Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (famous "Vedder Edition," with drawings by Elihu Vedder)

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, the Astronomer-Poet of Persia. Rendered into English verse by Edward Fitzgerald. First Edition Thus. The highly sought after 1894 printing with illustrations by Elihu Vedder in Octavo size. A beautiful edition of the Rubaiyat, vividly illustrated by Elihu Vedder in 56 illustrations in panels that incorporate the poems of Omar Khayyam.

The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is the title that Edward Fitzgerald gave to his translation of a selection of poems, originally written in Persian and numbering about a thousand, attributed to Omar Khayyám (1048 - 1131), a Persian poet, mathematician, and astronomer. A ruba'i is a two- line stanza with two parts (or hemistichs) per line, hence the word rubáiyát (derived from the Arabic language root for 'four') , meaning 'quatrains.' 

From the moment of its publication, Vedder's Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám achieved unparalleled success. Indeed, Vedder's presentation of the Rubaiyat is possibly the most important and influential illustrated book ever produced. In it he set standards for book design and format that have been equal to any published work for well over a century. The first edition appeared in Boston on 8 November 1884; six days later, it was sold out. Critics rushed to acclaim it as a masterwork of American art, and Vedder (1836 - 1923) as the master American artist. [Smithsonian Museum of American Art].

Very good plus in gilt decorated gray cloth with beautiful pictorial design. Beveled edges. Clean and bright with modest wear at the spine head, tail and corners. Closed tear in the margin on title page and back page, not affecting the illustration. Binding square and tight. Bit of wear to spine tail and residue on back cover as shown. Previous owner bookplate. Printed on heavy paper on one side only and with wide margins. Content near fine, bright, clean and unmarred. Octavo measuring 8½'' x 6¼''. A wonderful copy of the stunning Vedder Edition.