MAUGHAM, W. Somerset. On a Chinese Screen. London: William Heinemann. 1922.
8vo. Original dark brown cloth, gilt lettering and decoration of winged horses and a characteristic Moorish talisman to the front, spine lettered in gilt with tree motif, outer and lower edges untrimmed; pp. viii, [2], 8–237, [1]; extremities a little worn, spine slightly sunned, browning to free endpapers; internally clean; overall a very good copy; ownership signature ‘Allan Walton’ in pencil to front pastedown, and presentation inscription ‘Allan from Syrie, Nov. 1922’ in ink to front free endpaper (see below).
First edition of On a Chinese Screen, W. Somerset Maugham’s reflections on China following his journey there, with a presentation inscription by the dedicatee Syrie Maugham (1879–1955), then the author’s wife.
On a Chinese Screen comprises a series of short sketches drawn from Maugham’s journey along the Yangtze River between 1919 and 1920, focusing on encounters that highlight cultural tensions between East and West. The figures he depicts – missionaries, army officers, and company managers – often appear ill at ease in rural China. Maugham’s later novel The Painted Veil (1925) also draws on this experience.
This copy was presented Syrie Maugham, to whom the book is dedicated, to the painter and interior and textile designer Allan Walton (1891–1948). Syrie, daughter of Thomas Barnardo, was a leading interior designer of the 1920s and ’30s, renowned for her influential all-white decorative schemes. She was first married to Henry Wellcome before leaving him for Maugham; the couple had one child, Liza, and married in 1917, divorcing in 1929 after a highly publicised separation. Walton, a friend of Syrie’s, developed a markedly different aesthetic, favouring bold colours, prints, and rich textiles.
SKU: 2124584