Dali: A Study of His Art-In-Jewels (Owen Cheatham Foundation 1959/1970)

Dali: A Study of His Art-In-Jewels
by The Owen Cheatham Foundation (1959/1970)

I resisted buying this book for a long time, partly because of cost and partly because of uncertainty of the contents. I am a big fan of Dali’s art, but was not sure how I would react to a book of his jewel art. The price of this old book made the purchase uncertain.

When I finally found a nice copy of this book for a decent price, I bought it. And I am glad I did. The hardcover copy I got came with the slipcase intact. The book has tipped-in color plates on every other page.

The photos of the jewels are done well, and the colors are vibrant. A very nice book considering its age. With this book, I also received supplements for three additional jewels not included in the original publication, bringing the total jewels in this edition to 28 + 3.

Be aware that there are several printings of this catalog (1959, 1965, and 1970).  It appears that there are printings subsequent to 1970, presumably with additional jewels.  The 1970 printing has 36 jewels bound into the edition.

You can expect to pay $40 and up for this book. If buying the hardcover, look for the slipcase, it has a nice color photo on the front.

Associated with this collection is a pamphlet of the same name.  It is about 7 pages long and contains a descriptive index of the jewels.  My copy has 28 jewels indexed and supplements for three additional jewels.  This fact dates the pamphlet to around 1962 (the 31st jewel was completed in December, 1961).

The pamphlet is relatively insignificant in that it has no illustrations and contains information already in the main book.  It is worth fewer than $10, and if you're lucky, it will be tucked into a catalog that you purchase.  Mine was.