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SMITH (PHILIP) [Book Tower] The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Inferno. A Verse Translation by Tom Phillips with Images & Commentary, bound in 3 vol., NUMBER 3 "OF THE SPECIAL COPIES FOR FINE BINDING HC 1-17", SIGNED BY THE ARTIST ON THE COLOPHON, Talfourd Press, 1983; together with a large wooden cabinet base, with compartments for storing the volumes and/or the packaging (the back of the cabinet door with printed instructions for storage and assembly), and a stained oak trellised tower made by Adrian Jones to Philip Smith's design for an alternative method of display image 1
SMITH (PHILIP) [Book Tower] The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Inferno. A Verse Translation by Tom Phillips with Images & Commentary, bound in 3 vol., NUMBER 3 "OF THE SPECIAL COPIES FOR FINE BINDING HC 1-17", SIGNED BY THE ARTIST ON THE COLOPHON, Talfourd Press, 1983; together with a large wooden cabinet base, with compartments for storing the volumes and/or the packaging (the back of the cabinet door with printed instructions for storage and assembly), and a stained oak trellised tower made by Adrian Jones to Philip Smith's design for an alternative method of display image 2
SMITH (PHILIP) [Book Tower] The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Inferno. A Verse Translation by Tom Phillips with Images & Commentary, bound in 3 vol., NUMBER 3 "OF THE SPECIAL COPIES FOR FINE BINDING HC 1-17", SIGNED BY THE ARTIST ON THE COLOPHON, Talfourd Press, 1983; together with a large wooden cabinet base, with compartments for storing the volumes and/or the packaging (the back of the cabinet door with printed instructions for storage and assembly), and a stained oak trellised tower made by Adrian Jones to Philip Smith's design for an alternative method of display image 3
SMITH (PHILIP) [Book Tower] The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Inferno. A Verse Translation by Tom Phillips with Images & Commentary, bound in 3 vol., NUMBER 3 "OF THE SPECIAL COPIES FOR FINE BINDING HC 1-17", SIGNED BY THE ARTIST ON THE COLOPHON, Talfourd Press, 1983; together with a large wooden cabinet base, with compartments for storing the volumes and/or the packaging (the back of the cabinet door with printed instructions for storage and assembly), and a stained oak trellised tower made by Adrian Jones to Philip Smith's design for an alternative method of display image 4
SMITH (PHILIP) [Book Tower] The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Inferno. A Verse Translation by Tom Phillips with Images & Commentary, bound in 3 vol., NUMBER 3 "OF THE SPECIAL COPIES FOR FINE BINDING HC 1-17", SIGNED BY THE ARTIST ON THE COLOPHON, Talfourd Press, 1983; together with a large wooden cabinet base, with compartments for storing the volumes and/or the packaging (the back of the cabinet door with printed instructions for storage and assembly), and a stained oak trellised tower made by Adrian Jones to Philip Smith's design for an alternative method of display image 5
SMITH (PHILIP) [Book Tower] The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Inferno. A Verse Translation by Tom Phillips with Images & Commentary, bound in 3 vol., NUMBER 3 "OF THE SPECIAL COPIES FOR FINE BINDING HC 1-17", SIGNED BY THE ARTIST ON THE COLOPHON, Talfourd Press, 1983; together with a large wooden cabinet base, with compartments for storing the volumes and/or the packaging (the back of the cabinet door with printed instructions for storage and assembly), and a stained oak trellised tower made by Adrian Jones to Philip Smith's design for an alternative method of display image 6
SMITH (PHILIP) [Book Tower] The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Inferno. A Verse Translation by Tom Phillips with Images & Commentary, bound in 3 vol., NUMBER 3 "OF THE SPECIAL COPIES FOR FINE BINDING HC 1-17", SIGNED BY THE ARTIST ON THE COLOPHON, Talfourd Press, 1983; together with a large wooden cabinet base, with compartments for storing the volumes and/or the packaging (the back of the cabinet door with printed instructions for storage and assembly), and a stained oak trellised tower made by Adrian Jones to Philip Smith's design for an alternative method of display image 7
SMITH (PHILIP) [Book Tower] The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Inferno. A Verse Translation by Tom Phillips with Images & Commentary, bound in 3 vol., NUMBER 3 "OF THE SPECIAL COPIES FOR FINE BINDING HC 1-17", SIGNED BY THE ARTIST ON THE COLOPHON, Talfourd Press, 1983; together with a large wooden cabinet base, with compartments for storing the volumes and/or the packaging (the back of the cabinet door with printed instructions for storage and assembly), and a stained oak trellised tower made by Adrian Jones to Philip Smith's design for an alternative method of display image 8
SMITH (PHILIP) [Book Tower] The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Inferno. A Verse Translation by Tom Phillips with Images & Commentary, bound in 3 vol., NUMBER 3 "OF THE SPECIAL COPIES FOR FINE BINDING HC 1-17", SIGNED BY THE ARTIST ON THE COLOPHON, Talfourd Press, 1983; together with a large wooden cabinet base, with compartments for storing the volumes and/or the packaging (the back of the cabinet door with printed instructions for storage and assembly), and a stained oak trellised tower made by Adrian Jones to Philip Smith's design for an alternative method of display image 9
BOOKBINDINGS BY PHILIP SMITH (1928-2018)

Born in 1928, Philip Smith began his career in 1949, graduating from the Royal College of Art in London with First Class Honours in 1954. He beacme an internationally renowned designer bookbinder and book artist, designing and creating intricate and fascinating bindings for well over 50 years. He was awarded gold and silver medals in several international competitions, and in 2000 he was awarded an MBE for services to Art.

Philip invented and pioneered several ground-breaking and influential techniques and structural developments. His work is represented in many private collections and can be seen in several public collections overseas and in the UK, including the V&A National Art Library and the British Library.
Lot 339

SMITH (PHILIP)
[Book Tower] The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Inferno. A Verse Translation by Tom Phillips with Images & Commentary, bound in 3 vol., NUMBER 3 "OF THE SPECIAL COPIES FOR FINE BINDING HC 1-17", SIGNED BY THE ARTIST ON THE COLOPHON, Talfourd Press, 1983; together with a large wooden cabinet base, with compartments for storing the volumes and/or the packaging (the back of the cabinet door with printed instructions for storage and assembly), and a stained oak trellised tower made by Adrian Jones to Philip Smith's design for an alternative method of display

4 December 2019, 11:00 GMT
London, Knightsbridge

£15,000 - £25,000

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SMITH (PHILIP)

[Book Tower] The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Inferno. A Verse Translation by Tom Phillips with Images & Commentary, bound in 3 vol., NUMBER 3 "OF THE SPECIAL COPIES FOR FINE BINDING HC 1-17", SIGNED BY THE ARTIST ON THE COLOPHON, from an overall edition of 185 copies, 140 plates comprising etchings, lithographs, screenprints and mixed media, each initialled by the artist, binder's notes tipped-in at rear of each volume, bound by Philip Smith in full black, black and red, and 2 shades of red goatskin respectively, the covers and spines with overall designs of impasto modelling in various colours using emulsified maril layers and leather onlays with the application of acrylic paint, coloured rough-trimmed edges and press stud leather clasps to match the binding, the three volumes joining to make a large book wall when mounted vertically, the front covers forming an image of a tall grotesque male figure with inset figures and scenes, the rear covers forming a last judgement vertical tryptich, housed in a three-part UV perspex case, folio (each volume 425 x 325mm., overall dimensions when assembled in perspex case 1345 x 380mm.), Talfourd Press, 1983; together with a large wooden cabinet base, with compartments for storing the volumes and/or the packaging (the back of the cabinet door with printed instructions for storage and assembly), and a stained oak trellised tower made by Adrian Jones to Philip Smith's design for an alternative method of display

Footnotes

A SPECTACULAR PHILIP SMITH BOOK TOWER, SOME SIXTEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING, IN CONJUNCTION WITH ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ARTIST'S BOOKS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. "It is to my mind a rare synthesis of two working, living geniuses giving visual form to a remarkable poem... This extraordinary work is unique in vision and skill... I believe their like will never be equalled" (Timothy C. Ely, in 'Designer Bookbinders newsletter', no. 185, Spring 2019). For his illustration and for providing a new translation of the Inferno, Phillips received the Frances Williams Memorial Prize in 1983, the LA Times writing "there is no doubt that Tom Phillips has captured Dante for our time".

Philip Smith first developed the concept of the "book wall" in the late 1960s, with images on each volume flowing on to the covers of the adjacent books, but at the same time forming integral individual images. His versions of Lord of the Rings are the best known examples: in 1973, he and Tolkien were invited at the Craftsman's Art Exhibition to present a set to the Duke of Edinburgh, and in 2003 a monumental wall of 21 volumes was sold at auction for £130,000. The design for the Dante tower structure was drawn up in 1984, but work on the first volume was only begun properly in 1991. Three years later it was completed and exhibited at the British Library. The remaining two volumes were designed in 1999 and completed a year later.

Exhibited: British Library 1994; Designer Bookbinding 2000-2001.

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