THE GEM OF THE SEASON New York: Leavitt & Allen, 1856. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. Item #164463 Good, deluxe Mother of Pearl inlay binding. Bound in black lacquered papier mache covers with front cover inlaid with mother of pearl. Has 10 plates called for, but lacks illuminated presentation plate. Chip on edge of rear boards, front hinge tender. The style of deluxe inlaid gift bindings was a short lived phenomenon, ranging from the 1830s through the mid 1850's. The papier mache bindings with the mother of pearl inlays were expensive to produce, and after the public's taste changed in the 1870s, they were rarely produced. Expensive at the outset, and fragile comparatively few examples of this type of binding have survived. #gems #thegemoftheseason #bookcollector #bookcollection #antiquarian #antiquarianbook #antiquarianbooks #bookshelf #bookporn #bibliophile #coolbooks #rarebook #rarebooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #firstedition #personallibrary #rarebookcellar #bookseller #bookcollecting #oldbooks #rarebooksofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CgjkZGjLv55/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=