Limited Editions

Bhagavad Gita

Part of the great Indian epic the Mahbharata, the Bhagavad Gita, or “Celestial Song,” is an 18-part discussion between the god Krishna and Arjuna, a warrior about to enter battle. In it, they discuss the nature and meaning of life. Responding to Arjuna's confusion and moral dilemma, Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior and prince. While the exact composition date of the epic is unknown, many scholars believe it was written around 150 BCE.

This edition contains the original Sanskrit text next to the English translation by Sir Edwin Arnold. The piece also includes tipped in color plate illustrations by Y. G. Srimarti. The volume is bound in hand-woven Indian silk, and the cloth solander case ties with silk ribbons.

Press: Limited Editions Press
Date: 1964
Number and Edition: 1041 of 1500
Size: 10.25” x 7.25”

 

Book of the Dead

The Egyptian Book of the Dead is a collection of funerary spells that were originally written on papyrus and buried with the dead to help them pass safely through the underworld. Some of the texts were also found on burial chamber walls, vellum and even linen.

This edition includes two volumes. The first contains 189 spells edited, translated and annotated by Raymond O. Faulkner from papyri housed in the British Museum. The second volume is an accordion fold book that stretches to over 19 feet long and presents scenes from the Ani funerary papyrus, one of the best-preserved manuscripts from ancient Egypt.

Press: Limited Editions Press
Date: 1972
Number and Edition: 1041 of 1500
Size: 12.5” x 8.5”

 

Panchatantra

The Panchatantra is a collection of fables containing many of the most familiar stories in world literature. Originally written in Sanskrit in the 5^th century, the tales were translated into Persian and then into European languages. The stories are said to have influenced at least two tales from the Greek moralist Aesop, (“The Donkey in Panther’s Skin” and “The Donkey without Heart or Ears”), and the great French writer, Jean La Fontaine, in his second book of fables.

Panchatantra includes all 82 stories as translated by Arthur W. Ryder, with 12 color plates by Indian artist Y. G. Srimati. The piece is bound in handmade silk and is housed in a solander case with silk ribbon ties.

Artist: Y. G. Srimati, Illustrator
Press: Limited Editions Press
Date: 1982
Number and Edition: 1755 of 2000
Size: 10.75” x 7.75”

 

Pastoral Loves of Daphnis and Chloe

The only known work by the Greek writer Longus, Daphnis and Chloe was written sometime in the 4^th or 5^th century CE. Rhetorical and pastoral in style and filled with shepherds and shepherdesses, the story centers on the two title characters, who are raised together but do not acknowledge their mutual love. Separated by pirates, the two are eventually reunited and settle down in the countryside in wedded bliss.

The story has been adapted into many forms, including radio plays and a ballet by French composer Maurice Ravel. This edition, translated by Irish writer George Moore, is bound in leather and contains etchings by California artist Ruth Reeves.

Artist: Ruth Reeves, Illustrator
Press: Limited Editions Press
Date: 1934
Number and Edition: 752 of 1500
Size: 11.5” x 8”

 

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

Jules Verne’s classic tale of underwater adventure is famous for its forecasting of deep-sea submarines and travel, and contains one of popular fiction’s most famous characters, Captain Nemo, and his ship, the Nautilus. Originally published in 1870, the title refers to the distance traveled under the sea, which is nearly 10 times the radius of the earth, and not the depth at which the submarine sailed.

Printed in Los Angeles by the Plantin Press, this edition was translated by historian, scholar and writer Fletcher Pratt and contains illustrations by Edward A. Wilson. The illustrations were then reproduced as gravures and hand-colored in the Martha Berrien studio in New York City.

Artist: Edward A. Wilson, Illustrator
Press: Limited Editions Press
Date: 1956
Number and Edition: 179 of 1500
Size: 10.75” x 7”