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    Utagawa Kuniyoshi. Woman dedicating a hand towel at a washing trough in a shrine / Fan print, 1842-46.

    Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳) (1797–1861) Signed: Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi ga [一勇斎 國芳画] in red cartouche Date: VI/1842 – V ic/1846, single nanushi censor seal Murata (村) for censor Murata Sahei [村田佐兵衛]. Publisher: Unknown, Izuzen (Bei, 米); Marks 06-028 | U103a Media: Rigid fan print (Aiban Yoko-e Uchiwa-e, 合判横絵 団扇絵), 224 x 290 mm

    Half-length portrait of a woman facing slightly to the right. She wears a patterned kimono with multiple floral and seasonal motifs, including uchiwa (round fans), plum blossoms, maple leaves, chrysanthemums, snow-covered bamboo, pine branches, and peonies. Her obi is tied in front, and a red collar is visible beneath the layers. Her hair is arranged in an elaborate updo and is adorned with a hairpin featuring a rabbit and a crescent moon, referencing lunar symbolism. She dedicates a hand towel at a washing trough (手水舎, temizuya) in a shrine. Inscriptions on the towels.

    In the background, several towels are hanging, featuring various mon (family crests) and symbols:

    • Three oak leaves
    • Crossed or intersecting hawk feathers
    • Kiri-mon (Paulownia crest, associated with Kuniyoshi)
    • Toshidama (seal of the Utagawa school)
    • Masu (枡, measuring box) motif – a square with diagonal lines
    1. Kuniyoshi Project
    2. [LIB-3428.2025] Christie’s, New York: Japanese Prints, Paintings, and Screens, Monday, 24 November 1997 / Sales Catalogue, № 130, p. 63.
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    Jō and Uba – Spirits of the Paired Pines of Takasago and Sumiyoshi Greeting the Rising Sun on New Year Morning / Fan print, 1847-8.

    Artist: Attributed to Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾 北斎) (1760–1849) – unsigned. Publisher: Unknown, seal Hei (平); Marks 05-004 | U377a (1848) Censor Seal: Double nanushi Hama (濱) & Kunigasa (衣笠) Date: Kōka 4–5 / Kaei 1 (1847–1848) Media: Rigid fan print (Aiban Yoko-e Uchiwa-e, 合判横絵 団扇絵), 239 × 301 mm The legendary elderly couple Jō and Uba (尉と姥), spirits of the paired pines of Takasago (高砂) and Sumiyoshi (住吉), are known as the Aioi-no-Matsu (相生の松). They symbolize marital harmony, longevity, and the enduring bond of love. The Takasago legend is one of the oldest in Japanese mythology, famously portrayed in the Noh play Takasago no Uta (高砂の歌).

    Aioi-no-Matsu – The Paired Pines of Takasago and Sumiyoshi

    The Aioi-no-Matsu refers to two pine trees growing separately but intertwined at the roots, representing an unbreakable union.
    • The Takasago pine (高砂の松) grows in Harima Province, while the Sumiyoshi pine (住吉の松) stands in Settsu Province.
    • Though physically distant, these trees are spiritually connected, like Jō and Uba, the aged couple who embody their spirits.
    • The phrase "The wind that blows through Takasago reaches Sumiyoshi" symbolizes the continuity of love and harmony across time and space.

    Aioi-no-Matsu in the Noh Play Takasago

    The Noh play Takasago, attributed to Zeami, popularized this imagery.
    • Jō and Uba appear as an elderly couple raking pine needles, revealing themselves as the spirits of the Aioi-no-Matsu.
    • The play conveys the theme of eternal harmony between husband and wife, making Aioi-no-Matsu a symbol of auspicious blessings for weddings and longevity celebrations.

    Symbolism in the Print

    This print incorporates traditional symbols of longevity and prosperity:
    • A minogame (蓑亀, "straw-cloaked turtle"), representing immortality, rests near the shore.
    • A crane (鶴, tsuru), a symbol of marital fidelity.
    • The rising sun over the ocean represents renewal and hope for the coming year.
    • Jō and Uba’s presence under the Aioi-no-Matsu (Paired Pines) evokes the traditional New Year’s wish for long life and unity.
    • The minogame and crane further reinforce New Year’s themes of prosperity and fortune.

    Comparison to MFA Boston Prints

    This print shares strong visual and thematic connections with two works attributed to Hokusai in the MFA Boston collection:
    • Accession No. 21.10269 – "Jō and Uba, the Spirits of the Pine Trees of Takasago and Sumiyoshi"
      • Depicts the couple sweeping pine needles, reinforcing themes of domestic harmony and renewal.
      • Includes a minogame and a flying crane, similar to this print.
    • Accession No. 21.7869 – Another version of "Jō and Uba"
      • Shows Jō and Uba standing, gazing at the sea, in a more expansive composition.
      • Features a large pine tree, crashing waves, and a red sun, mirroring the background elements in this print.

    MFA-B № 21.10269

    MFA-B № 21.7869
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    Utagawa Toyokuni II (a.k.a. Toyoshige ). Ichikawa Danjūrō VII and two kabuki actors as anthropomorphic bats. / Fan print, 1829.

    Artist: Utagawa Toyokuni II [歌川豊国二代] a.k.a. Toyoshige [豊重] (Japanese, (1777 – 1835) Signed: 豊国狂筆 (Toyokuni kyō-hitsu, "mad brush of Toyokuni") Publisher: Maru-Jū (丸重), seal Jū (重), Marks reference 08-079 | U190a (1826–1829, only on fan prints) Censor Seal: Kiwame + Bunsei 12 (Year of the Ox [丑], 1829) Media: Uchiwa-e (fan print), color woodblock print, 230 × 293 mm

    A fantastical kabuki-themed scene depicting three anthropomorphic bats, dressed in Edo-period costumes. The central figure, likely Ichikawa Danjūrō VII (市川團十郎七, 1791–1859), is distinguished by his costume featuring a gourd motif (瓢箪, hyōtan)—a symbol closely linked to the Ichikawa family. He wears two swords, further identifying him as a kabuki hero, and carries a sake flask marked with what appears to be the publisher's emblem. His raised arm (or wing?) suggests a dramatic action, possibly striking or threatening the bat figure on the left, who recoils in response.

    The two side bats, also dressed in patterned kimono, display expressions contrasting with the central figure—one appearing startled, while the other remains cheerful. The oxidized lead-orange pigment used in the lower portions of their wings suggests depth and texture.

    This print reflects Danjūrō VII’s association with both the bat (蝙蝠, kōmori) and the double gourd. Bats were considered lucky symbols due to their resemblance to the character of "good fortune" (福, fuku), and Danjūrō VII often incorporated bat motifs into his stage costumes. The Ichikawa family's crest, the mimasu (三升, "three squares"), was more commonly used, but the double gourd and bat imagery appeared in promotional materials, reinforcing his theatrical identity.
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    Utagawa Kuniyoshi. Courtesan Reading a Letter in Yoshiwara Pleasure District / Fan print, 1856.

    Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳) (1797–1861) Signed: 一勇斎 (Ichiyūsai) in a yellow cartouche, 國芳画 (Kuniyoshi ga) in a red cartouche Publisher: 未詳 (Yama-Ta), seal [板元, 太] – Hanmoto, Ta; Marks 19-044 | U421b Censor Seal: Aratame + Ansei 3 (3rd lunar month, 1856) Block Carver: 彫竹 (Hori Take), identified as Yokokawa Takejirō (横川竹二郎) (fl. 1845–1863) Media: Rigid fan print (Aiban Yoko-e Uchiwa-e, 合判横絵 団扇絵), 227 × 286 mm Half-length portrait of a high-ranking courtesan (oiran, 花魁) seated in a three-quarter view, holding a porcelain sake cup decorated with a blue mon of stylized oak leaves (kashiwa, 柏). She gazes downward at a partially unrolled letter resting on her lap. Her elaborate hairstyle, adorned with multiple kogai (ornamental hairpins) featuring golden floral motifs, signifies her elevated status within her profession. Her layered kimono displays a combination of red, blue, and black geometric patterns, emphasizing the luxurious textiles associated with courtesans of her rank. The stylized oak leaves on the sake cup may allude to the family mon of Onoe family of kabuki actors, evoking the overlap between theatre and the pleasure quarters. The background portrays a night scene in the Yoshiwara Pleasure District (吉原), where figures move beneath lantern-lit buildings, showing the vibrant nightlife of Edo.
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    Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III). Kabuki actor Matsumoto Kōshirō V as Hanakawado no Sukeroku / Fan print, 1822.

    Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貴] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豐国] (Japanese, 1786–1865)

    Publisher: unknown (Ichi-To, 未詳); Marks 05-012 | U085a; seal (一、ト). Date-aratame seal: Bunsei 5 (文政五年, 1822). Media: Fan print (Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e, 合別横絵団扇絵); 234 × 264 mm. Actor: Matsumoto Kōshirō V [五代相本幸四郎] (Japanese, 1764–1838); other names: Ichikawa Komazō III [市川高麻蔵], Ichikawa Sumizō I [市川寿美蔵]. Role: Hanakawado no Sukeroku [花川戸の助六]. Play: Sukeroku sakura no futae obi [助六桜の二重帯].
    This bust-length portrait depicts kabuki actor Matsumoto Kōshirō V in the role of Hanakawado no Sukeroku under a vast umbrella, in a three-quarter view, facing right, with his fist firmly clenched, and with an expression of intensity and determination. His protuberant nose is accentuated, a defining feature of Matsumoto Kōshirō V. The actor wears a black outer robe adorned with stylized peonies (牡丹, botan), a floral motif symbolizing strength, nobility, and elegance—qualities that define both the Sukeroku character and Kōshirō V’s acting style. The print belongs to the yakusha-e (役者絵, "actor print") genre, celebrating kabuki stars of the Edo period. The artist's signature, publisher’s seal, and censor’s seal are written on the umbrella. Play Sukeroku sakura no futae obi was staged in March 1822 (Bunsei 5) at Kawarazaki Theater (歌川戸室) in Edo (Tokyo). In this version of the Sukeroku narrative, the protagonist is revealed to be Jirō Suketoshi of Kyoto [京の次郎祐俊], a nobleman in disguise. Like other Sukeroku adaptations, the story centres on themes of chivalry, revenge, and romantic rivalry in Edo’s pleasure quarters. Another Kunisada's portraits of Matsumoto Kōshirō V as Sukeroku, in Ōban format:

    The History of Sukeroku in Kabuki Theater

    The play Sukeroku (English title Sukeroku: Flower of Edo), originally titled Hana Yakata Aigo Zakura (花館愛護櫻), premiered in the 3rd lunar month of 1713 at Yamamuraza in Edo. The script was written by Tsuuchi Han'emon (津打半右衛門) under the guidance of Tsuuchi Jihē II (津打治兵衛, 1679–1760). The inaugural performance featured Ichikawa Danjūrō II as Sukeroku, Tamazawa Rin'ya as Agemaki, Ikushima Shingorô as the shirozake seller (白酒売り) Shinbē, and Yamanaka Heikurô I as Ikyū. Three years later, in 1716, Tsuuchi Jihē II revised the play, integrating it into the well-known Soga brothers' revenge tale. In this adaptation, Sukeroku, Agemaki, and Shinbē were revealed to be Soga Gorō Tokimune, the courtesan Kewaizaka no Shōshō, and Soga Jūrō Sukenari, respectively. This revised version was staged at Nakamuraza in the 2nd lunar month of 1716, with Ichikawa Danjūrō II reprising the role of Sukeroku, joined by Nakamura Takesaburô I (Agemaki), Mimasuya Sukejûrô I (Shinbē), Sodeoka Masanosuke II (Soga’s mother Mankō), and Ôtani Hiroemon I (Ikyū). Over time, Sukeroku became closely associated with the Ichikawa Danjūrō acting lineage, captivating Edo audiences and securing its place in the kabuki repertoire. Though traditionally performed by members of the Naritaya guild, the role of Sukeroku was occasionally played by actors from outside the Ichikawa family. The play was later staged under the title Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura for the first time in the 4th lunar month of 1782 at Ichimuraza, with Ichimura Uzaemon IX portraying the titular role. Comparison to Toyokuni I’s 1816 Print Kunisada’s portrait can be viewed as a homage to his mentor, Utagawa Toyokuni I [初代歌川豊国] (1769–1825), whose earlier 1816 bust-length portrait of Iwai Hanshirō V [岩井半四郎] as Sukeroku (published by Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎]) shares a similar composition and dramatic pose. While Matsumoto Kōshirō V’s portrayal (Kunisada, 1822) emphasizes power and masculinity through the peony motif, Iwai Hanshirō V’s 1816 version (Toyokuni I) reflects grace and refinement, featuring a kimono adorned with irises (菖蒲, shōbu)—a flower symbolizing purity and elegance. Additionally, the word shōbu (iris) is a homophone for 尚武, meaning "martial spirit", subtly reinforcing Sukeroku’s strength beneath his stylish exterior. These contrasts highlight the differences in kabuki acting styles—with Kōshirō V specializing in strong, heroic roles and Hanshirō V excelling in onnagata (female-role) performances.
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    Utagawa Kunisada. Woman arranging the hairpins, from the series ‘The taste of the new type of woman’ / Fan print, c. 1835.

    Half-length portrait of a beautiful young woman wearing a chrysanthemum-patterned green kimono, face directed 3/4 to the right, holding her hands together and fingers spread, arranging the hairpins in her elaborate hairdo; garments of different colours and pattern designs on the background. Series: The taste of the new type of woman (Shingata bijin konomi) [新形美人好]. Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga [香朝楼國貞画] in a yellow double-gourd cartouche. No publisher seal. No censor/date seal. Media: Untrimmed fan print (Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e), 228 x 305 mm.
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    Utagawa Kunisada. Woman holding a wine bottle, from the series ‘The taste of the new type of woman’ / Fan print, c. 1835.

    Series: The taste of the new type of woman (Shingata bijin konomi) [志んかた美人好]. Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga [香朝楼國貞画] in a red double-gourd cartouche. No publisher seal. No censor/date seal. Media: Untrimmed fan print (Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e), 228 x 302 mm.
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    Pierre Louÿs. Dialogues, ou petites scènes amoureuses / [Illustrée par Jean Berque]. — Lorient: Éditions sous le manteau, 1943.

    Softcover volume 245 x 192 mm in a slipcase 153 x 192 mm, cream parchment flapped wrappers with lettering to front and spine, unbound, margins untrimmed, printed on wove paper, collated in 16 unbound gatherings, unsigned, text in pink arabesque frame with a round vignette in the bottom; the contents is similar to previously published Douze douzains de dialogues ou petites scènes amoureuses by Pierre Louÿs (see LIB-3144.2023 and LIB-2819.2021 in this collection. Pagination: [1-8] 9-124 [125 colophon] [3 blanks], .i.e. 64 leaves plus 12 lithographic plates, extraneous to collation. Plates are attributed to Jean Berque. Print run of 153 copies, of which this is copy № 45. A typical case of a clandestine reproduction of erotic text with quickly made salacious illustrations during the occupation of France by the Nazis. Title-page: Pierre Louys | — | DIALOGUES | ou | Petites Scènes Amoureuses | 1943 | LES ÉDITIONS SOUS LE MANTEAU | LORIENT || Colophon: CET OUVRAGE, NON DESTINÉ A ÊTRE MIS DANS LE | COMMERCE, A ÉTÉ TIRÉ A CENT-CINQUANTE-TROIS | EXEMPLAIRES, SAVOIR : 3 EXEMPLAIRES SUR ARCHES A LA FORME, Nos 1 A 3. | 150 EXEMPLAIRES SUR RIVES PUR FIL, Nos 4 A 153. | Exemplaire N 00,045 || Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 1397, p. 130. Contributors: Pierre Louÿs (French, 1870 – 1925) – author. Jean Berque (French, 1896 – 1954) – atrist.
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    Bibliothèque des paillards, ou choix de poésies érotiques. — Paris: Madame Belle Motte [i.e. s.n., c. 1795].

    Hardcover, 130 x 87 mm boards, 124 x 79 mm block, full mottled sheepskin, gilt-tooled flat spine, gilt fleurons in compartments, crimson morocco label lettered in gilt, board edges tooled gilt; marbled endpapers, bookseller ticket and bookplate “ GERARD NORDMANN EX-LIBRIS”; text and plates printed on laid paper. Collated 18mo: A-M6 (i.e. 72 leaves); pp.:[1-3] 4-143 [144], plus 8 engraved plates, incl. frontispiece, plus one flyleaf in the front and one in the rear. Title-page: BIBLIOTHÈQUE | DES | PAILLARDS, | CHOIX DE POÉSIES | EROTIQUES. | — | A PARIS, | Chez Madame BELLE MOTTE; | rue des Déchargeurs. | AU TEMPLE DE LA VOLUPTÉ. || Title-page: ELÉONORE, | OU | L'HEUREUSE PERSONNE. | Deuxième Édition. | — | A PARIS, | Chez les Marchands de nouveautés. |— | AN VIII. || Faux-t.p.: LA | COMTESSE | D'OLONNE, | COMEDIE | DE M. DE BUSSI RABUTIN. || Table des matières. Épitre dédicatoire La Foutro-Manie Ode à Priape Quatrain du comte de Guiche à M. d'Olonne La Comtesse d'Olonne, comédie Mon testament Le Chapitre général des Cordeliers Le débauché converti La gageure, conte Étymologie de l'Aze-te-foute, conte. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel I № A-146, p. 63; Nordmann II № 90. Provenance: Gérard Nordmann (Swiss, 1930 – 1992).
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  • Eléonore, ou l’heureuse personne / Deuxième édition. — Paris: Marchands de nouveautés, VIII [1799/1800].

    Hardcover volume 129 x 84 mm boards, 123 x 76 mm block, full contemporary lavalier-glazed calf, signed DUCASTIN at spine tail, panels framed with a gold fillet and a blind frieze, flat spine decorated with gilt fillets and fleurons, roulettes at the head and tail, garnet red calf title label with gilt lettering, gilt dotted lines on the edges, interior dentelle, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, “GERARD NORDMANN EX-LIBRIS” bookplate to front pastedown. Collation 18mo: A-O6 P5 (i.e. 89 leaves); pp.: [i-v] vi-viii [9] 10-178, plus 5 plates with tissue guards, incl. frontispiece, and one flyleaf at the front and one at the rear. Plates: It is believed the edition had only 3 plates, including the frontispiece, and two plates were added, one signed “C. p. Marillier, inv. — E. De Ghendt sculp.” Title-page: ELÉONORE, | OU | L'HEUREUSE PERSONNE. | Deuxième Édition. | — | A PARIS, | Chez les Marchands de nouveautés. |— | AN VIII. || Catalogue raisonné: Dutel № A-314, p. 109 ; Nordmann II №188, p. 93. Provenance: Gustave Lehec (French, 1841 – 1922); Gérard Nordmann (Swiss, 1930 – 1992). Contributors: Clément Pierre Marillier (French, 1740–1808) – artist Emmanuel Jean Nepomucène de Ghendt (Flemish, worked in France, 1738–1815) – engraver Alexis Pierre Ducastin [Ducastaing] (French, 1785 – 1860) – binder Nordmann's description: In-18 écu (124 x 78 mm). 178 pp. A frontispiece and 2 free figures. 2 added figures, one signed after Marillier and engraved by de Ghendt. Contemporary binding signed by Ducastin. Glazed lavallière calf, double frame of the covers with a gold fillet and a blind frieze, spine decorated with gilt fillets and fleurons, roulettes at the head and tail, garnet calf title piece, gilt title, dotted lines on the edges, interior lace, marbled guards, gilt edges (some minor foxing). The second edition (very likely a fictitious mention) is of great rarity. It is decorated with a frontispiece and has engraved figures, to which two additional plates have been added. The story is the reverse of that of Tiresias: a woman is endowed by a sylph with the power to be alternately a man and a woman and to taste the pleasures of each of the two sexes. "This results in numerous and very piquant adventures; easy and graceful style" (Galitzin). MAGNIFICENT COPY, RARE IN ITS FULL STRICTLY CONTEMPORARY BINDING and signed on the back by one of the great bookbinders of the time, Pierre Alexis Ducastin (1785-1860), member of a dynasty of printers and bookbinders dating back to Henri IV. Lehec cites this copy in his Galitzin catalogue (no. 546): "...charming copy; lavalier calf stamped very rare, admirable conservation". Pia Enfer, 412; B.N. Enfer, 634.
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  • Kawanabe Kyōsai. Swallows and fūrin / Fan print, late 19th c.

    Artist: Kawanabe Kyōsai [河鍋 暁斎] (Japanese, 1831 – 1889) Signed: Seisei Kyosai [惺々暁斎], and sealed. Media: Fan print (uchiwa-e, 団扇絵), 215 x 233 mm. Publisher: Unknown / No seal Date: Unknown / No seal Media: Fan print (uchiwa-e, 団扇絵), 215 x 233 mm. Possibly, a private order. Wind chimes (fûrin, 風鈴) are associated with a Wind Chimes Festival [風鈴祭り], held in summer all over Japan. Seller's description: wo swallows streak by with seeming joy past a fûrin, a wind bell. These Japanese wind chimes were introduced to Japan in the Heian era, and in the Edo period, they began to be constructed out of glass. We see the hanging length of paper twisting in the breeze as it creates a delightful chime; these tones are a characteristic sound of summer in Japan. A layer of deluxe mica covers the entire design, lending sparkle. This work was meant to be pasted onto an uchiwa, or fan, for summer use.
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  • Utagawa Kunisada. Kabuki actors Seki Sanjūrō II as Nakano Tōbei L (top), Bandō Mitsugorō III as Miki Jūzaemon (left), and Matsumoto Kōshirō V as Akabori Mizuemon (right) / Fan print, 1817.

    Artist: Utagawa Kunisada, a.k.a. Toyokuni III (Japanese, 1786 – 1865) [歌川 国貞]. Publisher: Unidentified, Marks 01-033|U335a To-Chū [ト忠] Date-aratame seal: Bunka 14 (1817). Signed: Kunisada ga [国貞画]. Media: Fan print (uchiwa-e), 230 x 270 mm. Kabuki play Chūkō shōbu-gatana [忠孝菖蒲刀] performed at the Nakamura Theater in Tokyo (Edo) in 5/1817. Actor Seki Sanjūrō II [関三十郎], a.k.a. Seki Utasuke I; Nakamura Utasuke; Arashi Sôtarô; Meijin Seki; Sekisan (Japanese, 1786 – 1839) as Nakano Tōbei [中野藤兵衛] – top. Actor Bandō Mitsugorō III [坂東三津五郎], a.k.a. Bandô Minosuke I, Morita Kanjirô II, Bandô Mitahachi I, Bandô Minosuke I, Bandô Mitahachi (Japanese, 1775 – 1831) I  as Miki Jūzaemon [三木十左衛門] – left. Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō V [松本幸四郎], a.k.a. Ichikawa Komazô III; Ichikawa Sumizô I (Japanese, 1764 – 1838) as Akabori Mizuemon [あかぼり水右衛門] – right. Reference images:  
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  • [André-Robert Andrea de Nerciat]. Félicia or my fredaines (2 vol.). — A Londres, M.DCC.LXXVI [i.e. Paris: s.n., c.1800].

    Two volumes, 135 x 85 mm each, uniformly bound in full brown morocco with triple fillet border, flat spine with gilt fleurons and double fillet bands, gilt lettered label, interior dentelle, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt; four volumes in two, collated in 12mo. Vol. 1: pp.: [1-5] 6-100, coll.: 1-86 92;(i.e. 50 leaves); [1-5] 6-130; coll.: 1-106 115 (i.e. 65 leaves); plus two blanks in the front and at the rear, and nine plates, incl. frontispiece. Vol. 2: pp.: [1-5] 6-111 [112 blank], coll.: 14 2-96 104 (i.e. 56 leaves); [4 ht, tp] [1] 2-99 [100 blank], coll.: π2 1-86 92 (i.e. 52 leaves); plus two blanks in the front and at rear, and four plates. Title-page: FÉLICIA, | OU | MES FREDAINES. | {in rules} La faute en est aux Dieux qui me firent si folle.|  TOME PREMIER/ SECOND/ TROISIÉME/ QUATRIÈME. | —•— | A LONDRES | M. DCC. LXXVI. || Catalogue raisonné: Dutel, A-399, p. 132. Contributors: André-Robert Andréa de Nerciat (French, 1739 – 1800) – author.
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  • [Mirabeau]. Le rideau levé ou l’Éducation de Laure. — À Cythère, 1788.

    Hardcover, 169 x 100 mm, quarter brown sheepskin over speckled paper, flat spine, gilt double fillet bands, crimson morocco label with gilt lettering, printed on French paper watermarked “FIN 1787”; two volumes in one, collated in 12mo. Tome premier: π1 h.t., A8 (A1 t.p., A2,3 Lettre de Sophie au chevalier d'Olzan), B4 C8 D4 E8 F4 G8, H4, I4; pp.: [2] [i-iii] iv-vi, [7] 8-104, plus three plates, p. 24 printed on cream wove paper,  pp. 66, 67 on blue laid paper (or pasted on such). Tome second: A8 (incl. h.t. and t.p.) B4 C8 D4 E8 F4 G8 H4 I8 K4, L4; pp.: [1-5] 6-127 [1 blank]; all three plates printed on cream wove paper; plate marked as p.68 is after p. 64, plate marked p.64 is after p. 68, plate p. 79 is on its place. Plates attributed to Louis Binet. Text is attributed mainly to Comte de Mirabeau; however, Guillaume Apollinaire, in his L’Enfer de la Bibliothèque Nationale (1913), believes that Marquis de Sentilly wrote it. Catalogue raisonné: Cohen-de Ricci 709; Dutel I A-988, p. 294. Contributors: Mirabeau, Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de (French, 1749 – 1791) Binet, Louis (French, 1744 – 1800) Seller's description: Deux parties en un volume in-12. 165 x 97 mm. Tome premier: I f. n. ch. faux-titre, 104 pp. y compris le titre avec une vignette gravée, la "Lettre de Sophie au chevalier d'Olzan" qui débute l'ouvrage est paginée en chiffres romains. Tome second: 127 pp. tout compris et 1 p. bl. 6 gravures libres non signées qui sont de Binet. Reliure de l'époque. Demi-basane brune, plats de papier coquille moucheté, dos lisse omé de deux filets dorés répétés, pièce de titre de maroquin rouge, lettres dorées, tranches jaspées. Reliure un peu frottée, coins émoussés. Quelques rousseurs. Rarissime deuxième édition de cet Émile de l'éducation sexuelle enrichie de gravures libres attribuables à Binet.
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  • [Gaston Hoffmann]. Variations amoureuses. — [Paris: s.n.,] 1936.

    A cardboard file 298 x 225 mm made of quarter red cloth over marbled paper, with laces, contains 18 loose chromolithographs approx.190 x 130 mm, 8 vertical and 10 horizontal) in a passepartout 275 x 220 mm (matted) of laid paper with an armorial watermark, with lewd humorous captions on glassine guard tissue attached to each sheet, upper and outer margins uncut. Images signed “–Santippa–36”.Label to front cover lettered Variations Amoureuses | avec 18 gravures en couleurs ||. No title page. It is quite likely that the set exists in only one copy. Description by seller: Album in-folio, 272 x 218 cm. En feuilles, sous chemise cartonnée à lacets de l'éditeur. Les lithographies sont respectivement intitulées : Branlade; Plaisir Champêtre; Justice; Entre Marins ; Cocher; Suce-moi bien ; Encore; Les Joies; Un Marin; On raconte ; Plaisir Divin ; Le Marin; Quand un Gendarme ; soixante et Neuf; Tous les Moyens ; Le Plus Cochon; Le Fantassin; Coup Double. Le peintre Gaston Hoffmann (1883-1977), consacra la majeure partie de son œuvre à l'érotisme et la caricature, en signant ses sujets trop libres sous le pseudonyme de Santippa. Contributor: Gaston Hoffmann [Santippa] (French, 1883 – 1977). Ref: Honesterotica.com provides only 8 images of 18. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III: № 2581:    
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  • H. Nay [i.e. Hugo Hayn]. Bibliotheca Germanorum Erotica. — Leipzig: [privatdruck], 1875.

    Hardcover, 231 x 165 mm, half brown cloth over cardboard, lettering in a frame to front, similar to t.p., pp.: [4] [1] 2-151 [152], collated 4to: π2 1-194, i.e. 78 leaves. Entries are in alphabetic order by name. Title-page (and front cover): Bibliotheca Germanorum | erotica. | Verzeichniss der gesammten | deutschen erotischen Literatur | mit Einschluss der Uebersetzungen. | Nachschlagebuch für Literaturhistoriker, | Antiquare und Bibliothekare. | Nach den zuverlässigsten Quellen | bearbeitet von | H. Nay. | — •— | Leipzig, 1875. || [Bibliotheca Germanorum erotica. List of all German erotic literature, including translations. Reference book for literary historians, antiquarians and librarians. Based on the most reliable sources edited by H. Nay]. Imprint: Druck von E. Rupfer in Stuttgart. Ref: Worldcat. Author: Hugo Hayn [Nay, H.] (German, 1843 – 1923)
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  • Martin van Maële. La petit suite complète de 12 eaux fortes inspires de la Légende des sexes du Sire de Chambley [Edmond Haraucourt]. — Paris, 1908.

    Twelve etchings printed in black on laid paper, uncoloured, sheet 236 x 140 mm, platemark 155 x 100 mm, red ink stamp “ARS EROTICA | Hans-J. Döpp” to verso; image title in pencil to recto of some sheets. Pale ‘remarque’ on the lower margin of plate 2 ‘L’Eden’. Traces of original binding along the right edge. No folder. Catalogue raisonné: Luc Binet 2017: 100-B, pp. 639-51 ; S. A. Perry 2015: 80, p. 70-1. List of images:
    1. Le Coït des Atomes
    2. L’Éden
    3. La Flûte
    4. Portes d’enfer
    5. Danaë
    6. L’obsession
    7. Europe
    8. Le crâne
    9. Mélancolie blennorhagique [sic]
    10. Parisienne
    11. La chanson du vieux moine
    12. Reine du monde
    Contributors: Haraucourt, Edmond (French, 1856 – 1941) Maële, Martin van (French, 1863 – 1926) – artist.  
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  • L’Académie des Dames: Vingt attitudes par Albert Marquet. — NY: Sixty-Ninth Avenue [i.e. Paris: s.n., ca. 1950)

    Hardcover, 330 x 255 mm, marble paper, two labels of black calf with gilt lettering to spine, 2 blank leaves at front and 2 at back (laid paper), two leaves of lithographic vignettes (t.p. and limitation), plus 20 lithographic plates signed “am”, unpaginated. Limited edition of 25 copies on Japon Impérial paper №№ 1-25, 300 copies on Vélin d’Arches №№ 26-325, of which this is copy № 206. Stones sanded. A poem by Verlaine at p. 2 recto. Title-page: L'Académie | DES | Dames | VINGT ATTITUDES PAR | ALBERT MARQUET | {vignette} | NEW YORK | SIXTY-NINTH AVENUE || Imprint: ÉDITION PRIVÉE | EXEMPLAIRE NUMERO 206 Limitation: JUSTIFICATION DU TIRAGE | IL A ÉTÉ TIRÉ DE CET OUVRAGE | VINGT-CINQ EXEMPLAIRES SUR JAPON IMPÉRIAL | NUMÉROTÉS DE 1 à 25 | ET TROIS CENTS EXEMPLAIRES SUR VÉLIN D'ARCHES | NUMÉROTÉS DE 26 à 325 | PIERRES BIFFÉES || Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 949; Nordmann I № 255. Provenance: From the collection of Hans-Jürgen Döpp, Frankfurt. Contributors: Albert Marquet (French, 1875 – 1947) Verlaine, Paul (French, 1844 – 1896) One additional lithographic plate by Marquet from a different source but on a similar subject is laid in.
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  • [André Collot]. Jeunesse. — [Paris], 1933.

    Cardboard folder with title label to front, 23.5 x 26.3 cm, containing 12 hand-coloured soft-ground etchings by André Collot, unbound, in a paper folder with pink lettering and vignette engraved on wood, with a title-page in black: JEUNESSE | 12 VERNIS MOUS COLORIÉS | tires à exemplaires | réservés aux Amis de l’Artiste | 1933 || in a frame. First edition, limited to 60 copies. Dutel 1920-70: 1786. There is another copy of the same without the cardboard folder SVE-0469.2021.
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  • Utagawa Kunisada. Woman holding a pipe from the series Six jewel faces (mu tama-gao) / Fan print, c. 1835.

    Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Toyokuni ga [豊国 画] in a yellow double-gourd cartouche. Publisher unknown (privately printed?) Media: Rigid fan print (Aiban Yoko-e Uchiwa-e, 合判横絵 団扇絵), 228 x 298 mm. Series title: Six Jewel Faces (六玉颜, mu tama-gao), a pun on Six Jewel Rivers (六玉河, Mu Tamagawa). The date seal and censor seal are absent. Another print from the same series in the Metropolitan Museum of New York  reads:
    The colorful background, with explosions of tie-dyed floral motifs, is a reminder of how Kunisada made all his thousands of Genji-print designs a visual record of different textile patterns of the day. The title Six Jewel Faces (Mu tama-gao), along with its allusion to the literary theme of Six Jewel Rivers, suggests that this set of fan prints captures the appearance of a half-dozen attractive individuals, and, indeed, the other five works in the set show images of beautiful women, mostly courtesans of the pleasure quarters.
    Mitsuuji with Mountain Roses (Yamabuki), from the series “Six Jewel Faces” (Mu tama-gao). MET Accession Number:2019.3 References: 1) [LIB-2967.2022] Utagawa Kunisada: His world revisited / Catalogue 17, Exhibition March 17-21, 2021. — NY: Sebastian Izzard, LLC., 2021. 2) [LIB-3428.2025] Christie’s, New York: Japanese Prints, Paintings, and Screens, Monday, 24 November 1997 / Sales Catalogue, №№ 84-89. Description by the latter: "aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 29.8 cm.); a beauty against a background of tie-dyed fabric patterns holding a pipe looking at toy birds hanging from bamboo, from the series Mutamagao “Six jewel faces”, the bird decorations alluding to the Jewel River in Noda (Chidori no Tamagawa) in Rikuzen province, signed Kunisada ga".
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  • A de M. [Alfred de Musset]. Gamiani. — s.l.: s.n, c.1935.

    Softcover volume 200 x 145 mm, in a slipcase, unbound, in French wrappers, sanguine lettering on cream paper, block printed on wove paper with watermark “Marais”, collated 8vo, pp.: [1-6] 7-114 [6], 60 leaves, first and last leaves blank; illustrated with 20 etchings, incl. vignette on front wrapper, two head- and two tailpieces, printed in sanguine; etching on t.p., similar to the one on the front wrapper, printed in black. Limited edition of 250 copies, this is copy № 24. Front wrapper and title-page: in a double frame A de M. | GAMIANI | {vignette} || Colophon: CE LIVRE | IMPRIMÉ AUX DÉPENS | D'UN GROUP D'AMATEURS | SUR PAPIER CHIFFON | A ÉTÉ TIRE | A DEUX CENT CINQUANTE EXEMPLAIRES | LA VENTE AU PUBLIC | EN EST RIGOUREUSEMENT INTERDITE | EXEMPLAIRE N°24 || [This book is printed at the expense of a group of amateurs on rag paper in two hundred and fifty copies; sale to the public is strictly prohibited]. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 1649. Alfred de Musset (French, 1810 – 1857) – author.
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  • Protected: Mario Tauzin. Interdit aux adultes, c. 1950.

    Set of 30 lithographic plates printed on watermarked Van Gelder Simili Japon wove paper, loose in two rexine-backed stiff paper wrappers, 15 in each, together in rexine portfolio with gilt lettering and keyhole on front cover. According to the seller, these are facsimiles of prints/ drawings by Mario Tauzin. Scenes from the series 'Interdit aux adultes'. No publisher indicated; printed in about 1950—a limited edition. Six of these designs used to illustrate 'Bonne à tout faire' were published by Éric Losfeld in the late 1950s (LIB-3293.2024). Dimensions: sheet 320 x 420 mm; album 330 x 430 mm. Contributor: Mario Tauzin (French, 1909 – 1979) — artist
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  • Ou le Tommy est-il resté? – German propaganda card, c. 1944.

    One of a series of six anti-allies propaganda cards, printed in colour, inscribed Ou le Tommy est-il resté? (Where did Tommy stay?), where Tommy is slang for a common soldier in the British Army. The postcards visibly depict French soldiers who fight and die at the western front, while the covert watermark image shows a British military having fun in a bordello. Those cards were printed in the Third Reich for France and dropped from aeroplanes to motivate French soldiers to fight against the British. Size: 149 x 104 mm
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  • Mœurs russes, a set of ten post cards with clandestine erotic watermark images, c. 1900.

    Ten postcards 90 x 140 mm, text in yellow "ВСЕМIРНЫЙ ПОЧТОВЫЙ СОЮЗЪ. РОССIЯ. | UNION POSTALE UNIVERSELLE RUSSIE. | ОТКРЫТОЕ ПИСЬМО. — CARTE POSTALE. || On the reverse, a blue ink woodcut image is printed in the upper left corner, and a blue ink numbered image title is in the bottom centre. Holding the postcard against the backlight reveals a hidden image of an indecent nature (erotic). The use of Latin characters "R" and "N" instead of Russian "Р"  and "Н" suggests that the cards were produced in Europe, probably in France. Inscriptions: 1. ПЕRВЫЕ ДNИ; 2. ПОRА ЛЮБВИ; 3. ВЪ ЛЮДИ; 4. КЪ "СВОБОДNОМУ ИСКУССТВУ"; 5. "СВОБОДNЫЙ ТRУДЪ; 6. БЕЗЪ ГОRЯ И ПЕЧАЛИ; 7. NАЗАДЪ КЪ "СВОБОДNОЙ ЛЮБВИ"; 8. ВСЕ ЧТО ОСТАЛОСЬ!; 9. БЕЗЪ КRОВА И ПRИСТАNИЩА; 10. ИЗЪ ЗА ХЛѢБА.
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  • Guillaume Apollinaire. Les onze mille verges ou les amours d’un Hospodar. — Brussels: s.n., 1942.

    Softcover, 257 x 168 mm, publisher’s cream French flapped wrappers with red lettering to front in a beige double slipcase, printed on wove paper watermarked “Marais” in italic script; edges untrimmed; pp.: [8] [2] [1] 2-130 [131] [3]; collated 4to as 184, 72 leaves incl. those in the wrappers, plus 9 photomechanical stencil-coloured plates extraneous to collation and 9 b/w headpieces (in-text etchings) after anonymous artist. According to the seller and J.-P. Dutel: “In-8 of 130 pages... Illustrated with 10 full-page in colour and some headbands. Limited edition of 500 copies on vélin du Marais". Title-page (red and black): GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE | LES | ONZE MILLE VERGES | OU | LES AMOURS D'UN HOSPODAR | BRUXELLES | 1942 || Limitation: Il a été tiré de cet ouvrage réservé uniquement aux souscripteurs particuliers 500 exemplaires tous sur vélin du marais. Exemplaire n° 147. Edition: The clandestine edition on vélin de Marais paper limited to 500 copies for subscribers only; this copy is № 147. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 2109. In my copy, similarly to the one of STEVE M., it is only 9 colour plates, while Dutel sites 10. Author: Guillaume Apollinaire (French, 1880 – 1918). Micro photo of a colour plate: Micro photo of an etching:
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  • [Jean-Baptiste de Boyer]. Thérèse philosophe, avec figures / 2 vol. — Londres [i.e. La Haye]: s.n., 1783 (Fake).

    Two volumes, 168 x 106 mm each, uniformly bound in faux mottled calf ruled in gilt, marbled endpapers. Vol. 1: 3 blank leaves of wove paper, 3 blank leaves of laid paper, half-title/blank, blank/frontispiece, ‘engraved’ t.p./blank, both printed on laid paper watermarked “ARCHES A LA | MAIN”; ‘letterpress’ t.p.,/blank, pp.: [1] 2-115 [116 blank], 3 blank leaves of laid paper, 3 blank leaves of wove paper; collated 12mo: π2 A-I6 K4; total 60 leaves plus 16 ‘engraved’ plates, incl. t.p. and frontis. Vol. 2: 3 blank leaves of wove paper, 3 blank leaves of laid paper, half-title/blank, blank/frontispiece, ‘engraved’ t.p./blank, no watermark, ‘letterpress’ t.p.,/blank, pp.: 1-77 [78 blank], 2 blank leaves of laid paper, 3 blank leaves of wove paper; collated 12mo: π2 A-F6 G3; total 41 leaves plus 24 ‘engraved’ plates, incl. t.p. and frontis. Dutel (I): A-1089, p. 325: in-8 (probably by size only, no formula suggested), pagination 115 and 77 as here, 2 frontispieces, 2 engraved titles dated 1873, “et 36 belles gravures de Binet”. Cohen-DeRicci: p. 734 bottom: in-12, no pagination, no formula. "Thérèse" was offered by a French seller user-75d14f4 on the online auction platform CATAWIKI in December 2021. The seller's description of this two-volume set was: "Re-edition, the date of which I was unable to determine. (London, no name, 1782) 2 duodecimo volumes of 115 and 77 pp., very lovely marbled sheepskin pastiche bindings, gilded triple fillets, adorned spines, black title labels. This classic of 18th-century clandestine erotica was written in 1748 by an author who has remained anonymous, attributed at the time to Montigny, which led to his internment in the Bastille. It is now attributed to the Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d'Argens. Edition illustrated with 37 very unrestrained figures, engraved in intaglio after Borel, unsigned." I should have paid more attention to the first phase, about the re-edition, but I didn't. After a few bidding rounds, I won the book when the hammer price was 2,200 Euros. On the 28th of December, 2021, I paid for this little beauty $2,760. The book arrived a few days later.  The paper's quality and texture, the watermark, the absence of the platemark, and the lack of embossing on the back (text and plates) made me suspect it was a fake. The pages were absolutely flat to the touch!  I established clear evidence of a high-resolution 'xerox' copy using Celestron Micro Capture Pro micro-photography.  I wrote to the seller and the auction platform, explaining my doubts regarding its authenticity. To prove my point, I include a few micro photos of the "Thérèse" and some books printed at the end of the 18th century. I explained why I considered it a fake and requested a return/refund. After two months of email exchanges, the seller and the platform refused to pay me back. Today is the 2nd anniversary of the purchase. I still have the book. To celebrate my carelessness, I included it in my library to warn fellow book collectors about buying from an unknown dealer via certain online auction platforms. Ref.: Bamber Gascoigne. How to Identify Prints: A Complete Guide to Manual and Mechanical Processes from Woodcut to Ink. — Thames and Hudson, 1995.

    Thérèse philosophe, 1783.

    Late 18th century books
    Books used for comparison: [LIB-2743.2021] Restif de la Bretonne. Les parisiennes, ou XL caractères généraux pris dans les mœurs actuelles, propres à servir à l’instruction des personnes-du-sexe / 4 vol. — Neufchâtel, et Paris: Guillot, 1787. [LIB-3027.2022] [Héliodore d’Emèse]. Amours de Théagènes et Chariclée: Histoire Éthiopique / 2 vol. — Londres [i.e. Paris]: [s.n.], 1743. [LIB-3252.2023] [Nicolas Chorier.] Le Meursius françois, ou entretiens galans d’Aloysia, orné de figures. — Cythere [i.e. Paris: Cazin], 1782. Below is a Xerox copy for comparison.    
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  • Louis de Gonzague Frick / Auguste Brouet. Le calamiste alizé; after 1940.

    Thirteen unnumbered loose leaves 323 x 249 mm, watermarked BFK Rives, with manuscript text and vignettes produced by etching or, more likely, drypoint (see microphoto), incl. title-page, one full-page illustration and two leaves of text only; versos blank. Some leaves have registration marks. The set is housed in a cream French flapped folder (chemise) without lettering; the seller’s description is pasted to the front cover verso, glassine dust cover. Seller’s description: Cette édition in-folio du recueil de poèmes de Louis de Gonzague Frick, inconnue de Jean-Pierre Dutel, qui « a été tirée à 50 exemplaires (...) est certainement la plus rare (et a été) publiée après 1940 sur vélin (BFK) Rives » (cf. Ader, 3 mars 2020, n°155). Exemplaire «  de passe », sans justificatif, complet des 13 planches avec 11 eaux-fortes, dont une à pleine page, d'Auguste Brouet. Ref.: According to honesterotica, the first edition was published in 1938 in 65 copies: "The pink Ingres paper and the loose-leaf format tied with a red ribbon". Another source states: "Le tirage a été effectué avec marges, sur papier vélin BFK Rives au format in-4 (32,5 × 25), les planches mesurant 26,5 × 22 cm. Certains exemplaires sont sur papier blanc - Je remercie le libraire qui a pris la peine de me communiquer ces dernières informations. Pour moi, c'est bien l'édition à 65 qui est l'originale, les deux autres étant des retirages légèrement postérieurs, mais dans le détail desquels le principe de l’œuvre - un manuscrit destiné à quelques amis de l'auteur - a été quelque peu trahi." Contributors: Louis de Gonzague Frick (French, 1883 – 1958) Auguste Brouet (French, 1872 – 1941)
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  • Emilie Mediz-Pelikan. Roman Pines Grove / Chromolithography, c. 1905.

    Colour (tone) lithography, image 396 x 508 mm, sheet 532 x 654 mm; before signature, undated; pencil ms inscription: Föhrenhain — E. Pelikan / 200M to the lower-right corner of the sheet. Contributor: Emilie Mediz-Pelikan (Austrian, 1861 – 1908) – artist. Seller's description: Austrian-German painter and graphic artist. Emilie Mediz-Pelikan was born in Vöcklabruck in 1861. She studied at the Vienna Academy and followed her teacher Albert Zimmermann to Salzburg and in 1885 to Munich. In 1891 she married the painter and graphic artist Karl Mediz (1868 - 1945), with whom she lived in Vienna and from 1894 in Dresden. She was in contact with the Dachau Artists' Colony and went on study trips to Paris, Belgium, Hungary and Italy. In the Dachau artists' colony she was friends with Adolf Hölzel and Fritz von Uhde. In 1889 and 1890 she spent time in Paris and in the Belgian artists' colony Knokke. In 1898 she was represented at the first art exhibition of the Vienna Secession, and in 1901 at the International Art Exhibition in Dresden. In 1903 she and her husband had a group exhibition, at the Hagenbund in Vienna. In 1904, she showed graphic works at the Dresden royal court art dealer Richter, and in 1905 and 1906 she exhibited at the Berlin Künstlerhaus. It was not until around 1900 that she achieved her artistic breakthrough with her landscape paintings. Since the estate of the artist, who died prematurely in Dresden in 1908, was lost in the former GDR until the 1980s, it was quite late that the artist was rediscovered and revalued both in Austrian art history and on the art market. In 1986, the first major exhibitions took place at the Upper Austrian State Museum and the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, followed by numerous smaller exhibitions in private galleries in Vienna, Linz and Munich. The artist received recognition during her lifetime from numerous prominent fellow painters as well as from the art critic Ludwig Hevesi. Together with Tina Blau, Herbert Boeckl, Marie Egner, Theodor von Hörmann, Franz Jaschke, Eugen Jettel, Ludwig Heinrich Jungnickel, Rudolf Junk, Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, Johann Victor Krämer, Heinrich Kühn, Carl Moll, Rudolf Quittner, Rudolf Ribarz, Emil Jakob Schindler, Max Suppantschitsch, Max Weiler, Olga Wisinger-Florian and Alfred Zoff, she was a protagonist of the reception of Impressionism in Austria. This style went down in Austrian art history under the term "Stimmungsimpressionismus".
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  • Emilie Mediz-Pelikan. Pine Grove / Chromolithography, 1905.

    Colour (tone) lithography, image 268 x 410 mm, sheet 317 x 470 mm; signed on bottom-left of the image “Pelikan 1905”, and pencil ms inscription: E. Pelikan to the lower-right corner of the sheet. Contributor: Emilie Mediz-Pelikan (Austrian, 1861 – 1908) – artist. Seller's description: Austrian-German painter and graphic artist. Emilie Mediz-Pelikan was born in Vöcklabruck in 1861. She studied at the Vienna Academy and followed her teacher Albert Zimmermann to Salzburg and in 1885 to Munich. In 1891 she married the painter and graphic artist Karl Mediz (1868 - 1945), with whom she lived in Vienna and from 1894 in Dresden. She was in contact with the Dachau Artists' Colony and went on study trips to Paris, Belgium, Hungary and Italy. In the Dachau artists' colony she was friends with Adolf Hölzel and Fritz von Uhde. In 1889 and 1890 she spent time in Paris and in the Belgian artists' colony Knokke. In 1898 she was represented at the first art exhibition of the Vienna Secession, and in 1901 at the International Art Exhibition in Dresden. In 1903 she and her husband had a group exhibition, at the Hagenbund in Vienna. In 1904, she showed graphic works at the Dresden royal court art dealer Richter, and in 1905 and 1906 she exhibited at the Berlin Künstlerhaus. It was not until around 1900 that she achieved her artistic breakthrough with her landscape paintings. Since the estate of the artist, who died prematurely in Dresden in 1908, was lost in the former GDR until the 1980s, it was quite late that the artist was rediscovered and revalued both in Austrian art history and on the art market. In 1986, the first major exhibitions took place at the Upper Austrian State Museum and the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, followed by numerous smaller exhibitions in private galleries in Vienna, Linz and Munich. The artist received recognition during her lifetime from numerous prominent fellow painters as well as from the art critic Ludwig Hevesi. Together with Tina Blau, Herbert Boeckl, Marie Egner, Theodor von Hörmann, Franz Jaschke, Eugen Jettel, Ludwig Heinrich Jungnickel, Rudolf Junk, Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, Johann Victor Krämer, Heinrich Kühn, Carl Moll, Rudolf Quittner, Rudolf Ribarz, Emil Jakob Schindler, Max Suppantschitsch, Max Weiler, Olga Wisinger-Florian and Alfred Zoff, she was a protagonist of the reception of Impressionism in Austria. This style went down in Austrian art history under the term "Stimmungsimpressionismus".
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  • Crébillon fils. La nuit et le moment ou les matinées de Cythère / Illustrations de Sylvain Sauvage. — Paris: Au dépens d’un amateur, 1924.

    Softcover volume, 33 x 26 cm, collated in folio, not bound, in publisher’s French flapped pictorial wrappers, lettering to spine; printed on thick wove Arches paper watermarked “MBM”, upper edge trimmed, owner’s blind stamp to h.t. “Ex Libris Comte Tony de Vibraye”, glassine dust jacket, in a slipcase. Collation: π2 1-262, total 54 leaves, plus 4 leaves in wrappers, plus 10 plates, incl. frontispiece; coloured aquatints after Sylvain Sauvage; coloured etched vignette to front wrapper, gilt woodcut to back wrapper, woodcut title-page and woodcut headpiece after the same. Pp.: [4] [1] 2-102 [2]. Front wrapper (gilt and black): LA NUIT & LE MOMENT | {vignette} | OU | LES MATINÉES DE CYTHÈRE | PAR | MONSIEUR DE CRÉBILLON LE FILS | — || Title-page (woodcut): CRÉBILLON LE FILS | — | LA NUIT ET LE MOMENT | OU | LES MATINÉES | DE CYTHÈRE | {vignette} | A PARIS | AUX DEPENS D'UN AMATEUR | — | M CM XXIV || Limitation: De cette édition il a été tiré un exemplaire unique sur japon impérial comportant dix aquarelles originales, deux cents trente exemplaires sur vélin d' Arches numérotés 1 à 230, dont les dix premiers avec une suite de hors texte sur japon. N° 1 [Print run limited to 230 copies on Arches plus a unique copy on Japon with original watercolours, this is copy № 1 on wove paper]. Seller’s description: La Nuit et le moment ou Les Matinées de Cythère. Paris, Au dépens d'un amateur, 1924. In-4, en feuilles, non rogné, couverture illustrée et étui. Ouvrage illustré de 4 gravures sur bois et de 10 eaux-fortes libres en couleurs hors texte de Sylvain Sauvage. Tirage à 231 exemplaires, celui-ci le n°1 sur vélin d'Arches. Manque la suite de hors texte sur japon. De la bibliothèque du Comte Tony de Vibraye, avec cachet à froid. Dutel, n°2062. Catalogue raisonné: honesterotica.com; Dutel III 2062. Contributors: Claude-Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon [Crébillon fils] (French, 1707 – 1777) – author. Sylvain Sauvage [Félix Roy] (French, 1888 – 1948) – artist. Provenance: Antoine Henri Gaston Hurault de Vibraye [Comte Tony de Vibraye] (French, 1893 – 1951)
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  • Rudolf Keller. Erotische Märchen (10 radierungen). — S.l.: Privatdruck, 1919.

    Portfolio 265 x 225 mm, black half-buckram over diapered cardboard with flaps, black with gilt lettering in frame to front “R. KELLER | MÄRCHEN”, t.p. printed on wave paper, the folder and engravings printed on laid paper, 10 loose plates, 240 x 210 mm sheet, 135 x 110-115 mm plate; re-issue of ten plates of the first edition of 16 plates published in Austria in c. 1910s. Title-page: EROTISCHE | MÄRCHEN | 10 RADIERUNGEN | VON | RUDOLF KELLER | PRIVATDRUCK 1919 || Die Mappe enthält folgende originalradierungen: 1. Aschenbrödel; 2. Dornröschen; 3. Zwerg Nase; 4. Froschkönig; 5. Der gestiefelte Kater; 6. Hänsel und Gretel; 7. Der fliegende Koffer; 8. Schneewittchen mit den 7 Zwergen; 9. Die kleine Seejungfer; 10. Der kleine Daumling Dieses Werk wurde in einer einmaligen Auflage von 250 numerierten Exemplaren hergestellt und darf nur an Gelehrte und Sammler abgegeben werden. Die Platten wurden vernichtet. Nr. 1—50 sind vom Künstler signierte Vorzugsdrucke. Dieses Exemplar erhielt Nr. 0153. Translation: The folder contains the following original etchings: 1. Cinderella; 2. Sleeping Beauty; 3. Dwarf nose; 4. The Frog Prince; 5. Puss in Boots; 6. Hansel and Gretel; 7. The Flying Trunk; 8. Snow White with the Seven Dwarfs; 9. The Little Mermaid; 10. Little Thumbling. This work was produced in a one-time edition of 250 numbered copies and may only be sold to scholars and collectors. The copperplates were destroyed. Nos. 1-50 are special prints signed by the artist. This copy was given number 0153. Seller's description: Erotische Märchen. S.l., Privatdruck, 1919. In-8, en feuilles, sous chemise demi-chagrin vert recouverte de papier japonais. Recueil de 10 eaux-fortes originales de Rudolf Keller. Ces eaux-fortes érotiques dans les teintes brunes s'inspirent des contes de fées traditionnels comme Cendrillon, La Belle au bois dormant, Hansel et Gretel, Blanche-Neige, Le Petit Poucet etc. Tirage à 250 exemplaires. Chemise défraîchie. Jacob Grimm (German; 1785 – 1863) Wilhelm Grimm (German, 1786 – 1859) Charles Perrault (French, 1628 – 1703) Hans Christian Andersen (Danish, 1805 – 1875)
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  • ???? / Thirteen erotic lithographs by Santippa [i.e. Gaston Hoffmann], 1936.

    Publisher's flapped folder of black velvet paper with dark green embossed vignette, 494 x 325 mm, with a pink limitation label inside the front cover and a printed spade with 'FIN" inside the back cover; a set of 13 lithographs signed Santippa, 936; 480 x 310 mm each, twelve in black and one (title) coloured with sanguine. Limited edition of 250 copies, 1-100 printed on Hollande and 150 on Japon; this is copy № 127.

    Titles: Rêverie, Gaspillage, Exagération, Simplicité, Gourmandise, Abondance, Violence, Fantaisie, Faiblesse, Curiosité, Obligeance, Surprise.

    Contributors:

    Gaston Hoffmann [Santippa] (French, 1883 – 1977)

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  • Pietro Aretino. Sonnets luxurieux / Tavy Notton. — S.l.: s.n., 1948.

    Softcover volume, 25.9 x 16.7 cm, in French flapped wrappers lettered "PIETRO ARETINO | SONNETS | LUXURIEUX | {garland}" unbound, 6 gatherings in 4to (24 leaves, incl. those in wrappers), a few sheets of guard tissue laid in, unpaginated, lower margin untrimmed; in a burgundy double slipcase 26.3 x 17.3 cm. Illustrated with title-page vignette, red initials and tailpieces and 16 half-page engravings by Jean Baptiste Tavy Notton. Text in Italian and French. Title-page (red and black): SONNETS | LUXURIEUX | de | PIETRO ARETINO | dit L'ARÉTIN | avec accompagnement | de gravures au burin | d'après la description des gravures | de GIULIO PIPPI DE GIANNUZZI dit JULES ROMAIN | {vignette} | AUX DÉPENS | DE QUELQUES AMATEURS | 1948 || Clandestine limited edition, print run of 250 copies, of which this is copy № 20, printed on thick wove paper without watermarks. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 2421. Original edition: Sonetti lussuriosi by Pietro Aretino, illustrated by Giulio Romano and engraved by Marcantonio Raimondi, published clandestinely in Venice in c.1527. Contributors: Pietro Aretino (Italian, 1492 – 1556) – author. Jean Baptiste Tavy Notton (French, 1914 – 1971) – artist. Antoine-Isidore Liseux (French, 1835 – 1894) – translator/comments. Giulio Romano [Giulio Pippi, Giulio Giannuzzi] (Italian, c.1499 – 1546) – artist. Marcantonio Raimondi (Italian c. 1470/82 – c. 1534) – engraver.  
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  • Utagawa Kuniyoshi. Sumo wrestlers Hanaregoma Chōkichi and Nuregami Chōgorō / Fan print, 1852.

    Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi [歌川 國芳] (1798 – 1861). Kabuki actors Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII and Arashi Rikan III as sumo wrestlers Nuregami Chōgorō (L) and Hanaregoma Chōkichi (R), respectively. Signed: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga (一勇斎 國芳 画) in a double gourd-shaped cartouche with Yoshi Kiri seal. Publisher: No seal. Date seal and double nanushi censor seal: Mera & Watanabe, 1852. Media: Fan print (uchiwa-e, 団扇絵), 231 x 295 mm. Theme: Nine-act drama (11 scenes) Futatsu Chōchō Kuruwa Nikki [双蝶々曲輪日記] (A Diary of Two Butterflies in the Pleasure Quarters) written by Takeda Izumo II, Namiki Senryū I, Miyoshi Shōraku (7/1749) as puppet play Bunraku [文楽], adopted for Kabuki theatre by Arashi San'emon IV. “The sumo wrestler Nuregami Chōgorō is trying to ransom the courtesan Azuma for Yogoro, in whose debt he stands. Hiraoka Goemon, who is at odds with Yogorō and Azuma, is the patron of the amateur wrestler Hanaregoma Chōkichi. Chōgorō purposely loses to Chōkichi and then asks the latter to stop Goemon's ransoming of Azuma; Chōkichi refuses, however, and they quarrel. Admonished for his dissipation by his sister Oseki, Chōkichi is going to commit ritual suicide (seppuku) as an apology for his behavior, but Chōgorō, who happens along just then, prevents him. The two men swear blood brotherhood. […]  The confrontation between Chōgorō and Chōkichi in the Sumōba scene, acted in the exaggerated style called aragoto, is a major highlight of the work. The scene in Yohei's home, known as Hikimado, presents the unfolding of Kabuki's eternal conflict between duty and feelings, here represented by the act of opening the skylight (hikimado) to which Chōgorō is tied”. [Samuel L. Leiter. Kabuki Encyclopedia: an English-language adaptation of Kabuki Jiten. — Westport, CT; London: Greenwood Press, 1979, pp. 70-71]. See also James R. Brandon and Samuel L. Leiter. Kabuki plays on stage, vol. 1, pp. 234-258. — Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2002. Actors: Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII [市川団十郎] (Japanese, 1823 – 1854); other names: Ichikawa Ebizō VI, Ichikawa Shinnosuke II. Arashi Rikan III [嵐璃寛] (Japanese, 1812 – 1863); other names Arashi Tokusaburō III, Arashi Kicchō I, Onoe Wasaburō I. Another print in this collection with the same theme: SVJP-0331.2020. Reference images:    
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  • A. D. M. [Alfred de Musset]. Gamiani ou deux nuits d’excès. Fac-similé du texte original (1833) orné des 12 lithographies de Devéria & Grévedon. — Paris: Aux dépens d’un amateur, 1926.

    Description: ¾ contemporary red morocco over marbled boards, 33.1 x 25.8 cm, raised bands, gilt lettering to spine, in a marbled slipcase 34.2 x 25.9 cm. Printed on thick wove paper watermarked “MONTGOLFIER ANNONAY” by Canson & Montgolfier (Annonay, France). Front wrapper and title-page : A. D. M. | GAMIANI | OU | DEUX NUITS D’EXCÉS | FAC-SIMILE DU | TEXTE ORIGINAL | orné des 12 lithographies | de | DEVÉRIA & GRÉVEDON | 1833 – Paris – 1926 | aux dépens d'un amateur || Faux-t.p. (1): GAMIANI | OU | UNE NUIT D’EXCÉS | {vignette} | Bruxelles | 1833 || (fac-semilé of the original wrapper of 1833) Faux-t.p. (2): GAMIANI | OU | DEUX NUITS D’EXCÉS | {vignette} | Bruxelles | 1833 || (fac-semilé of the original wrapper of 1833) Collation: 2 blanks, 1 orig. lavender blue colour front wrapper, 1 blank, 1 h.t., 1 limitation p., 1 t.p., 3 leaves ‘Notice Bibliographique’, 32 leaves of printed text, 2 blanks, 1 brown faux t.p. (1), text in fac-semilé manuscript (7 leaves) with 8 coloured plates, 1 blank, 1 brown faux t.p. (2), 7 leaves of text with 4 plates, 2 blanks, brown back wrapper, lavender blue back wrapper, 2 blanks; total 64 leaves plus 16 plates. Pagination: [1-8] 9-75 [76] [4]; [1] 2-26; mispaginated p. 23 marked 25, f.t.p. and ffl not counted. Last four plates without letters. Limitation: a print run of 360 copies, of which 20 with ‘miniatures’ №№ 1-20, 100 with coloured plates №№ 21-120, 230 with b/w plates №№ 121-350; 10 copies not for sale, marked H. C. (hors commerce). This is copy № 201, which should be with black lithographs, but has coloured plates. According to J.-P. Dutel, the plates were printed from the original stones. For variations on Devéria & Grévedon designs for Gamiani see also:  LIB-3087.2022 (Bruxelles, 1864); LIB-3093.2022 (Bruxelles, 1866); LIB-3090.2022 (Bruxelles, 1871); LIB-2902.2021 (Greman, 1911); LIB-2903.2021 (late 1940s). Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III 1640, p. 185. Contributors : Alfred de Musset (French, 1810 – 1857) – author. André Warnod [André de Sermanmagny] (French, 1885 – 1960) – author (bibliographical note) Pierre Louis Henri Grévedon (French, 1776 – 1860) – artist. Achille Devéria (French, 1800 – 1857) – artist.
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  • [André Collot]. Symphonies amoureuses: Suite de seize gravures à la pointe sèche rehaussées. — s.l.: Imprimé aux dépens de Bibliophiles et non mis dans le commerce, c. 1960.

    Description: Suite of 16 hand-coloured drypoints, in 39 x 29 cm, in cream French flapped wrappers with lavender lettering “SYMPHONIES AMOUREUSES” and a sanguine drypoint vignette (platemark 15 x 13 cm) to front, 17 leaves plus 2 leaves in the wrappers, 38.5 x 57 cm vertically folded once, lettering to one page, plate to another page, unbound, only the top margin trimmed, unpaginated, wove paper watermarked "BFK Rives", in a faux chagrin double slipcase 39.8 x 30 cm. Title-page (in lavender and black): SYMPHONIES AMOUREUSES | Suite de seize gravures | à la pointe sèche | rehaussées | {blank} | imprimé aux dépens | de Bibliophiles et non mis dans le commerce || Titles of the plates : 1. Ouverture. 2. Gamme. 3. Rêverie. 4. Pas redoublé. 5 Fantasia. 6. Pastorale. 7. Estudiantina. 8. Presto. 9. Arpège. 10. Menuet. 11 .Symphonie médiévale. 12. Jeux d’eau. 13. Galop. 14. Impromptu. 15. Variation. 16. Ariette. Limitation: Print run of 100 copies, 5 copies on Japon Manchou, numbered №№ 1-5, enriched; 11 copies on vélin à la forme de Rives, numbered №№ 6-16, enriched; 84 copies on vélin à la forme de Rives, numbered №№ 17-100, of which this is copy № 32. Cat. raisonné: Dutel III, № 2478. Contributors: André Collot (French, 1897 – 1976) – artist, engraver.
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