SCARRON (Paul) and ZIER (Edouard). Le Roman comique. New edi - Lot 277

SCARRON (Paul) and ZIER (Edouard). Le Roman comique. New edition illustrated with 350 compositions by Edouard Zier. A splendid copy in mosaic morocco by Charles Meunier, one of 60 deluxe copies on Japon, including 5 original drawings by Edouard Zier and enriched by 2 suites of illustrations, one by Henri Pille and the other by Léopold Flameng, each presented in 2 states. Paris, Librairie Artistique - H. Launette et Cie, 1888. In-4 (260x330 mm), red long-grained morocco, spine with 4 nerves outlined with gilded stippling and framed with cold filets extending over the boards, gilded framing decoration composed of brown morocco bands and gilded and mosaic corner irons on the entrenerfs, wide garnet morocco bands in a gold frame on the boards, cut at the corners with a green and brown morocco mosaic devil's head, large mosaic composition in the center of the first plate depicting a madman's head in brown, green and gray morocco, accompanied by a large feather in beige morocco, a bow in black morocco, two needles in brown, gray and black morocco, and a base in brown morocco, all within a round cold-rolled frame bordered on each side with ochre morocco pastilles, gilt fillet and gilt and mosaic leaves in ochre morocco inside, burgundy moiré silk lining and endpapers, double endpapers, gilt edges on witnesses, covers and spine preserved, case (Ch. Meunier). 453 pages, 350 compositions by Édouard Zier wood-engraved by Charles Gillot, including 1 engraved title, a title vignette, numerous in-texts, headpieces, lettrines and culs-de-lampe. Two snags on first board edge, rubbing to spine ends and nerves, spine partially shaded. Slight paper detachment on one edge of the slipcase. Some freckling affecting only some proofs of the suites. Deluxe edition limited to 60 numbered copies on Imperial Japanese paper, this being one of 58 copies each containing 5 original drawings used to illustrate the book (N°42). A precious copy with a suite of 12 plates engraved by Louis Monziès after compositions by Henri Pille (1844-1897) for the 1881 Lemerre edition, and 10 plates after Léopold Flameng for the 1880 Jouaust edition, each presented in 2 states (pure etching and before the letter). Remarkable mosaic binding by Charles Meunier (1865-1948).