218 - MAUPASSANT (Guy de) and NICK (Gaston). Cinq Contes. La Ficelle - La Bête à Maît' Belhomme - Le Petit Fut - Aux Champs - Toine. Etchings by Gaston Nick.

MAUPASSANT (Guy de) and NICK (Gaston). Cinq Contes. La Ficelle - La Bête à Maît' Belhomme - Le Petit Fut - Aux Champs - Toine. Etchings by Gaston Nick. Unique copy on Japon in bindings signed by Kieffer, containing the 20 original drawings signed by Gaston Nick, a suite with "bons à tirer", a double suite on vellum, a suite of single proofs in intermediate state, several manufacturing documents (contracts, sketches) and 180 plates in single proofs on different papers. Paris, René Kieffer, 1928. 2 volumes in-4 (220x240 mm), emerald-green morocco, smooth spines decorated with circles and sets of gilded fillets forming colored grids, on the boards a large gilded composition tinted brown, blue, green and violet, wide inner frame in the same morocco, set with multiple gilded fillets intersecting at the corners, "René Kieffer" signature in the leather, red and black textured paper lining and endpapers, double endpapers, gilded head on witnesses, cover preserved, lined case (René Kieffer). 106 pages entirely mounted on tabs, 20 original hors-texte etchings by Gaston Nick. Spine a little faded, minor rubbing to spine ends, very rare browning to margins of some plates. Deluxe edition illustrated with 20 original hors-texte etchings by the painter, draftsman and engraver Gaston Nick. Limited edition of 500 copies, this one a unique copy on imperial Japanese paper, unnumbered, "reserved for the originals and all the documentation for the book" as indicated in a note signed by René Kieffer on the justification. It is enriched with : - 20 original signed drawings by Gaston Nick - A complete suite of 20 engravings with "bons à tirer" from the publisher and the engraver, some with annotations from the engraver indicating modifications to be made for the final state - A suite on vellum in the second and third states - A complete suite of single proofs in the intermediate state before steeling - A typescript letter from Albin Michel to René Kieffer, authorizing him to produce a deluxe edition of the book and stipulating the amount of royalties to be paid (1 page in-8) - A L.A.S. from Gaston Nick to René Kieffer, dated March 16, 1926, concerning the illustration he undertook to produce and for which he waived all copyright. - 3 pencil sketches of the title page, 2 annotated by René Kieffer - A proof by René Kieffer of the binding design - A suite in first, second and third states of all the plates on satin, parchment and gros vélin d'estampes, i.e. 180 plates in single proofs in a separate volume.