Mother Goose: The Old Nursery Rhymes Illustrated by Arthur Rackham [Signed, Limited Edition]

New York: The Century Co., 1913. Signed at limitation page by Arthur Rackham: "This Edition is limited to eleven hundred and fifty copies. This is No. '141' 'Arthur Rackham'". Extra large 9 1/4" x 11 3/4" design. Cream colored buckram (full-cloth) boards, gilt impressed cover and spine titles, designs, some shelf wear, toning, discoloration. Cover depicts stylized titles and Mother Goose in peaked hat with cane and circle partially drawn around her duck. Spine with pattern of flower and titles, some rub, edge wear. Color frontispiece plus a dozen stunning tipped-in color plates mounted on earthy dark brown matte leaves, each with fine captioned tissue. Also, profusely illustrated w/beautiful black and white imagery throughout with superior printing to the trade edition. Rough cut thick deckled pages, very good. Gilded top edge. Moderate fox at front endpaper. Antiquarian bookplate at front pastedown: "Billy Doob Teddy". Unique pictorial imagery of owl landing out of night window onto open book with lantern. Bind good; hinges reinforced. Rare signed limited edition with some wear to boards. Here is Arthur Rackham at his most charming, and slightly macabre, best. From Rackham foreword: There are many more Nursery Rhymes than included in this book, though I think most of the best known are here. I have chosen those I knew and liked best in my own nursery days, and have kept to versions I was familiar with. Nursery rhymes have until recently been handed on by oral tradition with inevitable variations and most we knew came from our elders. However altered, children do not seem to be confused by them and make their own choice and go on inventing variations. Includes detailed five-page index of first lines at back. Printed by R. Clay and Sons, Ltd., Brunswick Street, Stamford Street and Bungay, Suffolk. 160 pages. Insured post. . Signed by Artist. Limited Edition. Hard Cover. Good. Illus. by Rackham, Arthur. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall.