"ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PASSAGES IN THE LAMBETH BOOKS": TRIANON PRESS FACSIMILE OF BLAKE'S ILLUMINATED THE BOOK OF AHANIA

BLAKE, William. The Book of Ahania [facsimile]. (London: The Trianon Press for the William Blake Trust, 1973). Quarto, original half navy morocco, marbled boards. Housed in original matching marbled slipcase. $1000.

Limited edition of the renowned Trianon Press facsimile of Blake's illuminated poem The Book of Ahania, number 303 of 750 copies (from a total edition of 808) on Arches paper, finely reproducing in color the six leaves of Blake's book. Printed for The William Blake Trust from the single extant copy in Lessing J. Rosenwald's collection, now in the Library of Congress, with bibliographical note by Blake expert Geoffrey Keynes.

"The Book of Ahania and The Book of Los are almost the last of the series of illuminated books completed by Blake while living in Lambeth… Blake completed only one copy of each book and then laid them aside… He never included either of them in any list of his productions and is not known to have disposed of them to any customer or patron. They therefore remained unknown until late in the 19th century" (Keynes, Commentary). "The lament of Ahania, Pleasure cast out by Reason, with which the poem closes, is one of the most beautiful passages in the Lambeth Books" (Wilson, The Life of William Blake, 94). This fine facsimile of Blake's etched and hand-colored The Book of Ahania from 1795 was made from the unique copy in the Lessing J. Rosenwald collection at the Library of Congress, printed on Arches paper made to match the paper Blake used. With publisher's bifolio prospectus for the present work laid in. Bentley, Blake Books A15. Bookplate.

Fine condition.