Homer

[French Binders- Stunning Pinnacle of Elagance and Technical Skill, Finished (and signed) by Gaston Pilon] The Odyssey of Homer

London: The Medici Society, 1924.

First Edition. Large quarto, 11 1/2 x 9 1/4 x 1 3/4 inches. Sumptuous French morocco binding of the highest order, gilt-stamp-signed ìHARDY PILONî on the lower board, for Gaston Pilon and Henri Hardy, master craftsmen behind The French Binders. Hardy served as the forwarder, meticulously handling the physical construction and sewing of the volumes, while Pilon acted as the finisher, executing the intricate gold tooling and artistic cover designs. Together, they were instrumental in introducing traditional French techniques to the American. Additionally gilt-stamped ìTHE FRENCH BINDERS GARDEN CITY N.Y.î on lower front doublure, and again within the chemise. Elegantly bound in dark blue levant morocco, covers richly gilt with an elaborate interlaced geometric frame of multiple fillets forming a continuous knotwork border, enclosing a central panel of restrained elegance; spine with raised bands, compartments decorated with similar design motif, and titling in gilt; board edges and dentelles finely tooled with multiple gilt rules. The finishingóprecise, deeply impressed, and architecturally balancedóis characteristic of top-tier late French craftsmanship, where the finisher (here Hardy Pilon) is explicitly credited, underscoring workshop hierarchy and pride of execution. The interior is equally luxurious: silk doublures and matching moirÈ silk free endpapers of exceptional quality, the watered pattern creating a subtle optical movement across the surfaceóa hallmark of deluxe French bindings intended for presentation copies. Gilt dentelles frame the doublures with refined restraint.Housed in its original contemporary two-part morocco chemise and slipcase (often termed a chemise et Ètui), the chemise with rounded spine and the outer slipcase forming a protective shell; both covered in matching dark blue morocco, the chemise spine gilt-lettered. The presence of a third credit within the housing is notable and desirable, as such cases were frequently produced in collaboration but not always signedóhere reinforcing the atelier identity and elevating the set as a complete, original presentation ensemble. The condition here is unparalleled: super fine, with no signs of wear. Deluxe Edition, #229 of 500 Copies with 13 superb tipped-in color plates by W. Russell Flint.

A superb example of early 20th-century French luxury binding, combining structural rigor, refined decorative geometry, and the increasingly important practice of crediting both atelier and individual finisherófeatures that place it firmly within the highest echelon of collector bindings. In fine, unhandled condition, without fault.

Price: $7,500.00   Item #7070