DE MARLES, M. "Les Cents Merveilles de la Nature" [A. Mame et Cie, 1854]

DE MARLES, M. Les Cents Merveilles de la Nature

Tours: Alfred Mame et Cie, 1854. French language. 7.75" x 4.75", 236pp. Teal "cartonnage romantique" with extensive gilt work on all sides and front cover pictorial onlay. Illustrated frontispiece. Prize bookplate + matching loose insert inside front cover. All edges rubbed and textblock quite foxed. Good+.

Cartonnage romantique bindings offer one of the most visually striking and affordable ways to collect 19th-century French literature, with their ornate gilt and color-stamped covers reflecting the tastes of the July Monarchy and Second Empire. These decorative cloth and paper bindings, often overlooked, are increasingly recognized for their artistry and bibliographic importance.