Extensive collection with striking lithographic plates in bright colours showing fine examples of folkloristic ornaments, many of them with Art Nouveau influence. – Contents: Starting with geometric patterns and followed by stylised floral designs, there are also included numerous borders of aprons, corner-pieces in fine open work, simple and ornamental patterns of trimmings, all from national dresses of various regions, accurately and faithfully drawn after the designs and colours of the original garments, adapted the for use in school of arts and crafts. Enclosed is a quarto booklet of 12 pages with explanations how to draw the patterns of different plates, as well as measurements on 15 b/w illustrations and 5 additional illustrations after photos of original garment. – The portfolio is skillfully executed an by Josef Šíma (1859-1929), a high school professor of drawing, collector of folk embroidery and pioneer of documenting folk culture through photography. – The present portfolio was also published with a English, French and German language cover and booklet. - Condition: Upper front band fragmented, cardboard map at edges and corners slightly bumped and worn, boards and last page of text booklet minimally stained title page with slight stains of former cleaning, some plates minimally finger-stained and browned at edges, plate no. XXVIII slightly bumped at upper edge; generally a well preserved portfolio throuhout, in all language variants a very rarely offered item indeed. – Rarity: As of August 27th 2021 there is no other copy available at the market in any of the versions. OCLC and KVK show only 5 copies of the Czech original version in institutional holdings outside of the Czech Republic (Cambridge UL, Cleveland PL, Harvard, Saint Louis PL, Paris [BnF]), none of them cataloguing the originally enclosed booklet. RBH quotes no auction result at all, neighter does JAP/APO. – Reference: Toman, Nový slovník ?eskoslovenských výtvarných um?lc?, 3rd ed., vol. 2 (1950), p. 72 cit. WBIS/CSBA.
