[BYRON, LORD GEORGE GORDON]. Childe Harold. Venice: S. Rosen, n.d. [ca. 1906].
First edition thus. Parchment-bound and hand-painted. Hardcover. Duodecimo (160 x 110 mm.), pp. 134. English text. Stunning contemporary hand-painted parchment binding with bevelled edges, the upper cover incorporating a vignette view of Venice and decorative floral scroll designs with gilt studs in the manner of an illuminated manuscript, plus manuscript titles; geometric and floral scroll designs to spine and lower cover. Top page edge gilt and gauffered, fore edge and bottom unevenly cut. Plain endpapers. Initial and terminal blanks plus half-title present. Title-page printed in red and black. Head-pieces printed in red and black. Note on the author by H. Douglas, dated 1906. Notes to rear. Condition: Collated complete, the binding tight and secure with the covers nicely preserved and the original ties intact. Contents near immaculate with contemporary inscription to front endpaper dated 1909.
Notes: Period hand-painted bindings are rare and highly collectable. The binding decorations are probably the work of the Giannini family workshop in Florence. It is likely executed by Giulio Giannini (1853-1931), though similar work was carried out by his son Guido (1877-1956) and grandson Giulio Junior (1901-1992).
