Son Altesse La Femme [Her Highness the Woman] [Color Plates] [Signed David Masterpiece Binding] [Limited Edition of 100]

Paris: A. Quantin, 1885. Limited Edition. Fine/No Dust Jacket As Issued.
A breathtaking summit of the French Belle Époque book arts, uniting the bibliophilic obsession of Octave Uzanne with the master craftsmanship of the binder Salvatore David.

This work is a sophisticated cultural autopsy of French femininity and fashion, tracing the history of womanhood from the dark mirror of witchcraft to the specialized physiology of the modern Parisian. As a premiere example of the édition de luxe, it features intricate color plates and vignettes that capture the fin-de-siècle fascination with the feminine ideal.

This specific copy, bound by the legendary David, carries the provenance of the titan of the American auction world, Cortlandt Field Bishop, making it a triple-threat acquisition for collectors of fine bindings, French literature, and bibliographical history.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL FEATURES
+++ Binding: Masterwork full contemporary red morocco by Salvatore David. Features ornately tooled red morocco doublures decorated in gilt and inlaid with blue and white leather; ribbed deep blue silk pastedowns and flyleaves. Original paper wrappers are bound in as a double-page spread.
+++ Limited Edition: First edition, strictly limited to 100 copies; this copy is unnumbered.
+++ Illustration Suite: Engraved title vignette; fifty text engravings; eleven ornamental borders/head-pieces; ten tipped-in color plates. Notably includes an additional ten vignettes in a state without text printed on separate sheets.
Bibliographical Variant: The inclusion of the ten vignettes in a state without text on separate sheets (the suite) distinguishes this from the trade and standard limited issues. This extra-illustrated state is a primary point of interest for the connoisseur of French printmaking and typography.
+++ Provenance: Features the gilt-tooled red morocco book ticket of Cortlandt F. Bishop (1870-1935), the pioneer aviator and founder of the American Art Association-Anderson Galleries (the precursor to Sotheby's Parke-Bernet).
+++ Specs: Quarto; 7 by 10.75 inches.

CONDITION: Very Good. The bindings are tight and square. Text block is clean with light, even age-toning. The leather is vibrant with moderate shelf handling; a small opening is beginning at the front lower joint. A remarkably well-preserved example of a high-status binding with the internal silk and gilt work remaining exceptionally bright.

SCHOLARLY FEATURES
+++ The Uzanne Influence: Octave Uzanne was the quintessential 19th-century man of letters, reinventing the bibliography as a creative art form. His work on fashion was a serious study of the special physiology and attraction of the era.
+++ The David Bindery: Salvatore David (1859-1929) was the son of the noted Second Empire binder Bernard David. This volume showcases his transition toward the compelling and original garlanded flowers and gold fillet style that defined French masterworks of the 1880-1940 period.
+++ Cultural History: Tracks the evolution of the French woman through a series of thematic essays, moving from historical archetypes to the modern psychological study of the Parisienne.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE --
This volume is a primary artifact of the Livre d'Artiste movement before it was fully codified in the 20th century. The combination of Uzanne's text and David's binding represents the highest tier of French aestheticism. For the American collector, the Bishop provenance links this book to the very center of the 1920s-30s rare book market, as Cortlandt Bishop's own auctions set the standard for the industry for decades.

Subjects: French Fashion History, Femininity, Octave Uzanne, Salvatore David, Cortlandt Field Bishop, Fin-de-Siècle Paris, Fine Bindings, Édition de Luxe, Bibliophilia, Art Nouveau Bookbinding, Cultural History.