Why is the Kelmscott Chaucer considered the Kelmscott Press’s masterwork?

The The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer is considered the masterwork of the Kelmscott Press due to its immense scale, artistic complexity, and the exhaustive effort invested in its production.12

Completed over four years, this 556-page volume represents the most ornate of all Kelmscott publications. Its status as a masterpiece is defined by several key elements:12

• Artistic Detail: The book features 87 woodcut illustrations drawn by Edward Burne-Jones.2
• Intricate Design: William Morris personally designed 14 large borders, 18 smaller frames for the illustrations, and over 200 initial letters and words specifically for this work.2
• Typographic Innovation: It was printed using the "Chaucer type," a specialized gothic font Morris created as a smaller variant of his "Troy" type.1

By combining these elements, the Chaucer stands as one of the greatest examples of the art of the printed book, successfully recapturing the high standards of incunabula through meticulous craftsmanship.12