This tiny book, is a bibliographic mystery, well at least it is to me, as I am unable to locate any reference to it. So as always in these cases I would very much appreciate any information that anyone can offer. The illustrations that accompany the book are delightful, and I guess them to be circa 1930. But that is all I have, a guess.
Title Page
Contes Libertins, par Grecourt, Nogaret,Vergier, Piron etc… n.p , n.d, Clandestine publication C 1930? In original publishers, anonymous card covers, title printed in black on front, No print or publication details, a clandestine publication. 120 numbered pages, (12.5 x 8 cm) with blanks for placement of tipped in, unsigned colour illustrations, which are contained in an opaque folder. Each of the eight illustrations is indexed with a title and page placement number. Overall condition of book is good, being rather crumpled and separating from cover at the centre of the book (but holding), the illustrations are in very good near fine condition.
Another rare Carrington, with Van Maele illustrations, this one a fairly recent acquisition, and yet another example of the quality of Carrington publications, therefore as much attention given to text and page decorations as the illustrations. This will have been a later rebind as the original covers are only partially preserved.
Title Page
Jean de Villiot, La Flagellation Amoureuse; DANS L’HISTOIRE DES MŒURS ET DANS LA LITTÉRATURE SUIVIE DE La Flagellation des Femmes EN FRANCE SOUS LA REVOLUTION ET LA TERREUR BLANCHE Cinq eaux-fortes de MARTIN VAN MAELE PARIS CHARLES CARRINGTON, LIBRAIRIE-EDITEUR 13, Faubourg Montmartre, 1904. 12.7cm. x 21.59cm. 240pp. Printed on laid paper by Veuve Félix Guy et Cie, 20th April 1904. Title page printed in orange and black. Head and tail pieces. Decorative first letter to each chapter. 5 full-page engravings (signed) by Martin van Maele with tissue guards .
This Book: Rebound in quarter black leather on cream textured boards, spine decorated with 4 gilt fluerons, 4 raised bands , lined in gilt, author and title stamped in gilt lettering. Original front and back covers, cropped and pasted on card inserts. Some light sporadic foxing but overall in very good condition.
Another title for the true bibliophile, as this is a text without illustrations, it does however have the most extraordinary leather binding, with raised pornographic images on front, spine and back of the book, where there is also the artists signature, unfortunately undecipherable, but appears to be arabic? . I have taken multiple images of the covers with different light settings, to give as much detail as possible. This is one of those items where it would be good to have more information, so please do complete a contact form if you can offer any information to enhance the listing.
The Covers
Front Board (light)
Front Board (Medium)
Front Board (Dark)
Back Board (Light)
Back Board (Dark)
Back Board (Close up)
Signature
Spine and Front (Dark)
Spine and back (Light)
Spine and back (Dark)
Title page and limitation
ARETINO, Pietro. – Les Sonnets luxurieux du divin Pietro Aretino. Texte italien, le seul authentique et traduction littérale par le Traducteur des Ragionamenti.
Avec un Notice sur les Sonnets luxurieux, l’époque de leur composition, les rapports de l’Aretin avec la Courde Rome, et sur les dessins de Jules Romains gravés par Marc-Antoine. Paris : 1882. 8vo. pp. cxx+79. No. 2 de la Collection dite Musée secret du Bibliophile. Limited to 100 copies.
THIS BOOK: Rebound in heavy calf leather, with raised pornographic signed illustrations, on Front, Back and Spine. with original publishers, cream coloured, card wraps , including spine, preserved . CXX (120 pages) Notes (French). 79 pages of Sonnets, in original Italian, with French translations on facing pages. Printed by A.-H Becus, Boulevard de Vaugirard, 112. Leather covers with some rubbing to high spots. (21 x 14 cm) contents clean, complete and near fine. A unique copy of a rare title.
A very odd listing, on a site where odd is the norm. This one is a collection of extracts from various texts throughout French history that have featured the enema as a fetishist device. It is not unusual for the enema to appear in flagellation novels, but it appears that it has a long and distinguished (or should that be disgusting?) history. This places it more in the Curiosa/ Fetish category than mainstream erotica. I have a significant number of publications by Liseux and Carrington , that explore classical erotic texts and curious bypaths of deviance. It is not unusual to find anti-clerical and anti- royalist texts, but in the world of erotica nothing is sacred, and this rather delightful tome takes a swipe at the bizarre practices of the medical profession throughout history. So by all means stand and applaud for the medics, but be careful when you bend over.
Frontispiece and Title Page
Claude de Saint-Hieble, L’Instrument des apothicaires, Le Clystère dans l’humour et la litérature. DES Anecdotes de Tallemant des Réaux, Saint-Simon, etc. L’éloge de la seringue, réimpression complète.Ma tante Geneviève, Le Mousquetaire à genoux. Le cas Antoinette Boyau ,Le petit Parnasse des Apothicaires:Grécourt, Collier, La Fontaine, Du- laurens, Béranger, etc., etc. 11 Vignettes de M. VAN MAEL [sic] 7 hors texte d’après les gravures de l’èpoque | [3 ornaments] | COLLECTION DES AMIS DU BON VIEUX TEMPS| Jean FORT, éditeur | 73, Faubourg Poissonnière, 73 [n.d., c. 1920].
This Book. Rebound in quarter beige leather with five raised bands , lined in gilt with author and title in gilt, on mottled boards, lined with pink paper. Original covers preserved. 8vo. (21.8 x 13.7 cm). 224 pp. 11 large head-pieces signed with Van Maele’s monogram. Limited edition of 30 numbered copies on Holland, which contain the signed Van Maele frontispiece, lacking in the rest of the edition. External light wear and rubbing to spine , and edges, internally complete and only marred by discolouration where the glossy images have darkened the facing pages.
Original Cover
Signed Van Maele Frontis
Notice of Limitation
Head Piece 1
Engraving 1
Head Piece 2
Head Piece 3
Engraving 2
Head Piece 4
Engraving 3
Head Piece 5
Head Piece 6
Engraving 4
Head Piece 7
Head Piece 8
Engraving 5
Head Piece 9
Engraving 6
Head Piece 10
Engraving 7
Head Piece 11
Bibliographical information.
On the Internet, several sites present this book as a pornographic work of Pierre Mac Orlan devoted to klysmaphilia. The defenders of this refreshing, but not very common practice will be disappointed. In reality, Mac Orlan wrote only a few pages to introduce an anthology of old texts devoted to the clystère. This is a true work of scholarship on a little explored subject, so much so that L’Instrument des Apothicaires is found on the shelves of several libraries of medicine. Nevertheless, the intention of the author is clear: this is frankly a broad joke, which he clearly indicates in his preface: “Nous avons fait en quelque sorte une anthologie, un livre d’or du clystère, à travers cinq siècles de badinage et d’humour, et c’est, je crois, dans le coin des humoristes qu’il convient de placer cet ouvrage sur les rayons de toute bibliothèque.” (We have to some extent made an anthology, a book on the clystère, through five centuries of banter and humour, and it is, I believe, in the corner of the humorists whom it is advisable to place this work on the shelves of any library.) For the discourse of this particular subject, Pierre Mac Orlan chose an original pseudonym, but completely fitting since the sureau hièble (Sambucus ebulus ) is a plant of which the leaves and the roots are purgative and sudorific. On rapprochera cet emprunt à la pharmacopée du Docteur Fowler de Maisons de flagellation.
Perry, S. A.. Martin Van Maele: An Illustrated Bibliographical Checklist (Kindle Locations 379-387). . Kindle Edition.
This Book is for Sale
This Book
Claude de Saint-Hieble, L’Instrument des apothicaires, (Collection des amis du bon vieux temps) Jean Fort. Paris n.d. 1920. illustrated by Martin Van Maele.
Not erotica, but more esoterica/curiosa. Not the usual flagellation theme but a story about a religious cult. Still it is number 5 in the Select Bibliotheque series, and very rare, benefiting from an early rebind, (1908), it is also exceptionally well preserved.
Prospectus and Title Page.
BRÉVANNES, Roland. – La Papesse Noire. Massy (Seine-et-Oise): Select Bibliothèque, 1907. In-16, 252 pages +. Cover illustration and 7 ( 1 double page),black and white illustrations signed “Mas”. Bound in blue cloth over marbled blue boards, Author and tile in gilt on dark red label on spine, embossed in gilt at base of spine “1907 – A.L.C 1908″.Original owners bookplate pasted on inner board. Original illustrated covers preserved, including spine printed in red and black, original price of Fr 5. Contents: 3 page preface, 249 numbered pages, including 10 pages ” La Rose D’Estrella” an extract from “Les Griffes du Sphinx” + table of contents. Followed by a 6 page catalogue of other titles, including a splendid black and white illustration, of the cover of “Fleur vénéneuse”.
Extremely well preserved copy of a very rare title.
