Beschreibung:

BARBIER (GEORGE)GAUTIER (THEOPHILE) Le roman de la momie, bound in 2 vol., ONE OF 3 COPIES BOUND WITH ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY BARBIER, printed "sur vieux Japon" and an additional double suite of plates (printed Chine and on Japon), from an overall edition of 1091 copies, 13 ORIGINAL COLOURED INK AND WATERCOLOUR ILLUSTRATIONS BY BARBIER, 36 colour illustrations and 2 additional suite of plates (one printed in full colours; one in outline), BOUND BY GEORGE CRETTE (gilt stamped name inside upper cover of text volume), the text in full blue crushed levant, sides with large lotus flowers in gilt and multicoloured morocco inlays, spine lettered in gilt with similar lotus flowers at head and foot, plate volume blue half crushed levant over gilt speckled blue boards, text volume with half morocco gilt chemise to match look of the plate volume, minor abrasions to spine of plate volume and chemise, housed in matching morocco-lipped slipcases (a few abrasions), 4to (244 X 190mm.), Paris, A. & G Mornay, 1929 (2)FootnotesCOPY NUMBER ONE, EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED WITH GEORGE BARBIER'S ORIGINAL ARTWORK FOR 13 OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS, AND SPECIALLY BOUND BY GEORGE CRETTÉ. Théophile Gauthier's "Orientalist" novel, first published in 1857, is centred on the discovery, in the Valley of Kings, of the mummy of a female pharaoh by an Egyptologist and an aristocrat. This copy is one of three, each of which includes a third of the Barbier's fine original watercolour designs for use in the book. This volume are includes the design for the pictorial upper cover, several large illustrations, and three smaller vignettes. The binding is specially designed by Cretté (1893-1969), "one of the Ecole Estienne's most brilliant pupils.. [who] after graduating joined Marius-Michel's studio, eventually taking over a month before the master's death in 1925" (Duncan and de Bartha, Art Nouveau and Art Deco Bookbinding. The French Masterpieces 1880-1940, 1989). Provenance: Francis Kettaneh, bookplate.