1920 Bengal Fairy Tales - Illustrated Antique Book

Bengal Fairy Tales is a significant collection of folkloric stories published in 1920. The tales were collected and compiled by Francis Bradley Bradley-Birt (F.B. Bradley-Birt), an English writer, colonial administrator, and magistrate who spent many years living and working in Bengal. Unlike many colonial-era writers who rephrased stories from existing books, Bradley-Birt gathered these narratives directly from local oral traditions. He collected them from a diverse range of storytellers, from village elders in remote rural areas to domestic workers in his own household.

This is a super antique hardback copy of the tales, being a first edition published by John Lane, London in 1920. With six illustrated colour plates by Abanindranath Tagore.

Inside the pages are clean, bright and tightly bound. Mild spotting to endpapers. Has a bookplate to the front free endpaper, but no other writing or markings of previous ownership. Gapes slightly at the gutter in the middle but in no way effecting the binding. The top closed edge is tinted blue to match the boards.

Petrol-blue cloth over boards have gilt decoration to the front and spine. Mild rubbing/rounding to the corners and spine ends. Light rubbing to the bottom board and in a couple of places on the front. A couple of bumps to rear edge. The gilt on the spine has faded a bit in comparison to the shiny front, but can still be easily discerned. Binding strong, square and tight.

Your antique copy of Bengal Fairy Tales will be wrapped with care in tissue and ribbon* and sent well packaged. I am always happy to add a gift card with a message to the parcel.

H 26.5 cm x W 20.5 cm, 209 pages, 0.72 kg. I dispatch worldwide daily from the UK. (There are just a very few countries which I am unable to ship to).

*If you would prefer for your book not to be decoratively wrapped and sent simply in the full protective packaging please add a note to the order.

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