The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie, and, Siegfried & The Twilight of the Gods. Limited Editions with Illustrations and with each Signed by Arthur Rackham [The Ring of the Niblung. Complete in Two Volumes]

London - New York: William Heinemann Ltd. - Doubleday, Page & Co., 1920. Signed limited deluxe editions; two volume set. From signed limitation page: "This Edition is limited to eleven hundred and fifty copies, numbered and signed by the artist, of which one hundred and fifty are reserved for the United States of America. No. '318' and '949,' 'Arthure Rackham.'" Very attractive fountain pen signatures and numbering by Rackham. 1911 at title pages; no other dates. Cream full vellum (bespoke and matching original designs) boards, gilt cover titles and design, light shelf wear. Crisp gilt cover design features Brunnhilde riding to battle on her horse; above this, titles and richly stylized dragon eating its tail or variety of ourobouros. Spine with crisp titles and vignette of the classic circular dragon tail eater. Crisp cover design features titles and stylized dragon eating its tail and spine features titles with classic ouroboros insignia. Pages in both volumes near fine with light toning and few with light fox. Binds fine, square; hinges intact. Impressive volumes richly illustrated with thirty-four & thirty mounted colour plates by Arthur Rackham with captioned tissue guards. Binds fine, square; hinges intact. Impressively, Each features fine gold satin ribbons to tie volume's cover closed or utilize as page markers. Also, a slim red satin page marker in each volume. Near fine signed set of rare book craftsmanship. These works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas, and are translated here into English by Margaret Armour. The saga includes: ‘The Rhinegold’, the prelude; ‘The Valkyrie’, the first day of the trilogy; ‘Siegfried', the second day of the trilogy; and ‘The Twilight of the Gods’, the third day of the trilogy. Initially establishing his reputation as a romantic composer, Wagner revolutionized opera through his concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk (‘total work of art’), by which he sought to synthesise the poetic, visual, musical and dramatic arts. This edition of ‘The Rhinegold and The Valkyrie’ and 'Siegfried and The Twilight of the Gods' is heightened by the dazzling color illustrations of a master of the craft, Arthur Rackham. One of the most celebrated painters of the British Golden Age of Illustration (1850 until the start of the First World War), Rackham’s artistry is unparalleled. Throughout his career, he developed a unique style, combining haunting humour with dream-like romance. Presented alongside the text, his illustrations further refine and elucidate Wagner’s captivating storytelling. Printed by Ballantyne & Company, Limited, Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London. 160 pages and 182 pages of text with 34 and 30 tipped-in plates. Near fine volumes. Insured post. . First Edition. Full-Leather. Fine. Illus. by Rackham, Arthur. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. Signed by Artist .