L'ANE D'OR [THE GOLDEN ASSE OF LUCIUS APULEIUS]

[Paris]: A l'enseigne des Trois Magots, 1928. Near fine.. First French edition thus - one of only ten hors commerce copies, lavishly bound in Art Deco style - 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. De Bosschère's work bridges the fin-de-siècle symbolist approach of Aubrey Beardsley with a bright Art Nouveau style, favoring dynamic compositions that anticipate, and finally embrace, Art Deco. This edition differs from the 1923 English edition in a number of its illustrations, some of which are revised, others replaced; this edition also contains a number of images hand-colored in pochoir. A magnificent copy in the striking and appropriate Art Deco binding. 9.5'' x 7.25''. Contemporary full blue levant morocco by Ciroux with gilt-stamped design after de Bosschère, gilt-lettered spine in Deco style. Gilt dusted marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, other edges uncut, gilt dentelles in minimalist modern style. Illustrated by de Bosschère with original etching frontispiece and 14 full-page illustrations, of which 7 are elaborately hand-colored in pochoir, along with numerous vignettes. Original wrappers bound in. 298, [4] pages. Copy "G" of 10 hors commerce copies, so marked, one of 7 copies on Arches paper. Inscribed to Jacques Alphaud and signed by publishers R. Denoel and A.M. Blanche. Touch of toning to spine and spot of wear to joints. Firm and clean.