The earliest of Owen Jones' illuminated gift books, this is an important, highly ornamented work containing early examples of chromolithography. Every page of text has its own coloured, decorative border printed from wood with each ballad having its own design. Jones also provided the ornamental letters and vignettes. The book is divided into sections for Historical Ballads, Moorish Ballads and Romantic Ballads, each having its own elaborate title page, also designed by Jones. Publishers original green cloth with gilt title. Gilt blocked decoration with gilt lineal borders. Gilt title and gilt vignette to spine. Gilt top page-block. Colour decorative endpapers. Inscription on inside. Unpaginated. Decorative colour title page. 4 chromolithographed plates. 6 tinted wood engraved plates. In-text illustrations. "One of the earliest and finest examples of the Victorian illuminated gift book and one of Jones' first efforts as a book artist." Shipped and insured [courier liability] by recorded delivery with UPS.