Sunday, March 17, 2024

Clark Ashton Smith Bookplate Design



















Seller's description:

ORIGINAL ART BY CLARK ASHTON SMITH. Smith's Design for his own bookplate, ink on paper, 5 ¼ x 5 inches, titled EX LIBRIS CLARK ASHTON SMITH, Signed "CAS" lower right corner. Depicts a strange clawed monster bearing what looks like Smith's own face (a self-portrait?) along with a typically weird flower against a backgroud of hills. Small pinholes at corners, on small hole (by the monster's foot). Very good condition. Unique, and rather amazing. This item came from Smith to Roy A. Squires; Squires used it as the cover image for his Catalogue 7, BEYOND THE BIBLIOGRAPHIES. Unique Items for Collectors who are Not Satisfied with Mere Completeness (Circa 1973), an offering of mostly autographs, manuscripts and association copies of books, mostly pertaining to HP Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith and the Lovecraft Circle. Curiously, the bookplate was not listed for sale in the catalogue; evidently Squires "liked it too much". We agree with him: this is a remarkable piece, certainly one of my all-time favourite pieces of CAS artwork, now offered for sale. $2950.00

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