92 - [DUCLOS, Charles Pinot]. Acajou and Zirphile, a tale.

[DUCLOS, Charles Pinot]. Acajou and Zirphile, a tale. A Minutie [Paris], n.p., 1761. In-12 (16 x 9.5 cm), marbled tan calfskin, smooth spine decorated with panels, red edges. 6 ff. 161 pp., 10 hors-texte engravings. Slight water stain on the outer margin of the plate between pages 40–41. The last marbled paper endpaper is missing. A rare counterfeit edition of this famous parodic and fairy-tale-like story, featuring the fictitious imprint “A Minutie” created for the original 1744 edition (published in in-12 and in-4 formats). It is illustrated with a frontispiece and 9 engravings based on the original compositions by François Boucher. This parodic tale is famous for the unique story of its creation. In 1740, the Count of Tessin commissioned ten drawings from François Boucher to illustrate an earlier text, *Faunillane*. After the Count’s departure, the bookseller Prault, wishing to make the most of Boucher’s engravings, challenged the members of an “Académie galante” (Caylus, Voisenon, Duclos) to write a new tale to accompany the existing engravings. Charles Pinot Duclos won the contest with “Acajou et Zirphile.” A fine copy in a period binding.