Cloth binding for Kelly’s ‘Burma’

A. A. Turbayne, signed

1905

Cloth binding

9½ x 6¾ inches

A fine example of Turbayne’s Edwardian bindings, its exotic imagery represents Western notions of Burma (Myanmar’s) cultural identity when it was a British colony. Turbayne uses one of his most characteristic motifs – the peacock – and focuses, once again, on the decorative qualities of the bird’s tail. [Commentary continues below.]

Scan by a collector and text by Simon Cooke [Click on image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.]

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one.]