Albert Coinchon - Masques et Bouffons Enfantins. [Abécédaire - cartonnage] - 1870

COINCHON, Albert (1814-1871)

MASQUES ET BOUFFONS ENFANTINS. ALBUM ALPHABÉTIQUE & ARTISTIQUE.

Paris, London, A. Martin & Cie, [Circa 1870]. 1 volume, quarto. Publisher's burgundy percaline binding, black ornaments framing the boards, title and the illustrator in gold surrounding a masked cherub stamped in black and gold on the first board, black medallion in the center of the second board, bevelled boards, gilded edges.

Beautiful youth alphabet album with 27 lithographs including a title, 25 letters, and an at‑end leaf finely illustrated by the designer and sculptor Albert Coinchon (1845-1871).

Each page consists of two letters in red (a capital and a lowercase) at the top, with in the center a child made up in costumes of characters from the comedy or literature. We encounter Harlequin, Bobèche, Léandre, Polichinelle, Trissotin...
The W is illustrated differently on the last leaf, centered and accompanied by a small masked jester embedded in the letter.

Quite rare in its publisher's binding.

Scuffing at the corners and along the edges. Beginning splits at the upper hinge.