Tove Jansson, Trollkarlens hatt, First Edition 1948

First edition, published in Swedish by Holger Schildts Förlag in Helsinki in 1948. Trollkarlens hatt was later published in English as Finn Family Moomintroll and remains one of the best-known titles in Tove Jansson’s Moomin series.

Hardcover, bound in illustrated boards with a cloth spine. 164 pages, illustrated throughout by Jansson with vignettes and full-page drawings, including a map at the title page.

A small stain appears near the lower edge of the front board, with minor loss of the white background colour along the extreme board edges. Otherwise, the boards are remarkably clean. The cloth spine shows some fading. A previous owner’s bookplate is attached to the front pastedown.

The title page has a well-executed ink drawing of Little My and a Hattifattener, accompanied by a gift inscription. The drawing is not by Tove Jansson. The text block is tanned, as usual for the period, but the contents are exceptionally clean and entirely free from spotting, foxing and finger-marking. Near Fine.