1847 Les Fleurs Animees (1st Edition, 2nd Imp) - Illustrated by Grandville

In excellent condition, here is an absolutely beautiful antique copy of Les Fleurs Animées, illustrated by Grandville. Being a first edition, second impression published by Gabriel de Gonet, Paris. With the most beautiful hand-coloured engraved plates. In a fine green Moroccan leather binding with gilt tooling, and gilt edged pages. IN FRENCH. Condition in detail below.

Les Fleurs Animées is a masterful work of nineteenth-century botanical surrealism that blends natural science, social satire, and fantasy. Written by Alphonse Karr, Taxile Delord, and Count Foelix, the book is famously brought to life by the genius of artist Jean-Jacques Grandville, who personifies the floral world into a series of beautiful, melancholic, and witty anthropomorphic women. Tired of being picked by humans, the flowers take human form to live on Earth, allowing Grandville to use each flower-woman to gently mock the courtships, fashion trends, and rigid social classes of mid-nineteenth-century Parisian society. Complete with Grandville's highly imaginative, hand-coloured engravings, the work seamlessly transitions from playful floral folklore and cutting cultural critique into a serious, dedicated educational appendix designed to teach botany and horticulture to women.

Inside the pages are clean, bright and tightly bound. A few of the pages have tanning and spotting. All of the plates are present, and all in super condition (29 plates for Volume I and 22 for Volume II plus two black and white plates in the Boutique des Dames). Four lack tissue guards. Has a neatly inked inscription at the top of an early blank endpaper. With a plate on the front paste down (see photos). But no other writing or markings of previous ownership. All edges shiny gilt.

In lime-green Moroccan leather with ornate gilt decoration to front, back and spine. Again in top order. Front and back just have some mild rubbing around the outside edges. Plus the odd light scuff and a couple of faint brown blemishes on the back - all minor. The spine has darkened a little. It has five raised bands with ornate decoration in each compartment. Again mild rubbing to spine joints and spine ends. Shiny inner dentelles. No cracked hinges - strongly bound.

Your antique copy of Les Fleurs Animées will be wrapped with care in tissue and ribbon* and sent well packaged. I am always happy to add a gift card with a message to the parcel.

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H 27 cm x W 20 cm, 1.8 kg. I dispatch worldwide daily from the UK. (There are just a very few countries which I am unable to ship to).

*If you would prefer for your book not to be decoratively wrapped and sent simply in the full protective packaging please add a note to the order.

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