Hydriotaphia, urn-burial, or, A discourse of the sepulchral urnes lately found in Norfolk

Published in 1923, this edition of Sir Thomas Browne’s Hydriotaphia serves as one of the hallmark releases from the Golden Cockerel Press. The project was initiated during the press's early years under the stewardship of Robert Gibbings, who aimed to revive the tradition of fine private press printing. By selecting Browne’s meditative 1658 essay on ancient burial customs, the press sought to pair 17th-century prose with the clean, modernist typographic standards that defined the aesthetic sensibilities of the interwar period.

The physical design of this edition is noted for its collaboration with artist Paul Nash, who provided the wood engravings that punctuate the text. Nash approached the macabre and philosophical subject matter with a restrained, avant-garde sensibility, moving away from the ornate Victorian styles of the past to embrace a more atmospheric and symbolic visual language. Upon its release, the edition was highly regarded by bibliophiles and critics for its harmonious marriage of experimental illustration and classic literature, cementing its status as a foundational work in the history of 20th-century fine printing.