CHIMOT, Edouard (1890-1959), artist. LEVITSKY, Georges, binder. LOUYS, Pierre (1870-1925). Les poésies de Méléagre. Paris: for the Artist, and his friends, [1926].

One of 30 hors-commerce copies with an original drawing by Edouard Chimot and five additional etchings; all plates in six states, bound by Georges Levitsky. This is number 14 of 30 hors-commerce copies apart from the limited edition of 200, 15 of the 200 also included an original drawing and the plates in multiple states. Only the hors-commerce copies, however, have the five additional etchings (also in six states each) bound in at end. These five are more sexually explicit than the main series. The poet, Pierre Louÿs, was known for his adaptions of classical myth sexuality; he was a collaborator and friend of Claude Debussy.

Quarto (328 x 245mm). Original pencil, pastel and watercolor drawing bound in at front, 316 x 240mm, signed by the artist center right, a full-length female nude. Illustrated with 15 etchings in six states, one of which is interleaved and printed on parchment, except the extra plates have all states bound at end (occasional foxing/discoloration to parchment). Full crushed morocco by Georges Levitsky, spine in five compartments with raised bands, gilt-lettered in two, spine bands decorated with gilt and red morocco inlay on covers, board edges gilt-ruled and decorated, tan morocco doublures with inlaid border of black and red morocco in Greek key pattern, stamp-signed by Levitsky on the upper turn-in, both upper and lower silk flyleaves with pochoir repetitions of Chimot's illustrations, plus wide and colorful geometric borders; original wrappers bound in; morocco-edged chemise and fleece-lined slipcase (splitting to chemise and scrapes to slipcase).