Kieffer (René, binder).- Longus. Les Amours Pastorales de Daphnis et Chloé, additional engraved pictorial title by Coypel, title in red & black, 4 engraved head-pieces of putti, 4 tail-pieces by Cochin and 28 plates by Audran after Philippe d'Orléans, with the final plate 'Les petits pieds' by Caylus, this copy also with 4 additional plates by Fokke after Eisen mounted on blank leaves and bound in (lightly browned), very occasional light spotting, staining to one plate at p.154, beautifully bound in cream morocco with coloured morocco inlays in delicate floral design tooled in gilt, by René Kieffer, covers with central spray of flowers and leaves in red, blue, orange, turquoise, purple, tan and green inlays with similar corner-pieces all elaborately tooled in gilt and within double gilt fillet and dentelle border, spine titled in gilt between two panels of similar inlays, gold silk doublures and linings, turn-ins with strips of green morocco tooled in gilt with flower, leafy spray & ribbon roll tool and small flower on red morocco square at corners, signed at foot of front turn-in and with ticket, marbled endpapers, g.e., preserved in half dark blue morocco chemise and marbled board slip-case (bump to spine), [Cohen-de Ricci 652], 8vo (c.205 x 150mm.), Paris, 1745.

⁂ First published in 1718 in only 250 copies, this famous work was illustrated by Philippe d'Orleans, Regent of France, under the direction of Antoine Coypel. The famous 'Petits Pieds' plate by Caylus does not appear in all copies.

⁂ René Kieffer (1875-1964), bookbinder and publisher, trained at École Estienne in Paris then joined the Chambolle-Duru bindery where he specialised in gilding before establishing his own bindery in 1903. He tended to follow the Art Nouveau mosaic bindings of Marius Michel with floral inlays often in bright colours but later evolved a more modern style influenced by Legrain. This binding is particularly delicate and reflects the Rococo style of the book.