The Tao Teh King. Liber CLVII A New Translation; The Equinox ..... Volume III, No. VIII
Kings Beach, CA: Thelema Publications / O.T.O., 1976. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. Approx. 100pp. Natural raw silk covered boards, with blind-stamped vertical suede-leather title label on upper board. Patterned endpapers, hand made paper, original mylar protective cover has title imprinted in gilt down spine. The specially-bound deluxe edition of this printing, limited to 100 copies. The publisher, Helen Parsons Smith, intended that each copy of the deluxe edition would have a hand-written limitation statement in it on the dedication page, however most copies escaped without it. This copy does have the statement, in her hand-writing, reading : "One Hundred copies printed for this deLuxe edition on Special handmade paper, Bound in natural Raw Silk. This is copy no. 48". There was also a regular edition in a different binding. Errata slip loosely inserted. Typescripts of Crowley's version of this Chinese classic circulated amongst his students, but the work remained unpublished until 1976. Then, Helen Parsons Smith (1910 - 2003), ex-wife of Jack Parsons, widow of W. T. Smith, and long time member of Agape Lodge of the O.T.O., produced this edition under her Thelema publications imprint (Stephen Skinner's Askin Publishers in England produced a separate edition almost simultaneously). From the collection of Clive Harper with his discreet book-label neatly tipped in at the rear. Harper is well- known as the bibliographer of Austin Osman Spare, for updating the Aleister Crowley bibliography in the 2011 Teitan Press collection of Gerald Yorke's writings, and as someone who has lent his expertise to numerous other publications. A hint of shelfwear, previous owner's blind seal at lower edge of title page. Otherwise overall a tight, clean near Fine copy in a lightly rubbed VG example of the original transparent mylar "dust jacket" with gilt titling down spine. Item #67117
Sold