Beschreibung:

CHIMOT, Edouard (1880-1959) -- LOUYS, Pierre (1870-1925). Les Chansons de Bilitis . Paris: Devambez, 1925.
CHIMOT, Edouard (1880-1959) -- LOUYS, Pierre (1870-1925). Les Chansons de Bilitis . Paris: Devambez, 1925. Quarto (340 x 240 mm). Text printed within terracotta ruled borders, Grecian head- and tail-piece ornaments. 12 colour plates, and three duplicate suites of these in various states for a total of 48 plates; EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED with one unpublished plate, and as described below. (One of the trial plates with an early repair in the margin.) Full morocco by Blanchetière, original printed wrappers bound-in, the front cover incorporating the original copper plate for the plate 'Intimités', spine with raised bands and in compartments two of which lettered in gilt, green morocco doublures with a black and brown morocco onlaid border with blind-tooled palmettes, free endpapers lined with brown moiré silk, gilt edges, matching slipcase (minor scuffs on the lower board, small chip at spine foot). Provenance : Edouard Chimot (presentation inscription, the recipient's name deleted). First edition illustrated by Chimot. A UNIQUE COPY, INSCRIBED BY CHIMOT, FINELY BOUND, AND WITH ORIGINAL PREPARATORY DRAWINGS. This copy is one of 40 copies printed for the artist and his friends, but rather than merely adding an additional set of prints and one drawing, as called for by the limitation, this unique copy replaces these with eight leaves of original drawings by Chimot for the image published here as 'Intimitiés', together with nine trial printings of this plate each annotated by Chimot, and the copper plate itself incorporated into the fine binding by Blanchetière. Chimot presented this copy to an esteemed friend with a warm inscription: 'avec tout le plaisir que j'ai de savoir cet exemplaire dans sa bibliothèque. Sympathiquement, Chimot'. For Chimot see also lot 123.