Folio Society Limited edition



The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Illustrated by Alan Lee with a new preface by the artist



‘I read Lord of the Rings until I no longer needed to read it any longer, because it was inside me’
Neil Gaiman

The greatest classic of fantasy fiction and one of the most celebrated stories of all time, The Lord of the Rings defined a genre and is now available from Folio lavishly illustrated with artwork by Alan Lee.

Folio Lord of the Rings
This exquisite three-volume set is presented in a silver-blocked slipcase (lined with a hidden illustration) with a new art print exclusive to this edition and a pair of maps drawn by Christopher Tolkien, printed together and presented in a cloth-covered case. Each volume is quarter-bound in burgundy calfskin leather blocked in silver, with an illustrated inset label, silver page tops and a burgundy satin ribbon marker. The text – printed in black and burgundy – is the most up to date and academically rigorous available, and is accompanied by a new preface written exclusively for this edition by the artist.

Alan Lee’s work is synonymous with the worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien, having defined the visual setting of Middle-earth for a generation. Peter Jackson’s film adaptations introduced this epic story to an even wider audience, and Lee won the 2004 Academy Award for his Art Direction of these cinematic masterpieces. All of Lee’s illustrations have been reproduced to the artist’s exacting standards, in a scale and quality never seen before, and have been augmented by entirely new images, roundels and borders.

Folio Illustrations
Strictly limited to 1,000 sets, the limitation page has been tipped in by hand and numbered and signed by Alan Lee. Every set comes with a beautiful art print, presented in a translucent folder printed with a burgundy design.

The majestic scale of the landscapes and the atmosphere Lee captures on the page – all in exquisite watercolour and pencil – make him the only choice to illustrate this, the ultimate edition of The Lord of the Rings.

‘A beautiful edition – the ultimate fantasy novel deserved the ultimate collector’s edition, illustrated by the definitive Tolkien artist’
James Rose, Head of Editorial, The Folio Society



Folio Lord of the Rings

Production Details



  • Limited to 1,000 sets numbered and signed by Alan Lee
  • Quarter-bound in leather with cloth sides blocked in silver and inset with illustration labels
  • Circular limitation tip printed letterpress on Tintoretto paper hand tipped within a gold border
  • 1,504 pages in total over three volumes, set in Dante with Testament as display
  • Printed in black and burgundy on Munken Pure paper
  • 53 colour illustrations in total printed on Veltique paper tipped within printed borders with 57 illustrated chapter openers
  • Printed illustrated endpapers
  • Burgundy satin ribbon markers
  • Two maps printed together in black and red and enclosed in a case covered in blocked cloth
  • Hand-made cloth-covered slipcase blocked in silver and gunmetal with printed illustration inside
  • Separate print presented in a folder of Pergamenata paper
  • Book size: 12˝ x 7¾˝

Product information



This 3 volume set with map and print is limited to 1,000 copies signed by the artist

UK £1,000 US $1,500 Can $1,950 Aus $2,250

https://www.foliosociety.com/uk/the-lo ... ings-limited-edition.html