The Story of Cupid and Psyche, with illustrations designed by Edward Burne-Jones, mostly engraved on the wood by William Morris; the introduction by A.R. Dufty. Folio, two vols., 34cm, pp.xiv, 36[2], 26 plates, pp.[vi], 92[2], colophon, The Rampant Lions Press, Cambridge, for Clover Hill Editions, London, 1974.
Number 93 of 270 (400) copies printed on Barcham Green handmade paper at the Rampant Lions Press, Cambridge. Illustrated with 44 wood-engravings designed by Edward Burne-Jones and chiefly engraved by William Morris. Volume I machine-set in Ehrhardt with display in Palatino; Volume II hand-set in Kelmscott Press 'Troy' type. William Morris patterned paper sides with blue cloth back, leather labels lettered in gilt. Blue cloth slipcase just slightly rubbed at extremities. A near fine set.
The Earthly Paradise, of which Cupid and psyche forms a part, was planned to be one of the first books published by Morris's Kelmscott Press. For it, Burne-Jones designed 44 wood-engravings, of which Morris cut 38. They appear to be the only engravings which Morris, who tried his hand at virtually every craft, cut.The project was not completed - partly because Morris was eager to see his ffirst book off the press and turned to shorter works, and partly because in the early days of the press there was no type which harmonized with the engravings. These found their way to the Society of Antiquaries, London, and rested there unprinted, until the Carters began to work on this important edition. The 'Troy' type, the second face cut for Kelmscott, has since the closing of the press, been housed at Cambridge University Press which allowed the original matrices to be used for recating. The poem is set in this large, readable face in single columns and the illustrations are printed from the original blocks. The companion volume is set in Monotype Ehrhardt with 66 illustrations printed by Cotwold Collotype.
