Antony MÉRAY

L'Empire des légumes. Mémoires de Cucurbitus I^er. Drôleries végétales
First, rather rare edition, illustrated with a frontispiece and 24 plates finely engraved on steel with watercolor decoration (on papier fort), representing anthropomorphic vegetables in various situations, delightfully sketched by Amédée Varin. Each plate is a voyage of discovery, brimming with imagination, whimsy, and irony. One of the masterpieces of Romantic caricature.
Half brown shagreen binding, spine in five compartments decorated with gilt floral motifs, handmade endpapers, contemporary binding.

NUS Eugène & MERAY Antony
watercolor by VARIN Amédée
L'Empire des légumes. Mémoires de Cucurbitus Ier. Drôleries végétales
[The Empire of Vegetables: Memoirs of Cucurbitus Ier. Vegetable Drolleries]
G. de Gonet, Paris n. d. [1851],
19 x 26,7 cm, 20th-century full shagreen
First, rather rare edition, illustrated with a frontispiece and 24 plates finely engraved on steel with watercolor decoration (on papier fort), representing anthropomorphic vegetables in various situations, delightfully sketched by Amédée Varin. Each plate is a voyage of discovery, brimming with imagination, whimsy, and irony. One of the masterpieces of Romantic caricature.
20th-ce

NUS Eugène & MERAY Antony
watercolor by VARIN Amédée
Les Papillons, métamorphoses terrestres des peuples de l'air
[The Butterflies, Terrestrial Metamorphoses of the People of the Air]
Gabriel de Gonet, Paris n. d. [1852], 18 x 27,5 cm, half green shagreen
First edition illustrated with 35 hand-colored insert plates and a few black-and-white illustrations.
Half green shagreen, spine in four compartments with blind tooled double panels and gilt garlands, lettered in gilt, a few signs of minor wear and tear to the tips of the spine, blind tooled fillets on the fir-green covers, marbled endpapers, speckled edges, contemporary binding.
Occasional light spott

First edition.
Contemporary half black shagreen over black paper boards, spine in five compartments with black fillets, joints lightly but insignificantly scratched, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, one lower corner rubbed.
With 35 hors texte hand-colored plates and woodcut illustrations to text.
A little light spotting (not serious) principally to endpapers
A rare copy of one of the most attractive illustrated Romantic books.

First edition printed in a small number of copies on laid paper.
Spine sunned, boards marginally restored with small corner lacks, handsome interior free from foxing.

Second edition, largely first printing, printed on laid paper.
Work illustrated with an engraving as frontispiece.
Light lacks to head and foot of spines, otherwise handsome copies, some light foxing.

First edition printed in a small number of copies on laid paper.
Full green cloth Bradel binding, smooth spine decorated with gilt fleuron, date and double gilt fillet at foot, brown shagreen title label, staining to boards.
Shadows to endpapers, occasional light foxing.