THE LORD OF THE RINGS; THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING; THE TWO TOWERS; THE RETURN OF THE KING

First edition with these illustrations, first printing. Publisher's original quarter leather over grey cloth with gilt titles to the spine and gilt illustration to the upper board. Housed in the original slipcase. Top edge grey. With a frontispiece in each volume, chapter illustrations and 12 full page black and white illustrated by Ingahild Grathmer and drawn by Eric Fraser. A fine set, the binding square and firm, the contents are clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the structurally sound, lightly rubbed slipcase. Uncommon in this condition.

This illustrated edition of Tolkien's masterpiece of fantasy fiction have an unusual history; they were created by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark while she was still Crown Princess. She sent her designs (under the pseudonym Ingahild Grathmer) to J. R. R. Tolkien who is said to have enjoyed them and noted their similarity to his own. They were eventually published in a Danish edition of 'The Lord of the Rings' after Margrethe had ascended the throne. For the Folio Society edition, the illustrations were re-drawn by Eric Fraser and first published in 1977.