Oberon: Ein Romantisches Heldengedicht in 12 Gesangen.; Unique Copy, Specially Bound with 18 Original Drawings in Color

Munich: Hesperos, 1919. First. hardcover. fine. Rabus, Carl. Illustrated with 18 etched plates and also 18 original color drawings. Afterword by Curt Moreck. 243 pages.Thick 4to, magnificently bound by Koellner in full tan pigskin with ornate blind-tooled floral and geometrical designs on covers; inner and outer denteles; and doublures of fuschia satin, top edge gilt. Preserved in a simple cloth clamshell case with padded linen interior. Munchen: Hesperos Verlag, no date [1919]. A very fine copy of a unique book.<br/><br/> A UNIQUE COPY SPECIALLY PRINTED AND BOUND, with each etching signed by Rabus, and having inserted the 18 ORIGINAL HAND-COLORED PENCIL DRAWINGS BY RABUS, from which he created the etchings. The very special binding was also designed by Rabus, and executed by A. Koellner of Leipzig. MUST BE SEEN. The epic romantic poem first appeared in 1780 and went through seven rewrites before its final form was published in 1796. Legend has it that Goethe read the entire epic in one sitting, and is known to have commented "as long as poetry remains poetry, gold remains gold, and crystal remains crystal, Oberon will be loved and admired as a masterpiece of poetic art."<br/><br/>