EDWARD SULLIVAN The Book of Common Prayer (Bound and signed by one of the greatest binders who ever lived)

Oxford: Printed at the University Press, [c. 1904]. pp. 294 leaves. 155 x 90 mm. (6 x 3 1/2”). [294]. A magnificent Edward Sullivan binding in hunter-green morocco, the covers richly gilt in a dense pointillé field with scrolling floral sprays, centred on a shaped onlaid panel of refined Persian inspiration. Gilt and Inlaid by Edward Sullivan (stamp-signed “E. S. Aurifex” at foot of spine), upper cover with central mandorla containing a spray of three inlaid cream morocco lilies on gilt stalks, surrounded by 10 small gilt birds in flight, this centerpiece enclosed by 20 leafy gilt branches bearing inlaid red morocco blossoms, all on a densely stippled ground, lower cover with the same design but without the inlays, smooth spine with three inlaid red morocco dots, each radiating eight floral sprigs, these separated by a bird ornament, the word “Prayer” between the top and middle dot, turn-ins gilt with repeating lancet, flower, and star ornaments, fleuron cornerpieces, all edges gilt. Front flyleaf inscribed in ink: “From Sir Edward Sullivan Bart. / A sample of his own book-binding. Aug. 1904.” A small card printed with a bouquet of blue forget-me-nots and a Psalms verse and with “ES 2” inked on the verso laid in at the Order for Confirmation. Spine evenly darkened (as nearly always with green morocco), endleaves with offsetting from turn-in glue, front flyleaf creased, mild dampstaining near top edge of front flyleaves, other trivial defects internally, but nothing approaching a serious defect, and the binding which is obviously the story here very lustrous and showing only minimal wear.

This is a delightful example of the expressive and much sought-after bindings done by Irish bookbinder Sir Edward Sullivan (1852-1928), a prominent bibliophile who wrote on bookbinding and whose hero was T. J. Cobden-Sanderson. Sullivan saw gold tooling as his specialty, he often signed bindings with "Aurifex," the Latin word for "worker in gold," in a prominent place (here at foot of spine) and his distinctive style is readily recognizable. One reason for this is his self-imposed restriction on the number of ornamental decorations employed (he embraced Cobden Sanderson's philosophy that a binder who used gold tooling should work with a limited number of tools). Lilies were a favourite
motif, and they take center stage here, their simplicity contrasting pleasingly with the riot of stippling and floral sprays all around them. After graduating with honours from Trinity College Dublin, Sullivan practised law and ran unsuccessfully for political office before deciding, in the early 1890s, to devote himself to literature and the Arts & Crafts Movement, of which he was a leader in Ireland. This volume is especially desirable because it contains a presentation inscription from Sir Edward. The recipients and their descendants clearly treasured this gift, and, happily, it has been more admired than used over the years.

[Cat 164]