74 - SEGALEN (VICTOR)

SEGALEN (VICTOR) To the Scholars of the Far West. [Peking], [Pei-T'ang Press], 1914. Brochure in folio format (288 x 142 mm), accordion-folded, [5] pp., large red “cinnabar” stamp “CRES / CAM” on the title page. A very rare specimen brochure from the Korean Collection compiled under the direction of Victor Segalen in Peking for Georges Crès & Cie, 1914. In this veritable bibliophile’s manifesto, Segalen precisely outlines his choices regarding paper, format, folding, and illustration—principles he would put into practice that same year in the second edition of “Stèles,” published in the Korean Collection. The meticulous printing is done on Korean felted laid paper, and the title page is adorned with the publisher’s mark, rendered as a cinnabar seal applied by hand. This extremely rare prospectus appears to be missing from the BnF’s collections; the library had to borrow a copy for its 1999 exhibition dedicated to Victor Segalen.