A rebours

First edition on ordinary paper.

A few small spots of foxing, and a faint dampstain along the right margin affecting most leaves of the volume.

Black 3/4 morocco binding, spine with five raised bands framed in black, gilt date at foot, marbled paper boards framed in gilt, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, covers preserved and bound on stubs, top edge gilt, slipcase trimmed with black morocco, marbled paper slipcase boards, binding signed P. Goy & C. Vilaine.
Very rare signed and inscribed copy to Madame Charpentier, his publisher’s wife: "... son bien dévoué et respectueux..."

Every Friday from the 1870s to the 1890s, Marguerite Charpentier (1848-1904) hosted her salon at 11 rue de Grenelle. Her gatherings included society figures, artists, and republican politicians. Among them were also prominent writers published by her husband: Gustave Flaubert, Alphonse Daudet, Guy de Maupassant, Théodore de Banville, Émile Zola, and Joris-Karl Huysmans.
Huysmans gifted Madame Charpentier another copy of À rebours, one of only two extremely rare copies printed on Japon. Ours was most certainly her reading copy.

Inscribed copies of Huysman's masterpiece are exceedingly rare.