The Queen of the fishes. An adaptation in English of a fairy tale of Valois.

8vo: 12 double-folded Japanese-style leaves, pp. [1] 2-12 [13] 14 [15-16].

White vellum with gold stamped iris surrounded by leaves in upper right and lower right corner, handcrafted cardboard portfolio covered with green flower decor. paper, paper label on upper right corner, label on spine.

Limited edition of 150 on Japanese vellum of which 120 for sale. Our copy with second issue title page and without edition statement, in a variant binding (see Genz). With 12 wood-engraved illustrations: 5 colour wood engravings with borders and 7 in b/w, 3 ornaments in red, pressmark in b/w designed, cut and printed by Lucien Pissarro. The book was published at The Vale by Charles Ricketts, one of the two founders of the Vale Press, and sold by John Lane at the Bodley Head; Lane already worked as a distributor for Ricketts' books. Lucien Pissarro, eldest son of the impressionist painter Camille Pissarro studied Arts in Paris and London. In 1890, Lucien returned to London because he couldn't get his woodcuts published. This is where he met Charles Ricketts and Charles Shannon, founders of the Vale Press. They invited him to contribute to the illustrations of their magazine "The Dial". In 1894, Lucien and his wife Esther created the Eragny Press (Eragny comes from Pissarro's family village in France) and established it in Epping. This is where they published their first book "The Queen of the fishes".
Ref. Genz, M.D. - A history of the Eragny Press 1894-1914, pp. 147-151. - Ransom (Eragny Press) 1. - Tomkinson (Eragny Press) 62.
Prov. Rainforth Armitage Walker (bookpl.). - Ms. dedication to "Mr Heath, with kind regards from Margaret Rust, April 1895".