Lessons in the Art of Illuminating, W. J. Loftie

£200.00

Lessons in the Art of Illuminating, W. J. Loftie

Name: Lessons in the Art of Illuminating, W. J. Loftie
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 6149L
Price: 200.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Publication: London, Blackie & Son, Limited, c. 1890

Formatting: 4to, pp. xv, [1], 34.

Condition Report: Very Good. The volume remains securely bound in its original dark green cloth, featuring a gilt-decorated title block on the front board. The extremities show shelf wear, with rubbing and slight bumping to the corners exposing small amounts of the underlying board, alongside minor bruising to the spine ends. The rear board exhibits light scuffing and faint spotting. The structural integrity of the binding remains sound. Internally, the text block is clean with scattered foxing primarily confined to the preliminary pages and endpapers. The nine chromolithographic plates, including the frontispiece and title page border, remain exceptionally bright, with the metallic gold illuminations free from oxidation.

Catalogue Note: This is a late 19th-century edition issued as part of Vere Foster's Water-Colour Series. It features nine chromolithographic plates replicating 12th to 16th-century illuminated manuscripts from the British Museum, Lambeth Palace Library, and South Kensington Museum.

The front flyleaf bears a flourished contemporary ink ownership inscription: "Charles Henry May, 49 Barford Rd, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, Warwickshire," dated "14th Nov.", alongside the moniker "Xye Boke".

Copies of this work in their original cloth binding are uncommon on the open market, as many have historically been broken up to sell the individual plates.

A practical 19th-century guide to the medieval art of illumination, authored by the antiquary W. J. Loftie. The volume provides a historical sketch of the craft from the 12th to the 16th centuries, alongside detailed instruction on the materials, colours, and techniques used by early manuscript illuminators. Accompanied by facsimile plates of Italian, French, and English initials and borders, it serves as a resource for both students of art history and practitioners of traditional calligraphy.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: W. J. Loftie

Book Publisher: Blackie & Son, Limited

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Non-Fiction

Genre: Art & Architecture

Book edition:

Signed: No

Book Pages: 34

Book Publication Year: 1890

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: J. A. Burt

Book Series: Vere Foster's Water-Colour Series

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.