Bidspirit auction | 1901 Macmillan Red Cloth Rudyard

1901 Macmillan Red Cloth Rudyard Kipling Volume II - A 1901 volume of Rudyard Kipling's travel journalism bound in publisher's red cloth. This hardcover book represents Volume II of the collection titled From Sea to Sea and Other Sketches: Letters of Travel. The front board is decorated with a gilt-stamped circular medallion featuring an elephant's head and a swastika crest, which served as the author's personal mark on early works. Rudyard Kipling used the swastika as a personal trademark and logo on his book covers because it was an ancient Hindu symbol for good luck, prosperity, and well-being. Kipling was born in India and spent his early childhood there, maintaining a deep lifelong connection to South Asian culture, which heavily influenced works like The Jungle Book The title page is printed in London by Macmillan and Co., Limited and includes red ruling. A circular device containing a swastika and the author's signature is printed on the leaf preceding the title page. A foil-wrapped confection appears in the overview image for scale and is not included with the lot.