KIPLING (Rudyard). The Jungle Book. Translated... Lot 16

KIPLING (Rudyard). The Jungle Book. Translated from the English by Louis Fabulet and Robert d'Humières. Paris, Société du Livre contemporain, 1919. In-folio, (4 of which the last blank)-414-(2 of which the last blank) pp, blue morocco, spine ribbed, polychrome mosaic decoration on the spine and on both boards, including the title in all letters on the upper board and a double frame of snake skin listels on the second board; filleted edges, brocaded silk lining with exotic vegetal motifs in a framed blue morocco with two-colored mosaic geometrical motifs, double endpapers, the first and last of which are of the same brocaded silk, covers and spine preserved, gilt edges, spine folder with blue morocco flaps, slipcase lined; spine of volume slightly faded, spine of folder heavily faded and a little rubbed, slipcase a little worn (David). FIRST COLLECTIVE EDITION OF THE FRENCH TRANSLATIONS OF THE TWO BOOKS, printed at only 125 numbered copies on Arches vellum, the n°52 specially printed for Adrien Lachenal. The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book were originally published in English in 1894 and 1895, then in French translation by Louis Fabulet and Robert d'Humières in the same year 1899. LUXURIANT COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS BY PAUL JOUVE ENGRAVED ON WOOD BY FRANÇOIS-LOUIS SCHMIED. 130 compositions, that is to say : one covering the whole cover, 17 full-page hors texte, and 112 in the text. The first work of F.-L. Schmied and the first work illustrated by Paul Jouve (1880-1973), The Jungle Book was started in 1911 but, due to the war, was not completed until 1918 and published only the following year. EXAMPLE WITH 3 pieces: an autograph signature of Rudyard Kiplin (on a business card-sized sheet) with the accompanying letter from the writer's secretary, Dorothy Gardner-Smith (Bateman's in Burwash, Sussex, England, December 8, 1925). - A menu illustrated by Édouard Chimot for the Society of One Hundred Bibliophiles (1923). BEAUTIFUL MOSAIC BINDING BY THE DAVID WORKSHOP, with motifs evoking animal characters from the story, THE GREY MONKEY (on the back), the panther BAGHEERA (on the upper board), and the vulture CHIL (on the lower board). Provenance: the Swiss lawyer and politician Adrien Lachenal, 1849-1918 (bookplate), who was president of the Swiss Confederation, and who collected an important library of modern illustrated books.