La Loïe Fuller by Marx, Roger and Pierre Roche - 1904

Paris: Les Cent Bibliophiles, 1904. 4to, cream wrappers with embossed design covering both covers in pink, green and gilt. Professionally rebacked in compatible paper. Included is the contemporary marbled board portfolio, into which the book had been bound, presumably for the original owner, Maurice Quarré, a member of the French bibliophile, with his bookplate laid in. With announcement from L'Estampe Originale listing this work as appearing next. Scattered minor foxing; a very pretty copy. Seventeen embossed designs in color, "estampes modelées", by Pierre Roche. These are sculptural relief engravings apparently from plaster models according to Gordon Ray, printed with touches of color in a process called gypsography. Roche, a pupil of Rodin, was a noted sculptor, medallist and ceramist. This is the first use of relief illustrations in a book and the first use of Auriol Italique type, which combine for a beautiful mise-en-page. This exquisite Art Nouveau book captures the celebrated American artiste whirling in here diaphanous veils, lit by colored spotlights. Loïe opened her own special theater at the 1900 Paris World's Fair and called her performance "la danse serpentine." A vibrant homage to the dancer who fascinated the world and a bibliographic and technical tour de force. Ray, The Art of the French Illustrated book, p. 480. Illustrations can be found on my website by clicking on Catalogue 31 (item 51). . Embossed Wrappers. Fine. Illus. by Pierre Roche. 4to.