Meunier (Charles, binder).- Gruel (Leon) Manuel Historique et Bibliographique de l'Amateur de Reliures, 2 vol., numbers 184 of 250 copies and 55 of 50 copies on papier des Vosges à la forme, from editions limited to 1000 and 700 respectively, numerous plates, most heliogravure but a few chromolithographed and heightened with gold, illustrations, vol.1 bound in brown goatskin over bevelled boards with inset panels decorated in cuir-ciselé, by Charles Meunier, upper cover with griffin cut in dark brown calf with an open book & foliage and painted silver scrolls all against a gilt pointillé background, lower cover with painted gilt owl perched atop an open book surrounded by cut brown calf foliage and painted silver scrolls against gilt pointillé ground, both signed "Ch.Meunier 15" in frame at foot, spine with four pairs of raised bands and inlaid decoration in red goatskin in central compartment and lettered in gilt in second & fourth compartments, red or tan goatskin doublures inlaid with foliate trellis design in goatskin and calf of many colours (different colours for each doublure but same design) within borders of brown calf edged with thin red goatskin strips and triple gilt fillets, signed with stamp at foot of front turn-in, g.e., turquoise silk moiré flyleaves and marbled endpapers, brown calf chemise with marbled paper sides and backed & edged in brown goatskin, spine with bands and inlay as on book, marbled board slipcase, spine of chemise and slip-case slightly rubbed, vol.2 bound in later green cloth, uncut, upper hinge weak, a little rubbed, both vol. with original decorative wrappers bound in (vol.2 lightly rubbed), vol.1 also with prospectus to vol.2, 4to, Paris, 1887-1905.

⁂ Sumptuous work on French bookbinding in a magnificent binding by the celebrated French master Charles Meunier; a superb combination of cuir-ciselé and mosaic decoration.