FABLES DE LA FONTAINE: Cent Fables Choisies, Illustrations de Henry Morin
Paris: Henri Laurens, Librarie Renouard, [1904]. Hardcover. Told in an elegant style, Jean de la Fontaine's (1621-95) charming animal fables depict sly foxes and scheming cats, vain birds and greedy wolves, all of which subtly express his penetrating insights into French society. Introduction by M.L. Tarsot. Quarto: [iv], iv, 199, [1] pp. with 12 full-page plates, all hand-colored wood engravings, as well as numerous full-page plates, vignettes, and page decorations, all wood engravings by Ducourtioux after Henry Morin. In the publisher's grayish blue diagonal fine-ribbed cloth binding, with beveled boards; full-cover black, white, yellow, red, gray, brown, green, and violet-stamped vignette of fox, goat, crow, stork, guinea hen, and rooster under a grape arbor, and copper-stamped titling on the front panel; gilt-stamped titling running along the spine; and a black-stamped publisher's monogram device on the rear panel. All edges gilt, with light gray endpapers. Typical mild toning along the extremities of the contents, with a clip to the top corners of the front flyleaf. The spine is moderately toned, with a bit of minor edgewear to the boards; otherwise very good. Provenance: from the Publishers' Bookbindings collection of Ellen K. Morris and Edward S. Levin. Very good. Item #80356
Price: $125.00