Malatesta

Romancero

1906 · 006908 — Paris 1906. Full Morocco. Slipcase with marbled paper pastedown and morocco edges. Dust jacket with morocco spine and morocco edges. Fine/Fine. Gorgeous illuminated and calligraphic manuscript on vellum leaves magnificently bound. Supposedly this showcase manuscript was on display at the Exposition Universelle de Bruxelles in 1910! The manuscript is written in French and based on a Spanish tale. 4to. 29.5 by 22.5 cm. 21 vellum leaves including blanks featuring 13 watercolor illustrations three headings with large decorative initials in red blue and green and 69 smaller decorative initials also colored. Additional pictorial architectural title in grisaille watercolour over pencil with title in gold and "Pour Monsieur Raymond Claude Lafontaine" at foot. Primary title -- some might regard this as the half-title -- has red and black lettering and below appears a vignette of a knight holding a disembodied head. All the watercolor paintings are signed with the artist's initials. Two bookplates. One is etched the other is of P.Brunet. Both are mounted on front free endpaper. Endpapers are a gold and green patterned silk. The spectacular binding was done by Henri Marius Michel. The cover has a geometrical design of nine deeply inset panels inlaid with leaves and berries in morocco of various reds and browns. The spine is rounded and has four pairs of raised bands. The turn-ins are of light brown morocco ruled in gilt with crimson morocco leaf at corners gold brocade doublures and flyleaves. The binding epitomizes an Art Nouveau aesthetic with homage to the Gothic or Medieval. Condition: book itself without issue as is DJ which is quarter morocco morocco fold marbled paper pastedown matching that of slipcase. Slipcase with minor rubbing. unknown