52 - BATAILLE, Michel. The Christmas Tree.

BATAILLE, Michel. The Christmas Tree. First edition, limited first printing on alfa paper (No. 16), in a beautiful Jansenist binding signed by Jean-Paul Miguet. Paris, Julliard, 1967. In-8, full fawn Jansenist box leather, smooth spine adorned with the author’s name and title in gold lettering, date at the foot, interior edging of the same box leather set with the bookbinder’s signature stamped at the foot, brown paper endpapers and linings, gilt head, untrimmed, covers and spine preserved, in a bordered slipcase (binding signed by J.-P. Miguet). 280 pages. Spine faded and rubbed with a small brown stain at the bottom; slight wear on the edges of the slipcase. First edition of this poetic novel by Michel Bataille (1926–2008), winner of the Plume d’Or from *Le Figaro littéraire*. Limited edition of 85 copies; this one is among the first 20 printed on Navarre paper mills’ alfa mousse (no. 16). A lovely copy in a binding signed by Jean-Paul Miguet (1925–2019), one of the most famous bookbinders of the second half of the 20th century.