Sims Reed Rare Books

A good copy of Octave Uzanne's anecdotal history of the fan with a signed portrait of Uzanne and retaining the beautiful original wrappers.

The beautiful original wrappers with elaborate vignettes in gilt and colour by Paul Avril and printed on chine are well preserved.

'Octave Uzanne's activities in the service of books were varied and extensive ... He intended them [this volume and 'L'Ombrelle &c.'] as the beginning of a series of 'books of the boudoir', which would eventually provide a comprehensive history of feminine adornment ('L'Eventail, pg. 4) ... Certainly Avril, who was a witty and ingenious artist, took full advantage of Uzanne's anecdotal chronicle as he 'ransacked the ages and spoiled the climes' in his illustrations. They are vignettes of different shapes and sizes, printed in various colors. The result is an elegant pastiche of rococo bookmaking, exactly to the taste of the bibliophiles of his day.' (Gordon Ray).

[Ray 287].

pp. iv, 144. Large 8vo. (268 x 180 mm). Half-title with quotation from Maréchal, inserted leaf of japon with engraved portrait of Uzanne by Gaujean verso as frontispice and signed by Uzanne in purple ink, printed title in red and black with vignettes in blue, 'Avant Propos', 'Epitre Dédicatoire' and Uzanne's text, 'Appendice', final leaf of text with achevé d'imprimer verso, the majority of pages with an elaborate decorative border in a variety of colours and the text illustrated with vignettes and text illustrations also in a variety of colours, all by Paul Avril, throughout. Contemporary blue half-morocco by Fock with binder's signature to front free endpaper verso, marbled boards and endpapers, banded spine with elaborate decorative gilt tooling and gilt title in six compartments, original publisher's printed wrappers with elaborate decorative vignettes in gilt and colour preserved, striped silk placemarker, t.e.g.

#47772