Jean and Jeannette

With illustrations by Ad. Lalauze. Preface by Leo Clarate. Paris : Societe des Beaux Arts, 1890s. Quarto, in a magnificent binding of full levant morocco, upper and lower boards elaborately decorated in gilt and multiple inlaid leathers with a large central fleur de lys within a floral border, spine in compartments with raised bands, lettered and decorated in gilt (joints repaired, spine rubbed and cracked), morocco doublures with elaborate floriated gilt dentelles, inlaid white leather with small painting of a nude girl, silk endpapers, top edge gilt, pp. xli; [42] – 249, illustrated with plates in three states, with remarques, the very deluxe edition limited to 20 copies, of which 9 copies were for America.

The most deluxe and rare of the three editions (Salon Edition, Edition Artistique, Edition de Deux Mondes) which comprised ten volumes in total. This edition, which is limited to only 20 copies, is large paper in format, printed on Japanese vellum, housed in a most elaborate publisher’s inlaid binding and illustrated with the plates in multiple states.

First published in 1850 in serialised format, Jean and Jeannette is a French romantic story where two members of the noble class disguise themselves and meet at a ball.