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Williams, Gwyn [translator]; Petts, John [illustrator]
Against Women. A Satire translated from the old Welsh by Gwyn Williams. [Limited edition]
Publisher: Golden Cockerel Press; London;
Date of Publication: 1953
Stock Code: 12486
Limited to 350 copies, of which this is no. 197. Tall octavo, pp. 25, [1]. With 11 full-page coloured wood engravings by John Petts. Set by hand in Eric Gill’s Golden Cockerel 14 pt type on handmade paper. Bound by Sangorski and Sutcliffe in burgundy cloth with gilt stamped ornament to upper board depicting a pair of mythical Nure-Onna serpent-women, with gilt title to spine. Spine very lightly faded, else vibrant and clean. Contents crisp, tight, clean and free from foxing, annotations and ownership marks. Near fine. Sultry and sensuous object which playfully subverts the original anonymous text and serves as a homage to “wicked” women, femme fatales, sorceresses, and temptresses of mythology.
The sheer decadence of the “wickedly expensive” work became somewhat of an albatross for Golden Cockerel Press. The artistic temperament and perfectionism of artist John Petts meant the sumptuously coloured wood engravings were years in the making, luxury binders Sangorski and Sutcliffe had difficulty sourcing sufficient supplies of Indian lizard skins for the first 100 copies (though this particular copy is one of the cloth bound editions from the latter half of the edition run) and the usual American distributors rejected the work due to its eroticism. Nevertheless, Against Women was selected as one of the best books for the National Book League’s 1954 show and remains a highly desirable and scarce work for private press collectors.
£150.00