Four leaves with parts of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1855 epic poem

Four leaves with parts of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1855 epic poem, The Song of Hiawatha, in English verse, modern illumination and scribal work by Mary Rice Oxley, decorated manuscript on paper, [England (Shrewsbury), first half to mid-20th century], four single leaves, each with 29 lines in a fine calligraphic hand, the initial leaf opening with a large initial ‘H’ in gold inhabited by a heron, remaining lines of title and author’s name also in gold or ornamental enlarged script, each leaf with full border of foliage, bumblebees, spiderwebs, birds, a squirrel, a rabbit, busts of two native North Americans in roundels, some cracking to large gold initial, small spots and stains, else in good condition, these leaves pasted to card mount and framed together in gilt frame, each leaf 233 x 180mm. *** These fine examples of modern illumination and scribal work are signed “M Rice Oxley” in pencil twice on the reverse of the frame. This little studied calligrapher and artist is often mistaken for her younger sister, Nina Margaret Rice Oxley (1888-1968), who was also an artist. However, it is more likely here that these leaves were produced by Mary Frances Muriel Rice Oxley (1887-1965), an art teacher based in Shrewsbury (for another example of her work in the same hand and style, see the single leaf sold by Dominic Winter in December 2022 and presently offered by Peter Harrington).

Estimate:£700

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