Description
Here’s a scarce Roycroft/Oz cross-collectible–an original large Roycroft motto with one of W W Denslow’s “heraldic” initials and a quote from Roycroft handyman Ali Baba himself! It says “Life’s Too Short to Spend in Chewing the Rag”–which seems to basically mean that you shouldn’t waste time chatting idly. The oversized motto is larger than the common smaller ones–this one is about 8″ x 10″, with the Roycroft and orb and cross watermark at lower left. Denslow made these beautiful initials when he was working with the Roycrofters to use as the leading initials in their books, and they are unusual to find in a paper motto.
These mottos were advertised in the Philistine and Motto Book and are circa 1910-1915. The motto has some creasing and also pin marks along edges from being displayed at one time. For more information on Denslow’s initials for the Roycrofters, see the Spring 2015 special issue of the Baum Bugle, also available in my shop.
