A collection of four fairy tales. True speculative fiction stories are: The Fisherman and his Soul (Mermaids) and The Star-Child (various transformations and a mystical rabbit). The Young King is borderline speculative fiction (nightmares telling him truths he could not know otherwise, and a magical ending attributed to God). The Birthday of the Infanta is non-genre.
1st ed.
Title and illustrations in the text by Charles Ricketts. Four additional full-page illustrations by Charles Shannon. Edition of 1000 copies.
Data from Christie's Auction House.
OCLC: "Responsibility: by Oscar Wilde ; the design & decoration of this book by C. Ricketts & C.H. Shannon"
Publ date and price from advertisement by the publisher The Observer 1891-11-22:
-- "James R. Osgood, McIlvaine, and Co.'s new publications" (2nd of several)
-- "A House of Pomegranates. By Oscar Wilde. With four full-page illustrations by C. H. Shannon, and numerous decorations in the text by C. Ricketts." With the endpaper executed in pale olive ...
Second-listed of 5 books evidently available now, this one under centered heading "Faery Tales"; followed by 2, each under heading "Ready Next Week"; followed prominently by Harper's Magazine for December
HathiTrust Digital Library provides full view of one copy
-- original cover (two-color) and endpapers (unicolor), both dense design
-- title page densely illustrated, states year, represents publisher/imprint broadly as does verso
-- t.p. verso 7-line imprint above illustration (quote): London // James R. Osgood // McIlvaine // & Co // 45 // Albemarle // Street
-- next page gives Contents thus (all caps): "The Young King; The Birthday of the Infanta, and Other Beautiful Tales."
-- text ends p[158]
-- p[159] shows small illustration (logo?) over "Chiswick Press:--C. Whittingham and Co. // Tooks Court, Chancery Lane."
Ynbsp; Title page credit "The design & decoration of this book by C. Ricketts & C.H. Shannon" may be interpreted as joint or as design by CR and decoration by CHS; neither fits the attribution by Christie's.
Two leaves preceding each story are excluded from the pagination. These four pages evidently include one full-page illustration each story (attributed to Shannon by Christie's) but they are nearly blank as displayed from the digital copy (color?).
Numerous smaller illustrations, b/w, exceptionally clear thruout, are not evidently signed.
