Le Livre de Jade. Poesies Traduites du Chinois. Signed presentation copy. "Nouvelle edition considerablement augmentee et ornee de vignettes et de gravures hors texte d'apres les artistes chinois".
Paris: Felix Juven, (1900). New Edition augmented. Hard Cover. Ca. 1900, not dated; first published in 1867. A signed presentation copy (to Madame 'Vatsamachi' (unclear) by Judith Gautier, the first woman elected to the Academie Goncourt and the daughter of the poet and dramatist Theophile Gautier. With the initials LV at the base of the spine. Judith Gautier was an artist, poet, novelist and orientalist, the friend and collaborator of artists such as Wagner, Hugo and Sargent (who painted a full length portrait of her). She wrote poetry, prose, essays and articles; her creative work drew on Middle Eastern, Japanese and Chinese sources. She studied Chinese at a young age from Tin Tun Ling, a Chinese man brought to Paris by the bishop of Macao to work on a French-Chinese dictionary.
This is an anthology of Chinese poetry, translated into French, one of the earliest translations of Chinese poetry published in a European language. Each page is decorated with varying Art Nouveau inspired designs around the borders, with poems grouped by topic, such as: 'Les Amoureux', 'La Lune', 'Les Voyageurs', 'La Cour', 'La Guerre', 'Le Vin', 'L'Automne', and 'Les Poetes'. Signed presentation copy. "Nouvelle edition considerablement augmentee et ornee de vignettes et de gravures hors texte d'apres les artistes chinois".
8vo, 279pp, with black & white illustrations after Chinese artists. Half dark red gilt decorated cloth and marbled boards, gilt title to red spine label. Corners and head and tail of spine gently rubbed. The rear free end paper missing. Very good. Item #15050
HK2700.
Price: $350.00