian era. His command of rhythm, musicality, and mythic symbolism produced works still considered foundational today, including In Memoriam, Maud, and the larger Idylls of the King cycle. Tennyson’s reinterpretations of Arthurian legend became deeply influential, informing visual art, literature, and the cultural revival of medieval themes throughout the 19th century.