Reine des Neiges, La

Paris: L'Édition D'Art / H. Piazza, 1911. French Signed Limited Edition of Edmund Dulac's Hans Andersen

[DULAC, Edmund, illustrator]. ANDERSEN, Hans Christian. La Reine des Neiges et Quelques Autres Contes Illustrés par Edmond Dulac. Paris: L'Édition D'Art / H. Piazza, [1911].

French Signed Limited Edition. Limited to 500 numbered copies on Papier du Japon signed by Edmund Dulac (this being #487).

Quarto (11 3/8 x 8 3/4 inches; 290 x 224 mm.). 172 pp. Title-page decoratively printed in red, black green and yellow. Twenty-eight mounted color plates, each framed with turquoise green flowery borders and titled tissue-guards. (truncated) Original front wrapper decorated in green and gilt bound in.

Contemporary (Publishers ?) full mottled calf, covers with triple rule borders and decorative corner pieces, spine with five raised bands, decoratively stamped in gilt and with a maroon morocco lettering label. All edges stained red, marbled endpapers. Expert and almost invisible repair to rear joint, tiny (one inch) crack at top of front joint. An excellent copy.

"28 Dulac colour plates, mounted on vellum, framed with turquoise green flowery borders; covered with tissue guards imprinted with black captions. Also special turquoise green borders for title page and snowflake border designs for text pages. 5 different dark green initials decorated with turquoise surrounds; small medallion designs for limitation and printer's pages, 7 designs for chapter titles, 9 tailpiece designs.… Price when issued: full leather 100 fr." (Hughey, 27kk).

During his lifetime, Hans Christian Andersen, whose every fairy tale has become a classic, was second only to Charles Dickens as the most popular author in the Western world.

Hughey, 27kk. (Inventory #: 03185)