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Lucius Apuleius — The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche
Retold by Walter Pater from The Golden Ass
Illustrated and Signed by Edmund Dulac
New York: The Limited Editions Club, 1951
No. 632 of 1,500 Copies — Full Vellum Binding — Original Slipcase
A beautiful signed limited edition of the classical love story of Cupid and Psyche, retold by Walter Pater from The Golden Ass of Lucius Apuleius and illustrated with six late watercolors by Edmund Dulac.
Published by the Limited Editions Club in 1951, this is copy No. 632 of 1,500, signed by Dulac in ink on the limitation page.
The book was finely produced at Huxley House under the supervision of celebrated typographer Warren Chappell. It was letterpress printed from type set by hand, illustrated with color collotype plates, and bound in gilt-decorated full vellum with beveled boards. The original gilt-lettered slipcase is present.
Signed by Edmund Dulac
The limitation statement reads:
“This edition consists of fifteen hundred copies, of which this is number 632.”
It is signed beneath by Edmund Dulac.
All copies in the Limited Editions Club issue were numbered and signed by the illustrator. Dulac’s signature is therefore integral to the edition rather than a later addition.
Edmund Dulac’s Late Illustrations
The volume contains six full-page color plates after watercolors created by Edmund Dulac especially for this edition.
Dulac was one of the foremost illustrators of the Golden Age of illustrated gift books, celebrated for his work on The Arabian Nights, The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, The Sleeping Beauty, Stories from Hans Andersen, and numerous collections of fairy tales and legends.
Published only two years before Dulac’s death in 1953, The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche was one of his final major book-illustration projects. The designs display a refined late style with elegant figures, restrained color, and a pronounced Art Deco influence.
The illustrations were reproduced from Dulac’s watercolors in process collotype by Arthur Jaffé of New York. Collotype was especially valued for its ability to reproduce subtle tonal transitions and the texture of original artwork.
The book includes six color plates with printed captions, together with a color title-page vignette.
Walter Pater and the Story
The story of Cupid and Psyche forms the most celebrated episode in The Golden Ass, or Metamorphoses, written in the second century by Lucius Apuleius.
This version was retold by Victorian author and critic Walter Pater. Pater originally incorporated his treatment of the story into “The Golden Book,” Chapter V of his 1885 philosophical novel Marius the Epicurean.
The tale follows the mortal princess Psyche, whose beauty provokes the jealousy of Venus. Psyche becomes the mysterious bride of Cupid but loses him after breaking the prohibition against looking upon him. She must then endure a series of seemingly impossible trials before the lovers can be reunited.
Fine Limited Editions Club Production
The book was designed and printed to a notably high standard:
Designed under the supervision of Warren Chappell
Printed at Huxley House, New York
Text set by hand in Chappell’s Trajanus type
Letterpress printed on Curtis Special paper
Six full-page color collotype plates
Plates reproduced by Arthur Jaffé
Bound by the Russell-Rutter Company
Original full vellum binding
Beveled boards
Gilt title and decorative device
Original gilt-lettered fitted slipcase
Chappell’s Trajanus typeface was inspired by the monumental Roman capitals of the inscription at the base of Trajan’s Column, making it especially appropriate for this classical subject.
Bibliographical Details
Original author: Lucius Apuleius
Title: The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche
Retold by: Walter Pater
Illustrator: Edmund Dulac
Publisher: The Limited Editions Club
Place: New York
Date: 1951
Limitation: No. 632 of 1,500 copies
Signature: Signed by Edmund Dulac at the colophon
Designer: Warren Chappell
Printer: Huxley House
Type: Chappell’s Trajanus
Paper: Curtis Special paper
Plate printer: Arthur Jaffé, New York
Binder: Russell-Rutter Company
Illustrations: Six full-page color collotype plates after Dulac’s watercolors, plus title vignette
Pagination: 64 pages followed by the limitation leaf
Dimensions: Approximately 10¼ × 7¼ inches
Binding: Original gilt-decorated full vellum over beveled boards
Case: Original gilt-lettered slipcase
Condition
Very good plus overall.
The original full vellum binding remains bright and attractive, with the gilt lettering and decorative design clearly preserved. The beveled boards are firm and the binding is sound.
The sheets and all six plates are clean, unmarked, and complete. The color illustrations remain fresh and vivid. No previous owner’s inscriptions, bookplate, or textual markings have been observed.
The original slipcase is also very good plus, with light rubbing, handling wear, and minor age-related surface marks. It remains sound and continues to protect the volume effectively.
As pale vellum and vellum-covered cases are especially susceptible to discoloration and handling marks, the clean and bright presentation of this copy is a notable strength.
The Limited Editions Club Monthly Letter is not present unless shown in the photographs.
Please examine all photographs carefully. They show the vellum binding, slipcase, plates, title page, limitation statement, Dulac signature, and overall condition and form an important part of this description.
A handsome example of one of Edmund Dulac’s final illustrated books, combining his genuine signature, six elegant late watercolors, Warren Chappell’s distinguished typography, letterpress printing, and an original full-vellum presentation binding and slipcase.
