London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1901. First Edition of Kipling’s celebrated novel of the Great Game, here presented in a distinguished Bayntun-Rivière binding that suits the book’s stature with typical restraint and craftsmanship.
Bound in full red morocco, the boards framed by double gilt rules, the spine with raised bands and contrasting blue and green morocco labels. Each panel features a gilt elephant medallion, a motif Bayntun-Rivière used sparingly but to striking effect. The leather retains a deep, even tone, and the gilt remains bright throughout. All edges gilt.
The interior is finished with Bayntun-Rivière’s characteristic gilt turn-ins and dramatic marbled endpapers, both crisp and unfaded. The binder’s stamp appears discreetly at the front. The volume sits square and tight, without the bowing or spine-set often seen in heavier morocco work.
Internally, the book is clean, with the frontispiece and tissue guard present. A neat inscription dated 15 October 1965 appears on the front flyleaf, along with an earlier owner’s small address label on the pastedown. The text remains clear and evenly toned, the paper retaining its flexibility.
A particularly good example: the Bayntun-Rivière binding is both handsome and carefully preserved, and the first edition text block remains structurally sound. An elegant copy of one of Kipling’s most enduring works, elevated by one of the great English binderies.
