2009 Scarce First Edition - The Fairy Market Illustrated by Charles van Sandwyk

Author: Charles van Sandwyk.
Title: The Fairy Market.
Publisher: North Vancouver, The Fairy Press (Charles van Sandwyk Fine Arts), 2009. First Edition. One of 2,000 copies printed.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 10 x 8 inches.
Pages: Unpaginated (15 leaves).
Binding: Fine and attractive original gilt-decorated pictorial hand-sewn softcover binding with French flaps. The binding remains exceptionally well preserved, bright, and fresh. Protected in a removable mylar cover.
Content: Fine content. Bright, clean, and complete throughout. No ownership inscriptions, bookplates, or markings.
Illustrations: Profusely illustrated throughout with the enchanting color artwork of Charles van Sandwyk, including full-page illustrations, decorative borders, and charming fairy and woodland scenes. Complete as issued.

Estimate: (Scarce with no or few copies available for sale worldwide).

The book: A scarce and delightful First Edition of The Fairy Market, one of Charles van Sandwyk's most charming fairy books, issued by his private imprint, The Fairy Press. Dedicated to the “everlasting memory of Arthur Rackham (1867–1939), who was rather fond of sardines,” the book serves as both a whimsical fantasy and a heartfelt tribute to one of the great illustrators of the Golden Age of Illustration.

Within its pages, van Sandwyk invites readers into an enchanted woodland marketplace populated by fairies, mice, squirrels, owls, and other delightful creatures. His distinctive pen-and-ink drawings, delicately colored in soft washes, evoke the spirit of Rackham while remaining unmistakably his own. Produced in a relatively small edition of only 2,000 copies, The Fairy Market has become one of the most sought-after titles from The Fairy Press and is increasingly difficult to obtain in such fine condition.

The author and illustrator: Charles van Sandwyk is a Canadian artist, illustrator, and author celebrated for his whimsical and highly collectible books inspired by the traditions of Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, and other masters of the Golden Age of Illustration. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1966 and raised in British Columbia, he developed a distinctive artistic style combining fine draftsmanship, imaginative storytelling, and a deep affection for the natural world.

Through his private imprint, The Fairy Press, van Sandwyk has produced a series of beautifully crafted limited and small-edition books that have attracted an enthusiastic international following. His work has also appeared in celebrated editions published by the Folio Society. Today, he is widely regarded as one of the foremost contemporary illustrators working in the tradition of the classic fairy-tale book.