Eric Chaim Kline, Bookseller

Les Métamorphoses ou l'Asne d'Or [21 ETCHINGS BY MARTIN VAN MAELE, AND EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED WITH 7 COLOR PLATES BY ALEXANDER ROTHAUG, A WIENER WERKSTATTE ARTIST]

Apulée, Luce (Apuleius) (Text by); Jean de Montlyard (Translated by); Jules de Marthold (Preface by); Martin van Maele (Illustrations by); Alexander Rothaug (Color plates by)

Paris: Charles Carrington, 1905. Limited edition. Hardcover. 1/750. Quarto (9 1/2 x 6 1/2"). [8], xlviii, 328pp. Uncut. Later 3/4 olive morocco over marbled paper covered boards, with gold lettering and tooling to spine. Top edge gilt. Marbled endpapers. Original wrappers bound in. Ribbon marker. Tissue-guarded etched frontispiece. Title page in red and black lettering. Decorative head-, tailpieces and initials. Book housed in a custom made linen covered slipcase.

Splendid limited edition of "Les Métamorphoses ou l'Asne d'Or" (The Metamorphoses of Apuleius), "the only ancient Roman novel in Latin to survive in its entirety.

The protagonist of the novel is called Lucius. At the end of the novel, he is revealed to be from Madaurus, the hometown of Apuleius himself. The plot revolves around the protagonist's curiosity (curiositas) and insatiable desire to see and practice magic. While trying to perform a spell to transform into a bird, he is accidentally transformed into an ass. This leads to a long journey, literal and metaphorical, filled with inset tales. He finally finds salvation through the intervention of the goddess Isis, whose cult he joins." For more information, see: S. J. Harrison (2004) [2000]. "Apuleius: A Latin Sophist" (revised paperback ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 9-10.

This work is splendidly illustrated throughout with 21 tissue-guarded etchings by Martin van Maele, and extra-illustrated with seven folded color plates by Alexander Rothaug, from the 1918 limited edition of "Der goldene Esel" edited by Wilhelm Lowinger.

One of 750 numbered copies, of which this is No. 439.

Text in French. Binding and interior in very good condition. vg. Item #44160

Price: $500.00