A rare collection of 16 watercolour illustrations of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, commissioned originally 122 years ago, is anticipated to be auctioned at Potters’ Messingham saleroom near Scunthorpe. These artworks, discovered in a Hastings junk shop five decades ago, are projected to fetch between £2,000 and £4,000.
These illustrations were initially commissioned by Macmillan Publishers in 1903 and were later published with Kipling’s narratives after five years. The survival of complete folios is considered incredibly rare due to the fact that most have been taken apart to frame individual pages as per Kat Lister, the director of the saleroom.
Interesting to note, this specific folio was once the property of Bristol businessman Sir George White, recognised for his significant contributions to the city’s aerospace and tram industries. The present owner has opted to keep the original purchase price confidential, although it was substantial enough to necessitate a repeat visit to the shop after determining the means to amass the required funds.
The source for this news report has been attributed to original reporting by www.bbc.com.
