1877 Rare Book - The Arabian Nights Illustrated by Thomas B. Dalziel

Author: Anonymous / Traditional. Illustrated by Thomas B. Dalziel.
Title: The Arabian Nights’ Entertainments.
Publisher: London: George Routledge and Sons, The Broadway, Ludgate; New York: 416 Broome Street, 1877.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 8 x 6 inches.
Pages: xi, 796 pages + publisher’s catalogue.
Binding: Very good original publisher’s pictorial teal cloth binding, richly decorated in black and gilt to the upper cover and spine, with gilt lettering and ornamental illustrated panels. Light wear to the extremities and corners, with mild rubbing and soiling to the cloth, as shown. Hinges firm. Protected in a removable mylar cover. 
Content: Very good content. Ink stamp of a previous owner on the second blank page and last blank page. Small stain to the lower inner blank margin of the first six pages, as shown. Otherwise, a clean, solid, and well-preserved copy, with only light age toning and occasional minor spotting.
Illustrations: Complete with one hundred and fifty original illustrations drawn by Thomas B. Dalziel, including a full-page frontispiece, illustrated title vignette, decorative initials, and numerous finely executed black-and-white illustrations throughout.

Estimate: (USD 300-350)

The book: A very attractive Victorian illustrated edition of The Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, beautifully presented by George Routledge and Sons in a richly decorated pictorial cloth binding. This substantial edition gathers the famous tales of wonder, adventure, enchantment, and Eastern storytelling, accompanied by 150 illustrations that give the volume a particularly lively and atmospheric character. The ornate gilt-and-black binding, with its moonlit figure on the spine, palace silhouette, birds, and decorative panels, makes this a striking example of late nineteenth-century gift-book design.

The illustrator: Thomas B. Dalziel was associated with the celebrated Dalziel family of Victorian illustrators and wood-engravers, whose work helped define the visual character of many nineteenth-century illustrated books. His drawings for this edition bring a refined Victorian sensibility to the legendary world of Scheherazade, sultans, viziers, enchanted journeys, and marvellous transformations.