BEAUTIFUL DELUXE ILLUSTRATED EDITIONS OF TOLKIEN'S HOBBIT AND LORD OF THE RINGS

TOLKIEN, J.R.R. The Hobbit. WITH: The Lord of the Rings. Three volumes. London: The Folio Society, 2001-02. Together, Four volumes. Tall octavo, original half Wassa goatskin with hand-woven Indian silk boards, top edges gilt; housed in the original morocco-gilt slipcases. $8000.

Deluxe limited editions, each number 914 of 1750 copies, of these sumptuous Folio Society productions, in striking bindings and slipcases by Smith Settle of Otley, Yorkshire.

The Folio Society's illustrated edition of the Lord of the Rings was the first illustrated edition of that work when initially published in 1977. The illustrations themselves were done by Eric Fraser from original drawings by Ingahild Grathmer, the pseudonym of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. The queen initially sent the illustrations to Tolkien in the early 1970s: Tolkien was taken with them, finding their style similar to his own. Margrethe's artistic pursuits are many, and she is particularly well-known for her costume and scenery designs for ballet and drama productions in Denmark. The Folio Society edition of The Lord of the Rings was first published in 1977; their edition of The Hobbit, with illustrations by Eric Fraser, followed in 1979. Hammond A3.u, A5l.

Fine condition.