GANDON (Yves) — SAUVAGE (Sylvain) — The Pavilion of Lost Del - Lot 108

GANDON (Yves) — SAUVAGE (Sylvain) — The Pavilion of Lost Delights GANDON (Yves). — The Pavilion of Lost Delights. Translated from Chinese. Illustrations by Sylvain Sauvage. Paris, Marcel Lubineau, 1946. Small, narrow in-12 format, 163 pp., loose-leaf bound in a cream-colored cloth-covered jacket, illustrated with a black-and-gold design; publisher’s slipcase and dust jacket covered in embossed silver paper, title gilded on the spine. A beautiful edition illustrated with 68 compositions by Sylvain Sauvage, color woodcuts by Pierre Bouchet, in collaboration with Gilbert Poilliot: cover, title page, large chapter headpieces, and end-piece illustrations, several of which are accented with gold and silver. The BnF does indeed list the 1946 Lubineau edition, 163 pages, and attributes the engravings to Pierre Bouchet. The text, presented as “translated from Chinese” by Yves Gandon, is a poetic and sensual evocation of China, particularly enhanced by Sylvain Sauvage’s refined, Japanese-inspired aesthetic. The illustrations alternate between landscapes, birds, flowers, and female figures, with several erotically inspired compositions. Limited edition of 990 numbered copies. One of the 950 copies on Lana vellum, this one being no. 87. The first 40 copies on Arches vellum included only an original drawing and a black-and-white set of engravings; this copy therefore belongs to the main print run. Provenance: copy from the collection of P. A. Bazirguian, with his coat-of-arms ex-libris numbered 1079, mounted inside the slipcase. A fine copy, preserved in loose sheets within its original publisher’s slipcase. The interior is fresh, with wide margins preserved; the colors and metallic highlights are particularly well-preserved. A few very rare small foxing spots. The silver-plated slipcase and cover are scuffed along the edges and caps, with minor wear and superficial peeling at the corners; nevertheless, the set is complete and very presentable.