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  • Category = Erotica
  • ONE OF 50 COPIES IN OBSCENELY GILT TOOLED FULL MOROCCO
    Lettre à la Présidente. by GAUTIER Théophile
    GAUTIER Théophile
    Lettre à la Présidente.

    Paris: Privately Printed, 1850 (1890). Full morocco, 6 3/4 inches tall. An extraordinary and most attractive binding by Pétrus Ruban with gilt raised bands and gilt genitalia tooling to the panels, boards and dentelles, befitting the "indecent prose" of the text. All edges gilt. Limited to 50 copies on Japanese Paper. 'The President', was the honorary nickname attributed to Apollonie Sabatier, (pseudonym of Aglaé Savatier), who was 'one of the most bewitching Salon mistresses of the 19th century', and hosted nearly all of the French artists of her time. She was said to have astonishing wit, sensuality and beauty, and was the muse of sculptors, painters and authors alike. "In October 1850, Gautier addressed a letter to her "buffoonish and…

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    Paris: Privately Printed, 1850 (1890). Full morocco, 6 3/4 inches tall. An extraordinary and most attractive binding by Pétrus Ruban with gilt raised bands and gilt genitalia tooling to the panels, boards and dentelles, befitting the "indecent prose" of the text. All edges gilt. Limited to 50 copies on Japanese Paper. 'The President', was the honorary nickname attributed to Apollonie Sabatier, (pseudonym of Aglaé Savatier), who was 'one of the most bewitching Salon mistresses of the 19th century', and hosted nearly all of the French artists of her time. She was said to have astonishing wit, sensuality and beauty, and was the muse of sculptors, painters and authors alike. "In October 1850, Gautier addressed a letter to her "buffoonish and obscene, commenting with a Rabelaisian earthiness on what his friend and himself had learned in matters of sexuality during the journey they were making".......Madame Sabatier distributed copies to all her guests and the reading of Gautier's "indecent prose" became a popular event at Parisian evenings." It would not however be published until the death of its addressee in 1890, rather than the 1850 printed on the title page. "Tire a Tres Petit Nombre Pour quelques curieux Sur papier Imperial du Japon" The obscene frontispiece is lacking and clearly was never bound in. With the bookplate of Daniel Henry Holmes Ingalls.

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  • SUPERB COPY WITH ORIGINAL WATERCOLOUR INSCRIBED
    Le Train de 8 h. 47 by COURTELINE, GEORGES
    COURTELINE, GEORGES
    Le Train de 8 h. 47

    Paris: Chez Sylvian Sauvage, 1927. Half morocco, 9.5 inches tall. with raised bands and fine gilt tooling with onlays, gilt top edge. This is example V of XX lettered 'examplaires de collaboration'. With splendid illustrations by Andre Dignimont including an original watercolour signed and inscribed to Pierre Macorlan, the celebrated french novelist and songwriter.

    View basket More details Price: £1,600.00
  • PRIVATELY PRINTED IN SUPERB ART NOUVEAU HALF MOROCCO
    Merry Songs and Ballads. by FARMER, John S.
    FARMER, John S.
    Merry Songs and Ballads.

    Privately Printed For Subscribers Only, 1897. 5 volume set, 9 inches tall. A beautiful half morocco binding in the Art Nouveau style by Zaehnsdorf with one raised band, the titles in a floral cartouche above and a superb floral design below. Gilt top edges. The corners are slightly bumped and the cloth boards a little rubbed and marked. This comprehensive and extraordinary collection of songs and ballads popular before 1800 is privately printed for subscribers to allow some bawdy and explicit material to be included. A superb set finely printed on handmade paper.

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  • DELUXE LIMITED EDITION CLASSIC TALES IN SUPERB FULL MOROCCO
    The Nights of Straparola. by STRAPAROLA, Giovanni Francesco
    STRAPAROLA, Giovanni Francesco
    The Nights of Straparola.

    London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1894. 2 volume set, 11 inches tall. A superb full citron morocco by Zaehnsdorf with gilt raised bands, simple but most elegant gilt pallets to the panels and a series of gilt fillets framing the boards. Gilt dentelles and top edges, the remaining edges untrimmed. One of a deluxe limited edition of just 210 copies printed on Japanese vellum. The spines are slightly darkened but are still bright, otherwise pristine. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey and with the bookplate of Ernest G. Mocatta. This translation, by W.G. Waters, is the first into English. With 20 plates by E.R. Hughes. A collector and writer of short stories, Straparola published this…

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    London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1894. 2 volume set, 11 inches tall. A superb full citron morocco by Zaehnsdorf with gilt raised bands, simple but most elegant gilt pallets to the panels and a series of gilt fillets framing the boards. Gilt dentelles and top edges, the remaining edges untrimmed. One of a deluxe limited edition of just 210 copies printed on Japanese vellum. The spines are slightly darkened but are still bright, otherwise pristine. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey and with the bookplate of Ernest G. Mocatta. This translation, by W.G. Waters, is the first into English. With 20 plates by E.R. Hughes. A collector and writer of short stories, Straparola published this collection of stories sometimes called 'The Facetious Nights' or 'The Pleasant Nights'. This collection includes some of the first known printed versions of fairy tales in Europe. Charles Perrault and the brothers Grimm both developed some of his tales.

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  • LIMITED EDITION IN FINE HALF MOROCCO
    The Heptameron by NAVARRE, Margaret, Queen of
    NAVARRE, Margaret, Queen of
    The Heptameron

    London: The Society of English Bibliophilists, 1894. 5 volume set, 9 inches tall. A very neat half morocco of generous proportions with gilt raised bands, tooling and top edge. One of 312 copies on hand made paper. The 73 full page plates by Freudenberg printed on Japanese paper and mounted. 150 head and tail pieces by Dunker. Bookplates. A pristine set of this splendid edition.

    View basket More details Price: £800.00
  • RARE LIMITED EDITION IN HALF MOROCCO
    Oeuvres Libres: Les Amies Femmes by VERLAINE, Paul. Louis Berthommé-Saint-André, (Illustrator)
    VERLAINE, Paul. Louis Berthommé-Saint-André, (Illustrator)
    Oeuvres Libres: Les Amies Femmes

    Paris: 'Disciples d'Hippocrate', 1942. Half crushed morocco, 11 inches tall. A simple binding with gilt tooled titles, fleurons and top edge. One of 250 copies on 'velin de rives', this being number 245. With 13 explicit illustrations in black and white and 12 in colour, with an extra suite of the 12 colour lithographs. A fine copy.

    View basket More details Price: £750.00
  • RARE EROTICA IN SUPERB CALF BINDING
    An Essay on Woman. by WILKES, John.
    WILKES, John.
    An Essay on Woman.

    London: Privately Printed, 1871. Full straight grain calf, 8.75 inches tall. A superb copy of this notorious item of erotica. With wide gilt raised bands, fine gilt tooled panels, boards, dentelles and all edges. Printed in black and red, reportedly in a deluxe edition of 250. The extraordinary Wilkes, member of the Knights of St. Francis of Wycombe, also known as the Hellfire Club, wrote this pornographic poem dedicated to the courtier Fanny Murray entitled "An Essay on Woman" as a parody of Alexander Pope's "An Essay on Man". Having been outlawed in 1769 he became Lord Mayor of London in 1774!

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  • DECADENT NOVEL IN SUPERB FULL CALF
    Les Amours du Chevalier de Faublas. by LOUVET DE COUVRAY, Jean-Baptiste
    LOUVET DE COUVRAY, Jean-Baptiste
    Les Amours du Chevalier de Faublas.

    Paris: Chez Ambroise Tardieu, 1821. 4 volume set, 8 inches tall. A delightful full mottled calf by Bayntun of Bath with gilt raised bands, twin labels and very fine gilt tooling to the panels. A wide gilt roll frames the boards. Dentelles and all edges gilt. Decorated with 8 engravings by Alexandre-Marie Colin, a student of Girodet. Slight rubbing to the edges and some light foxing. An exceptional set of this licentious novel.

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  • PRIVATELY PRINTED LIMITED EDITION, PLATES IN 2 STATES, IN ELEGANT EDWARDIAN FULL CALF
    Mademoiselle de Maupin. (In English). by GAUTIER, Theophile
    GAUTIER, Theophile
    Mademoiselle de Maupin. (In English).

    London: "The Walpole Press" for Subscribers Only, 1899. 2 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. A splendid Edwardian full calf by Morrell with gilt raised bands, triple labels and extra gilt to the panels. Three gilt fillets and corner tools frame the boards and gilt dentelles and top edges. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Set number 29 from a limited edition of 1000 copies on Japanese vellum. This 'Grand Edition De Luxe' has the 19 etchings printed in 2 states. In a compelling and shocking tale of sexual deception, typical of Gautier, Théodore de Sérannesuses uses her great beauty and charm to captivate both d'Albert, a young poet, and disguised as a man,…

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    London: "The Walpole Press" for Subscribers Only, 1899. 2 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. A splendid Edwardian full calf by Morrell with gilt raised bands, triple labels and extra gilt to the panels. Three gilt fillets and corner tools frame the boards and gilt dentelles and top edges. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Set number 29 from a limited edition of 1000 copies on Japanese vellum. This 'Grand Edition De Luxe' has the 19 etchings printed in 2 states. In a compelling and shocking tale of sexual deception, typical of Gautier, Théodore de Sérannesuses uses her great beauty and charm to captivate both d'Albert, a young poet, and disguised as a man, his mistress, Rosette. Théodore eventually reveals herself to d’Albert by spending half the night with him before spending the other half with Rosette. By dawn she has disappeared, leaving only a letter behind.

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    View basket More details Price: £550.00
  • SUPERB FULL MOROCCO BY JEREMIAH LARKINS
    The Heptameron by NAVARRE, Margaret Queen of
    NAVARRE, Margaret Queen of
    The Heptameron

    London: Henry G. Bohn, 1850. Full morocco, 7.25 inches tall. One of a special series of 'Bohn's Extra Volumes' Beautifully bound in full morocco by the celebrated London binder Jeremiah Larkins. With gilt raised bands, extra gilt panels, dentelles and all edges gilt. Bookplate and the neat stamp of Bostonian collector Charles S. Dixwell on the reverse of the front free endpapers. A beautiful copy of these 72 short stories, mostly concerned with love, lust, sex and romance, inspired by the Decameron and first published in 1558.

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  • FIRST TRANSLATION INTO ENGLISH IN FINE BINDING
    Tales of Firenzuola. Benedictine Monk of Vallombrosa. by FIRENZUOLA,
    FIRENZUOLA,
    Tales of Firenzuola. Benedictine Monk of Vallombrosa.

    Paris: Isidore Liseux, 1889. Half crushed morocco, 6.5 inches tall. With 2 gilt raised bands, titles, fine floral tooling to the main panel with onlays for the petals and top edge gilt. Isidore Liseux famously specialised in printing tales that were considered too racy to be printed in England. These 16th century tales are mildly erotic and here translated for the very first time into English. A fascinating item, beautifully bound.

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  • LIMITED EDITION EROTICA IN EXTRAORDINARY HALF MOROCCO
    Lettres Amoureuses d'un Frére à son Elève. by ANONYMOUS
    ANONYMOUS
    Lettres Amoureuses d'un Frére à son Elève.

    Paris: Bibliotheque des Curieux, (1910). Half morocco, 6 inches tall. A very curious item in a curious binding with gilt raised bands, raised head and tail and ornate gilt tooling to the spine. Gilt top edge. One of 500 copies. Original wrappers bound in. The tale of the seduction of a novice by a priest.

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  • DELIGHTFUL LITTLE SET IN FULL CALF
    Opuscules. by PARNY, Chevalier de
    PARNY, Chevalier de
    Opuscules.

    Paris: Hardouin, 1784. 2 volume set, 5 inches tall. A very simple yet good looking full calf with gilt bands, twin olive labels and tiny floral centre tools. All edges gilt. With the bookseller's ticket 'Vendu par DETREZ Libraire, place Sorbonne, No 4 a Paris'. The first volume consists of 'Poésies érotiques' and 'Voyage', the second volume of 'La journée champêtre', 'Le promontroire de Leucade', Les fleurs', and 'Mélange'. With exquisite engraved plates.

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  • FIRST COMPLETE EDITION IN FINE HALF MOROCCO
    The Heptameron by NAVARRE, Margaret of
    NAVARRE, Margaret of
    The Heptameron

    Privately Printed, 1886. Half morocco by Hatchards, 9 inches tall. A very handsome binding with gilt raised bands, gilt titles, panels and top edge. This edition, translated from the 16th century French is by Arthur Machen and is the first complete edition in English. This copy was bound without the plates that are found in some copies.

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  • TALES OF LOVE IN FULL VELLUM
    Amours Antiques. by KELLER, Alexandre
    KELLER, Alexandre
    Amours Antiques.

    Paris: Borel, 1902. Full vellum, 7.5 inches tall. With a label and gilt tooling to the spine and a charming gilt design on the upper board with a butterfly alighting on a lotus. Tales of love from classical writers. From the Selbourne collection and with their tiny ink stamp on the reverse of the title page.

    View basket More details Price: £180.00