Lot 122: Album de poèmes tirés du Livre de Jade.

8vo. - Beautiful edition, printed on Japanese vellum with text in "Brook" type in blue, and some parts in red, with the first letter of each stanza or sentences printed in gold, and all the pages ruled in red. Finely illustrated by L. Pissarro, and engraved by him and his wife Esther, with 7 medallion woodcuts in colour and in gold, one large illustrative initial in colour & gold, large floral ornaments in colour and Chinese characters in gold on title. Eragny's mark on last leaf. Edition limited to 130 copies, of which 125 for sale, the 10 first on Roman vellum and the rest on Japanese vellum (n. 39 for John Shelly). "One of the books which gave me particular pleasure to produce was "Poèmes tirés du Livre de Jade" by Judith Gautier. For this little book I again used gold leaf; this time for illustrations as well as the initial letters, but, on this occasion, I tried Japanese vellum, which, as it could be used dry, enabled me to avoid the tiresome tendency of the gold stick to the wet paper" (L. Pissarro, Notes on the Eragny Press, in Fern, p. 80). "These poems [...] declare the other influence upon Lucien, the Chinese and Japanese [...]. This is perhaps the climax of Eragny printing, because its elaboration came so clearly from the printer's taste and there is no hint that resources are strained. It is of its time, and ends a period attractively" (Franklin, p. 100). Preface written by Diana White (1868-1950), artist and translator, friend of Esther and Lucien. - Ref. Ransom, Eragny Press, 29. - The gentle art of Lucien Pissarro, 42 (mentions that "The whole printed on one side only of folded leaves"). - Franklin, pp. 97 & 100. - Tomkinson, Eragny Press, 30. - Not in Moore. - Joined: 1. Receipt for the purchase of this book by John Shelly signed by Lucien Pissarro, 30th. Nov. 1911, accompanied by a letter from L. Pissarro dated 1st December. - 2. Subscription leaf, also printed in red and blue on Japanese vellum. - *** Superbe ouvrage sur papier japon avec texte imprimé en bleu, certaines parties en rouge, initiales en doré, le tout cerné d'un filet doré. Illustré de 7 médaillons in-texte en couleurs, d'une grande initiale en couleurs & or et d'ornements dans le texte en couleurs. Rel. d'édition.

September") 1911

Publisher's binding bound in Japanese style: brown limp leather, front cover titled in gilt and decorated with sm. ornaments, light brown spine sewn with brown silk cord (rubbed on edges).