Binding—Rudyard Kipling | Le Livre de la Jungle [and Le Second Livre], Paris, 1919, illustrated by Paul Jouve, two original illustrations by Jouve, art deco binding by Henri Creuzevault

Rudyard Kipling and Paul Jouve

Le livre de la jungle [and Le second livre]. Paris, Société du Livre contemporain, 1919

ONE OF 125 COPIES, 4to (322 x 245 mm), two original window-mounted drawings, one signed by Jouve, 127 compositions by Paul Jouve (17 full-page), engraved on wood by F.L. Schmied, green morocco binding by Henri Creuzevault, depicting a mosaic elephant in brown and green morocco, with ivory-coloured calf tusks on a golden calf background, spine lettered in gilt, gilt edges, black and gold fabric endpapers, housed in a green quarter morocco sleeve and green slipcase, some offsetting of illustrations, slipcase rubbed at extremities

A FINE BINDING BY HENRI CREUZEVAULT, featuring two original gouache, pencil and ink drawings by Jouve: one signed, showing Mowgli, and one unsigned, showing Kaa.

The French translation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, illustrated by Paul Jouve, is considered one of the masterpieces of Art Deco book production.

The Jungle Book was first printed in 1894, closely followed by The Second Jungle Book in 1895. It was first translated into French in 1899, and in 1913, having been commissioned by the Société du Livre contemporain, Paul Jouve began the illustrations for the stories. The publication was delayed until 1919 due to the war. As a painter of animals, Jouve's distinctive style lent itself particularly well to Kipling's imagination: his representations of Mowgli, Mowgli’s friends Bagheera and Baloo, Kaa and the fearsome Shere Khan have left an indelible mark on all those familiar with the book.

Only 125 copies of the present edition were produced: all of them reserved for the members of the French literary group that had commissioned its publication.

PROVENANCE:

Sale, Sotheby's Geneva, 14 November 1988, lot 84