FINE BINDING set of Tagore’s works

A FINE BINDING set of six beautiful English translations of works by Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), the greatest Indian icon in literature and the first Asian to win a Nobel prize in 1913. Six volumes. 18.6×12.5 cm (7¼x5″), finely bound by Morrell in half purple morocco and cloth, spines stamped in gilt with raised bands, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt.
Bindings stamp-signed in ink to front free endpaper verso. Publisher- Macmillan and Co., 1914.

The six works include the following titles-

Gitanjali was first published in English in a limited edition of 750 copies by The Chiswick Press in 1912. A landmark book in the history of Indian literature, this single translation catapulted Tagore to unprecedented glory worldwide and made him India and Asia’s first Nobel laureate; The Crescent Moon was first published in London and New York by Macmillan and Co., in 1913; The Gardener is a collection of Tagore’s lyrical poetry focused on love and youth, following the massive international success of Gitanjali. The first publication dates to 1913, also by Macmillan and Co. The play Chitra: A Play in One Act was first issued in a limited edition by the India Society in 1914, followed by its first commercial publication by Macmillan and Co. in May 1914 (with subsequent reprints in May and August 1914). Written as the Bengali play Raja in 1910, The King of the Dark Chamber was published in 1914 by The Macmillan Co. in New York (First American Edition) and Macmillan in London (UK First Edition) the same year. It is an allegorical drama about spiritual adventure, featuring the king in a dark chamber and his queen, Sudarshana. Sadhana: The Realisation of Life was also published in 1913 by Macmillan and Co., Limited (London) and The Macmillan Company (New York). 

W. T. Morrell and Co. was a noted bookbinding firm based in London during the mid 19th to mid 20th century. Founded in London’s Soho district in 1861 by William Thomas Morrell, the firm became one of the most celebrated English trade binderies, standing out for premium handcrafted book design and bindings of the era. This exquisite, custom fine binding set in leather of Tagore’s works by Morrell from 1914 shows the immense popularity of his works in the Western literary circles, immediately following his Nobel prize win in 1913. Because these editions from 1914 were hand-bound in small batches or as bespoke single requests, they are highly sought after by fine-press collectors and enthusiasts of Indian literature.