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an old red book with a gold design on the coveran open book with a drawing of a woman and two menan open book with a picture of a group of people on itan open book with a picture of a woman in a gardenan open book with a drawing of a group of people on it
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902 - MALAYA KNIGA MARKIZY [THE MARQUISE’S LITTLE BOOK]
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Estimate €600 - €700
Sale commission
Description
MALAYA KNIGA MARKIZY [THE MARQUISE’S LITTLE BOOK] Das Lesebuch der Marquise: Ein Rokokobuch von Franz Blei und Constantin Somoff [The Marquise’s Reader: A Rococo Book by Franz Blei and Constantin Somov]. [Munich: Hans von Weber Verlag, 1908]. [6], 142, [2] pp.: ill.; [7] plates, 1 frontispiece; 21.5 x 15.7 cm. Printed in a run of 850 copies: 800 on Holland paper and 50 on Japanese paper. In German. Wood-engraved illustrations as inserts, decorative borders, headpieces and tailpieces within the text. Three plates hand-coloured in watercolour. Publisher’s binding in full morocco, upper cover decorated with gilt metalwork based on a design by K. Somov. Endpapers lined with crimson velvet. Gilt head. Good condition. Some scuffing and small stains on the binding; minor losses of leather at the edges of the spine and the corners of the covers; a tear at the top of the spine. *Le Livre de la marquise* is an anthology of libertine texts illustrated with erotic drawings by Constantin Somov. It comprises extracts from erotic works by André Chénier, Casanova, Parny, Voltaire and Crébillon the Younger, as well as passages from *Dangerous Liaisons* by Choderlos de Laclos. The idea for the collection came from the Austrian essayist, translator and publisher of erotic periodicals, Franz Blei (1871–1942). The book was published in three editions: the 1908 German edition, with only eight illustrations (‘La Petite Marquise’); two editions in Petrograd in 1918, printed at the requisitioned Golike & Vilborg printing works, with expanded French texts: ‘La Moyenne Marquise’ (24 plates) and ‘La Grande Marquise’ (31 illustrations), the most daring edition. A bibliophile’s rarity; Constantin Somov’s illustrations are regarded as masterpieces of Silver Age book art and one of the pinnacles of Russian illustration. First edition. Bibliography: Bibliokhronika I, no. 165; Livres pour gourmets, no. 18; Goubar, nos. 1738–1739. At the buyer’s request, we shall be happy to provide a general report on the condition of the lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise potential buyers to carry out their own inspection or to consult a specialist of their choice to obtain a full assessment of the lot’s condition. Descriptions of items provided in the catalogue or by correspondence are for information purposes only and should not be regarded as a definitive assessment. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.
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About the sale RARE BOOKS & MANUSCRIPTS: Antique books § Autographs, rare editions, photographs § Works on paper
Auction location
Auction time 10/29/2026 at 2:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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