Tabubu

A$75 · Offered by Douglas Stewart Fine Books

Limited edition

Adaptation de J.-H. Rosny. At head of title: Conte égyptien . Paris : E. Dentu, 1894. Series: Petite Collection Guillaume . Sextodecimo (137 x 81 mm), contemporary coral-coloured calf, spine with gilt decoration (stylised Ancient Egyptian lotus flower) and black morocco title label lettered in gilt; marbled endpapers; bound with the original wrappers; pp. 104, [6]; numerous monochrome illustrations by Luděk Marold and Mittis; text in French; a very attractive copy. An Ancient Egyptian story of mystery and the supernatural, often referred to as The Tale of Setne, which is known from a Demotic text of the Ptolemaic period. The story was the inspiration for the 1932 Hollywood film, The Mummy , starring Boris Karloff. Here, it is adapted by J.-H. Rosny , the pen name used by Belgian brothers Joseph Henri Honoré Boex (1856-1940) and Séraphin Justin François Boex (1859-1948), who collaborated on numerous works prior to 1909. Tabubu , however, is attributed solely to the older of the two brothers, Joseph, who would later use the pen name J.-H. Rosny Ainé (as opposed to J.-H. Rosny Jeune ). A prominent pioneer of modern science fiction writing, he was elected president of the Académie Goncourt in 1926 and was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928 and 1932. Coincidentally, the 1932 Maurice Lalau-illustrated edition of Tabubu is considered one of the highpoints of French Art Deco book illustration.

• Binding: Hardcover

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