Arabian Nights (1928)

Illustrated by Virginia Sterrett

 

 

On the left, we show a rare copy of Arabian Nights

that retains the original gilt-stamped black cloth cover

and tipped-on colour plate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To the right, we show Sterrett's

title page for Arabian Nights.

 

 

Arabian Nights, as illustrated by Virginia Sterrett, is a compilation of tales edited by Hildegard Hawthorne. In her

Foreword, Hawthorne provides an overview of the stories thus:

 

The stories known as the Thousand and One Nights are very old. They

are known to have existed from as early as the Thirteenth Century, and

many of them were told, quite possibly, as early as the Ninth ...

 

Only a very few of the stories are contained in this book, but they are

among the most famous. You will find the English a little quaint, not just

what is used to tell a story today, but not enough so to be a bother. As

you read you must fancy that it is Scheherazade who is speaking, in her

low and musical voice, while her slave girl lies at her feet and the sultan

sits beside her on the rich couch with its Eastern hangings. Remember

that she is telling each story to save her life, and the lives of the many

maidens who would follow her to death if she should fail to hold the

interest of her husband. She breaks off as day comes, and always she

tried to do this at a point that will make him anxious to hear more. It is

she who invented the continued story. Through the tall, narrow

windows, with their arched tops, veiled with silken curtains, the sun at

length pierces, and at that signal she must stop - safe, she hopes, for

another day.

 

Sterrett's illustrations to accompany Arabian Nights were her final suite of illustrations prepared prior to her death.

She had worked on them for many years prior to the publication of the tales in 1928 and they are truly magnificent. 

 

 

Our Greeting Cards and Reproduction Prints

 

 

Front of Greeting Card

(with envelope)

For connoisseurs of Sterrett's work, we have prepared sets of 17 Greeting Cards displaying each of her major colour images for Arabian Nights and on the left and right, we show an example

of how these Greeting Cards appear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Code: VS AN CS(17)
Price: US$75.00

Rear of Greeting Card

(with envelope)

 

 

When presented on Greeting Cards, these images are prepared as tipped-on plates - in hommage to the hand-crafted

approach typical of prestige illustrated publications produced in the early decades of the 20th Century. Each card is

hand-finished and the images are presented on Ivory card stock with an accompanying envelope. The rear of each

card carries information about Virginia Sterrett, this wonderful suite and the profiled illustration - we have left the

interior of the cards blank so that you may write your own personal message.

 

Similarly, we have provided options for the purchase of reproductions of these

wonderful images in a superb large format on 12 x 18" sheets and on the right,

we show an example of how these images can appear when framed.

 

Each of those reproductions is prepared with archival quality materials to ensure

many years of ongoing enjoyment.

 

To purchase, simply click on the appropriate "Add to Cart" button and you will

be taken through to our Shopping Cart secured through PayPal. Multiple

purchases will be consolidated by that feature and shipping and handling costs

to any destination in the world are accommodated by our flat-rate fee of

US$20 for every US$200 worth of purchases.

 

We are able to reproduce these images in a variety of sizes and naturally, should

you wish to order a Reproduction Print in another format or individual

Greeting Cards from this suite of images, we welcome your contact through

ThePeople@SpiritoftheAges.com.

 

In the meantime, enjoy perusing these wonderful images from Virginia Sterrett.

 

Every illustration tells a story

Above, we show a framed

reproduction of an illustration

from Sterrett's Arabian Nights.
 

 

The major colour illustrations

 

Paste-down

Untitled

Frontispiece

Scheherazade went on

with her story

 

 

Scheherazade

The Sultana held conversation

with a man

The History of the first

Old Man and the Hind

My son! My son!

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C1 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C2 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C3 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C4 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

The History of the

Second Calender

The Princess had great beauty

The History of the

Third Calender

They danced before me with

great skill

 

 

The History of Zobeide

The Serpent flew away

The Story of Aladdin; or,

The Wonderful Lamp

Deliver me from this place

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C5 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C6 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C7 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C8 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

The Story of Aladdin; or,

The Wonderful Lamp 

The Sultan and Aladdin

ate by themselves

The Story of Aladdin; or,

The Wonderful Lamp

In this order they proceeded

to the palace

 

 

The Story of Aladdin; or,

The Wonderful Lamp 

Aladdin saluted her with joy 

The Story of Baba Abdalla

Presently a thick cloud arose

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C9 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C10 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C11 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C12 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

The History of Ali Baba, and

of the Forty Robbers killed by

one slave

The robber disguised himself

The History of Ali Baba, and

of the Forty Robbers killed by

one slave

Morgiana danced with much grace

 

 

The Second Voyage of

Sindbad the Sailor

The Sky became dark

The Second Voyage of

Sindbad the Sailor

We found it to be a gate of ebony

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C13 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C14 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C15 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C16 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 
     

The Fifth Voyage of

Sindbad the Sailor

He made me stop that

he might gather fruit

 

 

      

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: VS AN C17 12x18
Price: US$60.00

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

The monotone End Papers

 

End Papers

Untitled Diptych

 

 

Pair of reproductions on 12x18" sheets

Code: VS AN EP1|2 12x18
Price: US$120.00