GARY (Romain). Lot n° 43

Europa. Paris, Gallimard, 1972. In-8 mounted on tabs, field mosaiced with two large portions of intersecting discs, one of brown shark, the other of sienna elephant, edged in grey calf, edge to edge lining of same box with a piece of mosaic shark on the upper counterfold and a piece of mosaic elephant on the lower counterfold each repeating the shape of the calf mosaics of each plate, brown japanese endpapers, untrimmed, cover and spine, folder and slipcase sheathed in the same grey box (H. Liesen, 2019). First edition. One of 25 first copies on white vellum of Holland. "In this strange and fascinating novel, each character may be the product of the delusions of others. But who is dreaming who? [...] Right up to the last line, this spellbinding novel poses its enigmas and invites us - through its brilliant fable - to meditate on the past, present and future of Europe, that is, our own" (Gallimard). Sumptuous binding signed by Hugo Liesen in a mosaic of rare leathers, the shark and the elephant, whose thick grain and strong texture contrast with the smooth aspect of the box in an interesting play of materials.