Christina Rossetti — Monna Innominata: Sonnets and Songs (1899) | Thomas B. Mosher Press First Edition, Van Gelder Paper, Limited Edition Poetry

A finely printed Thomas B. Mosher Press and first appearance of Christina Rossetti’s celebrated sonnet cycle Monna Innominata, issued in 1899 as part of the publisher’s Old World Series.

Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) was one of the most important Victorian poets and a central figure in the Pre-Raphaelite literary circle. Monna Innominata was written as a poetic counterpart to the sonnets of Dante and Petrarch, giving voice to the often-unheard woman in traditional courtly love poetry.

Printed on handmade Van Gelder paper with wide deckled edges, this small-format volume reflects Mosher’s commitment to Arts & Crafts–era bookmaking. The work itself—Rossetti’s meditation on love inspired by Dante and Petrarch—remains one of the most admired poetic sequences of the Victorian period.

This edition was printed in a limited run of 925 copies, noted on the limitation page.

The book retains its original printed paper covers with decorative design and typographic ornamentation. Interior pages are clean with beautiful textured paper and generous margins.

Original paper wrappers, binding secure, deckled edges, very light toning to cover and prelims, pages clean and crisp.

Size: 4 x 7 inches

Condition: Very Good

This limited Mosher Press printing also represents the first edition of this work in book form, making it an appealing piece for collectors of Rossetti and fine press poetry.