JONSON, Ben; Inigo JONES (illustrator). The Masque of Queens. London: The King’s Printers. 1930.
Folio. Original full red vellum, gilt lettering to spine, gilt decoration to front cover, top edge gilt, others untrimmed; pp. 39, [65], with 20 plates reproducing drawings by Inigo Jones and a facsimile of Jonson’s manuscript; boards gently bowed, small abrasion to rear cover, spine ends and corners a little rubbed, traces of glue from bookplate to pastedown, light offset to free endpapers; a very good, clean copy.
Limited edition, no. 21 of 350 copies, including a facsimile of Jonson’s original manuscript and reproductions of Inigo Jones’s costume designs.
The Masque of Queens, Celebrated from the House of Fame is among the earlier works in the series of courtly entertainments composed by Ben Jonson (1572-1637) for the House of Stuart. Conceived as a spectacle of music, dance, and elaborate costume as much as a theatrical text, the masque presents twelve virtuous queens triumphing over the disruptive forces of twelve disorderly witches.
Its first performance at Whitehall Palace on 2 February 1609 featured Queen Anne of Denmark (r. 1603-1619) and her ladies of the court in the principal roles, including a notable appearance by Lucy Harington Russell, Countess of Bedford (1581-1627), and involved over twenty performers together with a substantial musical ensemble.
This edition includes a facsimile of Jonson’s manuscript preserved in the King’s Library at the British Library (Royal MS 18 A XLV), together with reproductions of costume designs by the architect and stage designer Inigo Jones (1573-1652) from the collection of the Dukes of Devonshire.
SKU: 2124646