Sir Walter Scott, The Waverley Novels Centenary Edition set, exceptional 1871 fine Zaehnsdorf binding

Sir Walter Scott, The Waverley Novels (25 volumes) Centenary Edition set. Complete. This is a truly exceptional set in a beautiful fine binding by Zaehnsdorf. 

The Waverley Novels are published by Adam and Charles Black, Edinburgh, 1871, one hundred years after the birth of Scott. Printed by R & R Clark, in Edinburgh.

The books feature beautiful steel engraved frontispieces and plates within each volume, after Sir David Wilkie, J. M. W. Turner, David Roberts and others.

Each volume is bound with navy blue leather spines and corners, with gilt thistle motif decoration to the spine, along with raised bands and title labels. The spine labels are in red and tan morocco. Boards are covered in blue marbled paper and all three edges of the text block are marbled to match. Endpapers have a complementary blue marbled design and each volume has a navy blue cloth ribbon.

A fine set, difficult to fault, and of very handsome appearance. Text pages are beautifully crisp and clean as are the plates, with no age spotting issues. Some mild offsetting to title page opposite frontispieces. Previous owner's ink stamp to half titles. Bindings firm and tight.

Scott's importance to literature really cannot be overstated - his work was highly influential and immensely popular across Europe at the time of writing and for many years afterwards. Having seen countless Centenary sets over the years, this is the best we have seen. This set would grace the shelves of any library.

Text in English.

Weight: approximately 16kg (unpacked weight). 

Dimensions:

Each volume approximately 190mm tall x 132mm wide x 30-40mm deep.