Gustave FLAUBERT. Madame Bovary. Moeurs de province. Paris, - Lot 127

Gustave FLAUBERT. Madame Bovary. Moeurs de province. Paris, Michel Lévy frères, 1857. In-12, brown morocco decorated with a four-lobed floral medallion in the center of the boards and fleurons at the corners, 5-rib spine, gilt head, slipcase (René Kieffer). Carteret, I-263 / Vicaire, III-721 /// (2f.)-3 to 490. First edition. One of the copies printed on strong vellum in one volume. The current edition appeared in two volumes, with continuous pagination, but with a faux-tittre and title for the second volume. The strong vellum edition lacks these two leaves, and has continuous pagination and signatures. The exact number of copies on vellum is unknown. The Noilly catalog mentions 50 copies, but Auguste Lambiotte in Le Livre et l'estampe (no. 12, Nov. 1957) lists 75, to which this one should be added. Copy with the error to Senard (spelled Senart), here corrected in pencil. Missing dedication leaf to Louis Bouilhet (p. 1). A fine copy in an ornate full morocco binding by Kieffer. Slight whitish marks to binding.