Presentation copy from George Harrison to Ravi Shankar, Christmas 1966

[I Ching]. Wilhelm, Richard / Baynes, Cary F. (transl.) / Jung, Carl Gustav (foreword). The I Ching or Book of Changes.

London, Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd., (1965).

2 vols. 8vo. (12), XLII, (4), 394, (2), (2 blank) pp. with folding chart; (10), 376 pp. Original blue cloth titled in gilt on spine, top edges blue, in dust jackets. Housed in custom blue cloth clamshell case.

 28.000,00

The ultimate New-Age I Ching: a presentation copy from the Beatles' George Harrison to Ravi Shankar, inscribed: "To Raviji - with much love and thanks", signed by Harrison and dated Christmas 1966. The second volume also inscribed: "To Raviji - love from George Harrison".

Harrison first met Shankar in London in 1966, and soon after travelled to India to study sitar with the famous Indian musician. It was the beginning of a long friendship and artistic collaboration, which inspired some of the Beatles' most iconic songs, brought Indian Classical music to a much wider international audience, and influenced the trajectory of pop music writ large. The experience encouraged Harrison's interest not only in Indian music, but in Eastern philosophy more generally - explaining perhaps the choice of this translation of the Chinese philosophical classic, the I Ching, with a preface by the famous psychoanalyst C. G. Jung, who would appear on the cover of the Beatles' album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in the following year.

Volume II jacket wanting rear flap, light wear to jackets, otherwise quite well preserved.