Despite Gutenberg's genius invention, manuscripts will never be erased by the printed word, and solid moveable types are evenly matched by fragile penned letters. Hasty or diligent writing, spidery scrawls or sign of the times.
They are called deluxe papers, limited editions, tirages de têtes or simply first editions. They were printed in small numbers on special paper and carefully preserved, from the very beginning, by the first readers and admirers of these literary geniuses. These copies are the origin of the work and its legacy.
They are the sign of a desire, of a trust in the recipient, they lay bare the individual behind the writer, a final trace of the writing hand on the finished work - intimately subjected to the particular gaze of a close friend, a peer or an influential critic.
To offer a unique work of art is to share the singularity of an artistic gesture. A piece that exists in only one example carries an immediate presence, a direct trace of creation. It is a rare gift, establishing a tangible link between the artist and the person who receives it.
An antique book stands out through its materiality, its journey, and its place in the history of the text. Bindings, provenances, original editions: all elements that make it a thoughtful, enduring gift for those attuned to the presence of works from the past.
December 16, 2022
Le Feu Follet's Letter #18
Le Feu Follet
[Christmas]
Letter
“O baby-boy, begin!
For him, on whom his parents have not smiled,
Gods deem not worthy of their board or bed” (Virgil)
A young Jean Cocteau inscribed this quote to his mother
on the copy numbered 1 of La Danse de Sophocle,
one of his first works of poetry.
In turn, Le Feu Follet invokes the deities of Mount Olympus
and invites them to look at his catalog and draw
ambrosia worthy of your Christmas table.
Discover the mythical selections
of the Pantheon from Edition-Originale
and offer your loved ones the thunder, the trident and the lyre...
ZEUS
__________________________
ATHENA
POSEIDON
AEOLUS
HERMES
ARTEMIS
HADES
APHRODITE
ARES
DIONYSUS
EROS