Michel (Henri Marius, binder).- Calligraphic Manuscript.- Heredia (José-Maria de) Romancero, Text Écrit , Enluminé et Historié par Malatesta, illuminated manuscript on vellum, 21 leaves including blanks, additional pictorial architectural title in grisaille, watercolour over pencil with title in gold and "Pour Monsieur Raymond Claude Lafontaine" at foot, half-title, title in red and black with vignette of knight holding a disembodied head in colours and gold, text written in black ink, 3 part titles, 3 headings with large decorative initials in red, blue & green, 69 smaller decorative initials in red, blue & green, 13 watercolour illustrations in colours heightened with gold including one full-page and 3 tail-pieces, all initialled by the artist, etched bookplate and book-label of P.Brunet mounted on front free endpaper, bound in light brown morocco, by Henri Marius Michel, covers with geometrical design of nine deeply inset panels inlaid with leaves and berries in morocco of various reds and browns, rounded spine with four pairs of raised bands, turn-ins of light brown morocco ruled in gilt with crimson morocco leaf at corners, gold brocade doublures and flyleaves, g.e., signed at foot of front turn in and with "Ex libris Raymond Claude-Lafontaine" in gilt, black morocco-backed marbled chemise and slip-case (a little rubbed), 4to (binding c.300 x 225mm.), Paris, 1906.

⁂ A splendid mosaic binding by the innovative master bookbinder.

Exhibited: Exposition Universelle de Bruxelles 1910 (pencil note to front free endpaper).

Raymond Claude-Lafontaine (1866-1914) was a banker, writer, book-collector, and secretary of La Société Normande du Livre Illustré.