The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Value Guide

This early 20th-century UK edition of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is highly collectible due to its distinctive illustration of a figure holding the planet Saturn. While Edward FitzGerald's translation popularized these 11th-century Persian poems in the West, this specific 1900-1920 printing stands out for its unique astronomical imagery and period cloth binding.

What Is The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Worth?

The typical price range for The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is $75 - $120 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• The physical condition of the cloth binding, specifically looking for fading, fraying, or water damage common in paper-based antiques.
• The clarity and preservation of the unique Saturn illustration, as visual art is a primary driver for Rubaiyat collectors.
• Completeness of the volume, including the presence of all original pages and any potential frontispiece artwork.
• Market demand for UK-printed editions from the 1900-1920 era, which currently commands a value range of $75 to $120.

How to Identify The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam?

• Check for the specific illustration of a figure holding the planet Saturn, which distinguishes this variant from other Edwardian editions.
• Verify the United Kingdom publication origin and the 1900-1920 date range typically found on the title page or via printer marks.
• Examine the cloth binding and paper stock for authentic signs of early 20th-century British manufacturing.
• Confirm the text is the Edward FitzGerald translation, which was the standard for this era of Rubaiyat publications.

History of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is a collection of poems attributed to Omar Khayyám, a Persian mathematician, astronomer, and poet who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries. This work gained immense popularity in the Western world primarily through the English translation by Edward FitzGerald in the mid-19th century, becoming a classic of world literature and influencing numerous artists and writers.