A MASTERPIECE ON LOVE

(NOGUÈRES, Vincent-Lucien) SA'DI SHIRAZI, Muslih-uddin. (TOUSSAINT, Franz, translator). Le Jardin des Roses. Paris: H. Piazza (Raymond Jacquet), 1959. Square octavo, 16 loose gatherings in original decorative cream French wrappers, textured parchment chemise and matching slipcase. $850.

Limited edition of Franz Toussaint’s translation of Sa’di’s masterpiece on love, number 1118 of 1500 copies, with decorative title page and 12 beautiful full-page color illustrations in the Persian style by Vincent-Lucien Noguères, printed by a special process using progressively degenerating blocks and luminous gold developed by Raymond Jacquet.

This richly illustrated, semi-autobiographical work is composed of short, proverb-like stories interspersed with poetry. When Sa'di wrote the original manuscript in 1258, he intended to address practical topics from love to morality in an accessible and natural way. This beautiful production of his Gulistân in French is illustrated by Vincent-Lucien Noguères, whose images are printed in a special process created by Raymond Jacquet, using resin-based blocks (rather than wood-blocks, which would show a grain). The process required that a block be cut, a single color applied, then printed. The block was then cleaned and cut away for the next color, resulting in the block's progressive destruction. The process required great skill and resulted in works of spectacular beauty. Text in French. See Penzer, 177.

A fine copy, with only minor soiling to original slipcase.