About this Item
First edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Original white paper-covered boards with titles in gilt to the spine, in dustwrapper. A very near fine copy, the binding square and firm with a little creasing at the head of the spine and very slightly at the foot of the spine. The contents are clean and bright throughout and without previous owners' stamps or inscriptions. Complete with the original dustwrapper that has just a touch of fading to the spine. An excellent example of a scarce title. Inscribed by Ithell Colquhoun (1906-1988) in black ink opposite the copyright page "To D / Yours in the Bond, / Ithell [underlined]". The recipient is an unknown druid, the 'bond' referred to is The British Circle of the Universal Bond, an alternative name for The Druid Order, a druidic spiritual group of which Colquhoun was a member. Colquhoun's only novel to be published in her lifetime, a gothic tale about a young woman who is taken to a mysterious island by her uncle who is obsessed with finding the philosopher's stone, suffused with the surrealism and esotericism that defined not only her writing but also her artwork. Born in Shillong, India and brought up in England from an early age, Colquhoun studied at the Cheltenham School of Arts and Crafts and the Slade School of Art, by which time her interest in occult and esoteric topics had already developed; during her first year at the Slade she joined the Quest Society, a Theosophical group founded by G. R. S. Mead who had been secretary to Helena Blavatsky, one of the most influential occultists of the 19th century. In 1931 Colquhoun travelled to Paris to study at the Académie Colarossi, and during her time in the city she met artists such as Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte and Marcel Duchamp, who introduced her to the possibilities of Surrealism. Immediately appealing to her metaphysical sensibilities, Surrealism, along with Symbolism, quickly became a permanent influence on her work, evident in her first solo exhibition in 1936. In 1939 she was invited to join the prestigious British Surrealism Group, only to be ejected in 1940 due to her occult beliefs. Colquhoun's eclectic and vibrant range of esoteric interests only grew and became more vital to her life and work as time went on. She gained associations with the Ordo Templi Orientis, the Druid Order and the Ancient Celtic Church. Her personal beliefs drew widely on Quabalah, Christian mysticism, mythology, Druidism, Wicca, astrology, tarot, Eastern spiritualities and nature-based religious practices, coming together to create a unique, magical world view that thoroughly married visceral physicality with profound divinity, expressed beautifully in her artwork and writings. Colquhoun published essays, poetry, travel writing and prose throughout her career, and from the 1950s onwards writing started to displace painting as her central creative focus. The most significant influence of Surrealism upon her artistic process was the concept of automatism, the use of practical techniques intended to suppress the conscious mind and empower the unconscious mind, such as scribbling randomly on a surface and allowing the mind to create shapes from the apparent chaos. These automatism techniques were also incorporated into her writing, including the present work. Interest in Ithell Colquhoun's luminous work and life, once relatively obscure, has grown over time, with previously unpublished writings, including two novels, being published posthumously. Most recently, the largest exhibition of her work to date, 'Ithell Colquhoun: Between Two Worlds', was held at Tate St Ives from the 1st of February to the 5th of May 2025 and at Tate Britain from the 13th of Jun to the 19th of October 2025. Further details and images for any of the items listed are available on request. Lucius Books welcomes direct contact with our customers.
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