A. A. Turbayne’s cover for Robert T. Kelly’s ‘Burma’ (original) (raw)

Cloth binding for Kelly’s ‘Burma’

A. A. Turbayne, signed

1905

Cloth binding

9½ x 6¾ inches

A fine example of Turbayne’s Edwardian bindings, its exotic imagery represents Western notions of Burma (Myanmar’s) cultural identity when it was a British colony. Turbayne uses one of his most characteristic motifs – the peacock – and focuses, once again, on the decorative qualities of the bird’s tail. [Commentary continues below.]

Scan by a collector and text by Simon Cooke [Click on image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.]

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