JOUVE Paul / SCHMIED François-Louis / KIPLING Rudyard - Lot 209

JOUVE Paul / SCHMIED François-Louis / KIPLING Rudyard The Jungle Book. Société du livre contemporain Paris 1919. First edition illustrated by animal painter Paul Jouve and wood-engraved by François-Louis SCHMIED. Translation by Louis Fabulet and Robert d'Humières. Limited edition of 125 copies on Arches vellum, this one n°79 printed for M. Ch. Bernard Metman. Copy with an original drawing by Jouve on Japon paper, mounted on tab, depicting a tiger drinking from a river, pencil and watercolor, 18 x 23 cm, signed in red in the lower left-hand corner. Bound in-4 in full dark green morocco, on the first cover a lacquer medallion signed Jean DUNAND depicting, in full color, the head of Bagheera, the book's famous black panther, in the jungle, 13.5 cm in diameter, spine with 4 nerves, counterpanes lined with full lighter green morocco framed with gold edging, three gilt edges, endpapers imitating snake scales, fresh interior despite some spotting, covers and spine preserved, in green half morocco folder and slipcase with bands, spine evenly faded to brown (binding by Cretté, successor to Marius Michel). Complete with the suite of artist's proofs, justified 13/15 and signed by F-L SCHMIED, itself complete with the two faux-titres justified 20/40 and signed by Schmied, which allowed the book to be divided into two volumes. Few pages with minor foxing, otherwise fresh inside in a green full morocco in-4 binding, spine with 4 raised bands, "suites" at foot, framed counterplate, three gilt edges, in a green half morocco slipcase and folder with bands, spine uniformly faded brown.