The Rubai'yat of Omar Khayyam - 1920

Balfour, Ronald. The Rubai'yat of Omar Khayyam. (1920) Constable and Company. One of 100 signed copies, this being 47/100. Inscribed by illustrator near half title. 11.5 X 9. 38 tipped-in plates in colour, as well as black and white designs. Deckled page edges. Light green cloth boards with gold title design to front and spine. [4] half-title; limitation page; full-page tipped-in plate illustrated frontice; title. Sound binding. Some loosening to front free endpaper. Some discolouration to boards. Shelf wear to top and tail of spine. Mild bumping to corners. Some rubbing to upper left hand corner of front board. The Rubai'yat of Omar Khayyam is a world-known collection of poetry, made popular by the 1859 translation by Edward Fitzgerald. Named for a collection of Persian poems, organized into quatrains and largely attributed to the Astronomer Poet of Persia, Omar Khayyam. The philosophy behind the poems is greatly debated, with Khayyam often being viewed as an impious figure, writing with an anti-religious slant. Ronald Edgerton Balfour (1896-1941) was a Scottish illustrator, best known for his work on the Rubai'yat of Omar Khayyam and his work in Hollywood, as a costume designer. Balfour's style depicts a modern style of dress and elegant line work, often compared to Aubrey Beardsley.