GIDE André – DENIS Maurice Lot n° 44

GIDE André - [DENIS Maurice] BINDING BY PAUL BONET Le Voyage d'Urien Paris, Librairie de l'Art Indépendant, 1893 In-8° square. Full deep green mosaic broad-grained morocco (Paul Bonet - 1940). Smooth spine decorated at the tail with stylized seaweed mosaic in dark green and gray morocco, with author, title and date in gilt lettering. Boards delicately and differently adorned with decor suggesting the ocean floor: large conchs formed of undulating gilded fillets, stylized seaweed mosaic in dark green and gray morocco, stylized starfish mosaic in dark green and gray morocco sprinkled with small pearls mosaic in orange morocco, gilded stars, abstract motifs formed of cold fillets and a few cold-stamped bubbles escaping from the conchs and seaweed. Edge-to-edge green box lining. Same box endpapers. All edges gilt. Fresh covers and spines. Some foxing at beginning and end of book. Same morocco jacket with author, title and date in gilt lettering, same morocco slipcase (rubbed). First edition. 1/300 on Hollande laid paper. Illustrated with 31 cameo lithographs by Maurice Denis, the first and, as it were, only illustrated book produced by the Nabi artist. Magnificent work covered in a delicate navy binding designed by Paul Bonet! Ref : Bonet, "Carnets", n°471 (binding by Cretté in May 1939 - gilding by Jeanne in November 1940)