284 - ERCKMANN-CHATRIAN. MALASSIS, Edmond.

ERCKMANN-CHATRIAN. MALASSIS, Edmond. L'Ami Fritz. Paris, Louis Conard, 1909. Small 8vo, (4)-394-(3) pp., plates. Contemporary marine morocco lavallière binding, ribbed spine with gilt decoration, title, author, and date in gilt, gilt headband, covers adorned with a large checkered pattern featuring a frieze depicting a rustic theme of wildflowers: wheat, thistles, poppies, carnations; endpapers in navy morocco with a Lavallière morocco border, double-framed with gilt fillets and a red strip; brown silk endpaper; modern double paper endpapers; cover and spine preserved; housed in a laid paper slipcase with morocco trim [P. L. Martin]. (spine slightly faded). Description: A very fine copy. An illustrated edition featuring 16 compositions by Edmond Malassis, engraved in color by Louis Mortier, and 8 woodcut motifs. Includes an original watercolor signed by Malassis, bound at the head. Limited edition of 150 copies, 20 of which are on Japanese paper and contain a breakdown of one of the plates in “yellow, cyan, magenta” with the proof corrected by Mr. Malassis, for a total of 4 dated plates (publisher’s stamp dated April 4, 1908) Copy No. 4 on antique Japanese paper with the publisher’s mark. In a superb art binding by Pierre-Lucien Martin. With the gilder’s signature on the second endpaper (“Paris dor.”). Enriched with a tracing featuring sketches and annotations of one of the vignettes.