Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám
Illustrated by Otway McCannell / Translated by Edward Fitzgerald / Ward, Lock & Co., 1953
Boxed Edition / Illustrated / Original Faux Leather Binding / Marbled Endpapers
 
Description
 
A visually striking and finely preserved boxed edition of Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, published in 1953 by Ward, Lock & Co., London. Rendered into English verse by Edward Fitzgerald, who also provides an introduction, this edition is beautifully illustrated by Otway McCannell.
 
Bound in dark faux leather boards with ornate gilt decoration to the upper cover and gilt lettering to the spine and front board. The bevelled boards show only minimal rubbing to the edges. The book retains its original tissue wrapping and is housed in a white cardboard slipcase, likely original.
 
The box shows some wear and rubbing at the joints, with small splits at the corners, but it has successfully protected the volume, which remains in excellent condition. The binding is tight and secure with no internal damage.
 
Inside, the book features marbled pastedowns and endpapers, rounded page edges, and red top, fore, and bottom edges. The pages are crisp, fresh in appearance, and predominantly clean, with only extremely light foxing to a few leaves. All 64 pages are present.
 
Illustrations by Otway McCannell
 
Colour frontispiece
Illustrated half title and title pages
In-text black and white illustrations
Full-page colour plates facing verses 3, 11, 27, 39, 48, 59, and 73
 
About the Rubáiyát
 
The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is a timeless collection of quatrains attributed to the 11th-century Persian scholar Omar Khayyám. Though known in his own time for mathematical and astronomical achievements, his reflective and philosophical verse gained widespread fame through Edward Fitzgerald’s 1859 English rendering.
 
Exploring themes of love, fate, mortality, and the natural world, Fitzgerald's translation captured the imagination of Victorian readers and generations since. This 1953 edition celebrates that enduring literary and artistic legacy.
 
A beautifully preserved mid-20th century edition of one of the most iconic works of translated poetry. A refined collector’s item or elegant gift.
 
Physical Details
 
Publisher: Ward, Lock & Co., London, 1953
Binding: Dark faux leather with gilt decoration and titles
Pages: 64
Size (book): Approx. 16.4 cm × 12.7 cm × 1 cm
Boxed weight: Approx. 159 g