[Binding, Fine- Mounteney, Leonard] The Open Fire and Other Essays

New York & Cincinnati: The Abingdon Press, 1922.

First edition. Exquisite full deep red elaborately gilt, by Leonard Mounteney, renowned finisher for the prestigious RiviËre Bindery who apprenticed at the bindery of G. & J. Abbott in Nottingham and studied ornamental design at the Battersea Polytechnic. He worked as an exhibition finisher for Riviere before emigrating to Chicago, where he worked with Alfred de Sauty at the R. R. Donnelley bindery. Bound in rich crimson pigskin with front and back covers similarly gilt with elaborate wide corner tools connected with straight fillet line on the innermost border. The front cover displays a large hand-tooled log fire with dancing flames conceived with various gouge tools and segments. Full gilt spine with five raised bands containing gilt dots at their apex, and four decorative gilt panels. Attractive wide dentelles with five fillet rolls and corners, stunning scarlet silk moire panels and flyleaf. The binding is signed on the lower dentelle of front cover, "Mountenay, Binder." Top edges gilt with fine gauffered design consisting of swirling border line and central blossoms. In a matching morocco grained cloth (thumb-notched) slipcase. Fine. Signed Mountenay bindings are quite rare, and this a special example.

Price: $2,850.00   Item #4497