Remarkable Bindings, from the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Century

First edition, one of 8 numbered copies on Chinese paper, the deluxe issue.
Bound in full red morocco, smooth spine, spine and boards decorated with a geometric design of black and gilt fillets representing interlaced mountain peaks in zigzag pattern, endpapers and pastedowns illustrated with an original lithograph signed in pencil by Germaine de Coster, following endpapers of red paper, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt; a very elegant contemporary binding signed by Hélène Dumas and Germaine de Coster.
This copy is further enriched with an original charcoal portrait of Jean Giono, signed by...

First edition, one of 200 numbered copies on Hollande paper, the only large paper copies.

3/4 blue morocco Bradel binding, spine with five raised bands highlighted with gilt dots and decorated with triple gilt compartments, gilt date at tail, gilt fillets on marbled paper boards, marbled paper flyleaves and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, others uncut, binding signed Canape.

Rare copy of Guy de Maupassant's masterpiece beautifully bound in an elegant signed binding.

First edition, one of 20 copies on Arches paper, most limited deluxe issue (tirage de tête).
Like all copies on Arches, it is wrapped in a double dust jacket in yellow and white, and bears the rare sanguine vignette drawn and engraved by Hans Bellmer.
Preface by Jean Paulhan.

Our copy is housed in a custom clamshell box featuring an original design signed by Julie Nadot.

Beautiful first edition copy of this masterpiece of erotic literature, in its most limited deluxe issue.

A collection of twelve volumes comprising the complete eight-volume Collection des petits classiques françois, published under the direction of Charles Nodier and Nicolas Delangle, together with four contemporary works belonging to the same literary and publishing milieu. The original series was dedicated to the Duchesse de Berry and printed using the types of Jules Didot the Elder. The present set is numbered 17 and is one of 25 copies on Dutch paper, following 6 copies on Chinese paper and preceding 500 copies on extra-fine paper.

Second collective first edition, with continuous pagination, containing for the first time Phèdre, the Discours prononcé à l'Académie françoise à la réception de Messieurs de Corneille et de Bergeret and the Idylle sur la paix.(Brunet, IV, 1077). Work illustrated with 12 figures including 2 frontispieces, most signed by François Chauveau; the frontispiece of the first volume engraved by Le Brun. 
Edition shared between Barbin, Denys Thierry and Pierre Trabouillet.
Full midnight blue morocco binding from the late 19th century signed at the foot of the pastedown Thibaron-Joly (Former worker of Trautz, Thibaron partnered with the gilder Joly in 1874). Spine with raised bands decorated...

Very rare and highly sought-after first edition according to Clouzot, for which no copies on large paper were issued.

Full red morocco binding, spine with five raised bands, gilt rolls on headcaps, inner dentelle border on off-white morocco pastedowns enhanced with a red morocco mosaic fillet and quintuple gilt fillets, the fillet and quintuple gilt fillets interlacing at corners, gilt fillet border on turn-ins, ivory watered silk endpapers, iron-grey wrappers and spine preserved (Clouzot notes two states of wrappers: iron-grey - the rarer - and bluish-grey), all edges gilt, double gilt fillets on board edges, half red morocco slipcase with bands, spine with five raised bands...

Complete new edition of Buffon's works, published in Paris by Eymery between 1825 and 1828 according to the arrangement established by the Comte de Lacépède and completed by the supplementary volume issued in 1828. A handsome complete set in 26 bound volumes (13.5 × 21 cm; total shelf length: 103 cm), illustrated with 245 plates: Buffon's portrait engraved by Devéria as the frontispiece, 216 hand-coloured plates - some heightened with gold - including 91 devoted to mammals and 126 to birds, 13 plates in black, and 4 folding maps. Most of the coloured plates were executed by Jean-Gabriel Prêtre, the animal painter successively attached to Empress Joséphine's menagerie...

New deluxe edition printed by Didot on deluxe vellum paper. Includes two superb engravings by Moreau, engraved by Giraud. Critical edition with preface, annotations, and Plutarch's Life of Phocion in Amyot's translation.
Copy bearing the crowned cipher of Louis-Philippe stamped on both boards. Once on the throne of France, Louis-Philippe abandoned the arms of the Duke of Orléans in favor of his crowned cipher, a symbol of his role as constitutional monarch. Later in his reign, the crown would even be removed, leaving only the bare cipher.
Later Restoration binding in red long-grain morocco, attributable to Simier, Louis-Philippe's bookbinder (Louis-Philippe had several copies bound...

First illustrated edition by Robida, with 90 original illustrations. Limited edition of 300 numbered copies, this one unnumbered on vellum specially offered by the publisher to Mr E. Gruter with manuscript inscription and enhanced with a suite of all the engravings in black on China paper, and a duplicate state in blue.
Full brown morocco binding, spine with five raised bands decorated with gilt compartments, quadruple gilt fillets framing the covers, double gilt fillet on the leading edges, brown and blue morocco doublure with gilt fillets and corner fleurons, top edge gilt, original wrappers preserved. Light rubbing traces on some raised bands. P. 295, lower portion yellowed. Uncut...

First edition, illustrated with 32 color illustrations by Sureda and engraved by Aubert (full-page, headpieces and fine lettering), many of which are enhanced in gold or silver ink.

Limited edition of 400 copies. This one, marked H. C. V, is one of the rare first paper copies on the finest Japon (only 15 copies), containing every engraving in double state on Vieux Japon and Japon Impérial of all the woodcuts, covers and spine.

 
Signed and inscribed on the title page from the authors: "What a pleasure it is for you, O reader, if you enjoy La Fête arabe !" Jérôme and Jean Tharaud. December 1928."

Illustrated edition with twelve original etchings by Édouard Chimot, issued in a limited edition of 576 numbered copies. The present copy, no. 111, is one of 100 printed on tinted Van Gelder Holland wove paper, accompanied by the usual double suite of the etchings in colour and in black.

It is further enriched with an original signed drawing by Édouard Chimot and an exceptional quadruple suite, on Japan paper, of eight of the etchings illustrating the work: the unreduced line engraving, the...

First edition, one of 41 numbered copies on Holland paper, the deluxe issue.
Bound in full jansenist dark green morocco, smooth spine very lightly sunned, grey suede endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, all edges gilt, housed in a slipcase trimmed with dark green morocco, paper-covered boards with a wood-grain effect, grey paper lining; a superb full morocco binding signed by A. Bourdet.
A pleasant copy, finely bound and preserved.
Provenance: from the library of the distinguished bibliophile François Ragazzoni, with his bookplate mounted on an endpaper.

Rare first edition decorated with ornamental headpieces, letterheads and culs-de-lampe.

Posterior binding in full red morocco, Jansenist spine, gilt date at the foot, marbled endpapers, frame of gilt roll-tooling on the pastedown endpapers, all edges gilt.
A very beautiful copy of one of the most famous plays in the French repertoire. It was played for the first time on 13 December 1669 at the Hôtel de Bourgogne and received a mixed reception. At the head of this edition is a preface by the playwright responding to his critics:

“Of all the works that I have given to the public, there is none
that attracted more applause and nor...

First edition printed in 130 copies, all nominative and numbered, on Rives vellum.
Full chocolate-brown morocco binding, spine with four double raised bands framed by black fillets extending onto the covers, gilt date at foot, gilt rolls on the caps, endpapers and pastedowns of hand-made paper, quintuple gilt fillet borders on the pastedowns, double gilt fillets on the board edges, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt.
Illustrated with a frontispiece, 15 plates and 6 vignettes by Georges Leroux engraved on copper by Raoul Serres.
This copy is supplemented, at the end of the volume, with a suite of the 22 illustrations together with the printed menu for the dinner...

First edition illustrated with 15 original copperplate engravings, including 10 in color, by Maurice de Vlaminck, one of 250 numbered copies on Arches laid paper.

The work is also illustrated with 2 portraits by Amedeo Modigliani depicting Maurice de Vlaminck and his wife.

Full Empire green morocco binding, spine with two prominent raised bands extending as triangles in blind on the covers, spine decorated with three gilt lozenges with gilt title and separated by a transverse gilt bar, marbled paper endpapers and pastedowns, triple gilt fillets framing the pastedowns, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, Empire green morocco-edged slipcase, marbled paper...

Illustrated edition of Sapho. Mœurs parisiennes, published in Paris in 1925 by the Librairie des Amateurs, A. Ferroud - F. Ferroud, successeur. One of 25 numbered copies on Grand Japon, the first and deluxe issue. The limitation reserves for these twenty-five copies the various states of the illustrations, including a lightly tinted state and a black state, together with a large original watercolour by Auguste Leroux, here signed. The edition continued with 175 copies on Imperial Japan paper and 1,000 on Arches wove, with a further 25 copies on Dutch handmade paper numbered in Roman numerals, making a total edition of 1,225 copies.

First edition illustrated with 11 original black woodcut engravings by Paul-Emile Colin and 15 original engravings and typographical ornaments printed in bistre by Pierre-Eugène Vibert, one of 25 numbered copies on Japan paper containing a collection of artist's proofs by both painter-engravers on China paper.
Full mauve morocco binding, faded spine with five raised bands, gilt date at foot, some rubbing to bands and joints, watered silk endpapers in mauve, brown morocco doublure decorated with vegetal and floral frieze executed with brown and violet mosaic morocco pieces, covers and spine preserved, all edges gilt, slipcase with mauve morocco entry, faded, marbled paper boards...

First edition illustrated with 38 hors-texte engravings (10 in color) after Fragonard, Eisen, Boucher, Moreau le jeune, Huet, Schall, one of 275 numbered copies on Holland paper, the only issue after 25 Japan.
Full midnight blue morocco binding, spine with five raised bands set with gilt dots decorated with double gilt compartments enhanced with gilt typographic motifs enriched with red, place, and blue mosaic morocco pieces, publisher and date gilt at foot, gilt roulettes on headcaps, three small nicks on joints and bands, triple gilt fillet frame on boards, marbled paper endpapers and pastedowns, gilt dentelle frame on pastedowns, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt...

Antwerp, Ex officina Plantiniana, apud Ioannem Moretum, 1602. Small duodecimo, 8.2 x 12.6 cm. Three works bound in one volume.

A collection of three portable editions issued by the Plantin Press under the imprint of Jan Moretus: Cl. Claudianus, Theod. Pulmanni Craneburgii diligentia, & fide summa, è vetustis codicibus restitutus. Unà cum Del-Rio notis, 351 pages and 1 unnumbered leaf; Aviani Aesopicarum fabularum liber. A Theod. Pulmanno Craneburgio ex membranis in lucem editus, 29 pages and 3 unnumbered leaves; and Ad Cl. Claudiani V. C. Opera Martini Antonii Del-Rio notae, 90 pages and 3 unnumbered leaves...

The first edition, of which there were no deluxe copies.

Bradel binding in full wood-effect paper, smooth spine, author's name and title lettered in orange and vertically, in the center of the front board, inlaid, a photographic portrait, covers and spine preserved, slipcase bordered with the same wood-effect paper, brown paper boards, original contemporary binding signed Leroux.

Handsome copy pleasantly executed by one of the last great masters of French twentieth-century bookbinding.


 

Rare uniform set of Didot stereotype editions. The title page of each volume is preceded by an advertising and presentation leaf of the edition composed as follows: this stereotype in-18 edition is sold in Paris, by P. Didot l'Aîné and by Firmin Didot. Price in sheets: Ordinary paper, fine paper, laid paper, deluxe laid paper. All the present editions are printed on laid paper or deluxe laid paper. 

François Ambroise Didot perfected the manufacture of laid paper in France in 1780, which was particularly well suited to printing Didot typefaces.
Contemporary full red Russia leather binding. Smooth spine decorated with 5 fleurons and multiple roulettes. Decorative frames...

First edition, one of 450 numbered copies on Holland paper.
Work illustrated with 35 original woodcuts by Fernand Siméon.
Full brown morocco binding, smooth spine decorated with a vertical band of black mosaic morocco, black roulettes on the headcaps, slight rubbing to the upper headcap, gilt title struck to the center of the first cover, covers decorated with a large diamond and a wide horizontal band of black mosaic morocco, endpapers and pastedowns of paper with gilt floral motifs and moiré effect, frame of vertical and horizontal bands of black mosaic morocco on the pastedowns, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, double black fillets on the leading edges, slipcase...

First edition illustrated with text illustrations and plates by Hermann Vogel and ornaments by Adolphe Giraldon, one of 60 numbered copies on China paper, the only deluxe copies after 20 on Japan.
Full blue morocco binding, spine very slightly faded with five raised bands, date and place gilt at foot, gilt borders on the headcaps, gilt fillet border on the pastedowns in full purple morocco, purple watered silk endpapers, following endpapers of combed paper, covers preserved, all edges gilt, double gilt fillets on the edges, slipcase edged with blue morocco, marbled paper boards, superb full morocco binding with doublure signed Blanchetière Bretault.
Each plate appears in triple...

French translation by Adolphe Van Bever and illustrated with 40 original wood engravings by Louis Jou, one of the numbered copies on Rives vellum.
Half black morocco binding, spine with two thick raised bands set with gilt fillets, imitation white wood paper boards, small foxing to boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, top edge gilt, original wrappers preserved, elegant contemporary binding signed by Creuzevault.
Handsome copy in a beautiful Art Deco binding by Creuzevault.

First edition of one of the most beautiful books of the 18^th century, of which the text and the music are entirely engraved. It is illustrated with an engraved title, 3 frontispieces by Le Bouteux and Le Barbier, a dedication page with the Dauphine arms, and 100 figures by Moreau le Jeune, Le Barbier, Le Bouteux and Saint-Quentin, finely engraved in copperplate by Masquelier and Née. The portrait of Laborde, which can be found on some copies, is not part of this edition and was printed in 1774, separately.

Magnificent copy bound in 4 volumes, very rare condition. There are usually only copies with 2 volumes for understandable cost issues. It is...

First Elzevirian edition. with title-frontispiece. Epistle to Cardinal Mazarin. Brunet (Manuel du libraire): "The first edition of this esteemed history is that of Paris, Edme Martin, 1661, but it is not sought after, while this one [...]". There exists a counterfeit of this Elzevier edition, it is less well printed and contains only 514pp.

Full red morocco binding 19th century (ca 1860) signed Belz-Niedrée. Spine with raised bands richly decorated with ornate compartments framed by triple fillets, roll-tooled at foot. Covers with interlace decoration in frame and complex geometric figures. Rich inner border. Gilt edges. Very fresh copy, with a slight yellow dampstain to...

New edition, with some parts in first edition as expanded with a preface, one of 30 numbered copies on Holland paper, deluxe copies after 6 on Japan paper.

Full chocolate brown morocco binding, spine with five raised bands, gilt roulettes on headcaps, quadruple black fillets framing the boards, black fleurons at corners, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, triple gilt fillets framing the pastedowns, covers and spine preserved, double gilt fillets on leading edges, top edge gilt on deckled edges, contemporary binding signed by Stroobants.

Bookplate pasted at head of one pastedown.

Very fine copy perfectly executed by Stroobants.