THE GOLDEN ASSE OF LUCIUS APULEIUS

London: John Lane The Bodley Head Limited, 1923. Near fine.. Luxurious limited edition of Adlington's Apuleius, lavishly illustrated in De Bosschère's best sub-erotic Beardsleyite manner. Scarce and beautiful edition of the picaresque ancient Roman novel, adorned and illustrated with tasteful wickedness by the great Belgian artist, whose interest in the occult and the erotic was perfectly matched to the Apuleian metamorphoses of the unfortunate narrator: a dedicated amorous adventurer, persecutee of witches, and belated devotee of Isis. 9.5'' x 6''. Original gilt-stamped pictorial brown cloth. Top edge gilt. 282 pages followed by publisher's advertisements. Edition of 3000, this copy numbered #1589. Illustrated with eight color plates, including frontispiece, all with intact tissue guards; eight black and white plates; and numerous additional back and white decorations and in-text illustrations. Only mild edgewear to boards, touch of creasing to rear board (from production). An exceptionally clean and fresh copy.