Rare Shakespeare 'First Folio' to Debut at Abu Dhabi Art Fair
It will be the first time that a copy of 'First Folio' has gone on display in the Middle East.
A rare 1623 edition of William Shakespeare’s 'First Folio', printed in London by Isaac Jaggard and Edward Blount, will be exhibited for the first time in the Middle East at the Abu Dhabi Art Fair. Valued at AED 20.8 million (roughly USD 5.66 million), the book is one of only 233 known surviving copies and among just 24 held in private collections.
Presented by UK rare-book dealer Peter Harrington, the edition — known as the Shuckburgh Copy — is noted for its unrestored condition and gilt-embossed leather binding by Roger Payne. Its provenance includes Sir George Augustus William Shuckburgh-Evelyn, a mathematician and Fellow of the Royal Society.
The First Folio contains 36 plays, including 'Macbeth', 'Twelfth Night', 'Julius Caesar' and 'The Tempest', 18 of which appeared in print for the first time in this volume. It is widely considered one of the most important artifacts in English literature.
The book’s appearance is part of the 17th edition of Abu Dhabi Art, held at Manarat Al Saadiyat and featuring over 140 galleries from more than 35 countries under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al N ahyan.
