The Tao Teh King. Liber CLVII, A New Translation; The Equinox ..... Volume III, No. VIII
Dublin, California: Thelema Publications, 1976. Deluxe Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. Not paginated [ Approximately 100pp. ] Special deluxe edition, bound in half leather with marbled boards, gilt lettering to spine and gilt rules to spine and corners. Patterned endpapers. A specially-bound copy of the deluxe edition. Helen Parsons Smith released the deluxe version of "The Tao Teh King" in an edition of 100 numbered copies, printed on handmade paper. The great majority of these were issued in a "raw silk" binding that match the regular edition, however, she had a few copies individually bound. This is one of those copies. She has hand-written on the limitation page "One Hundred copies printed for this deluxe edition on Special handmade paper, Bound individually distinctively. This is copy no. 80". Typescripts of Crowley's version of this Chinese classic circulated amongst his students, but the work remained unpublished until 1976.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 OTO, 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. There is a light, long vertical crease to the marbled paper on the front board (it has obviously been there since new), otherwise just a hint of shelf-wear and a lovely, tight and clean near-Fine copy of this one of a kind copy. (No dustjacket issued with this edition). Item #68275
ISBN: 0913576107
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