Saint-John Perse - Oeuvre Poétique I - 1953-1953

Original edition of the collection, numbered copy no. 120 of 750 on Vélin Labeur paper from Papeteries Navarre of Voiron.

The volume gathers five important poetic works by Saint-John Perse, French poet and diplomat, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1960.

The edition comprises a limited run structured as follows:

* 50 copies numbered from 1 to 50 on Vélin Pur Fil Lafuma-Navarre, plus 5 hors commerce.
* 700 copies numbered from 51 to 750 on Vélin Labeur from Papeteries Navarre of Voiron, plus 50 hors commerce.

This present copy bears the number 120, thus belonging to the 700-copy run on Vélin Labeur.

Particularly interesting is the rigid binding with abstract and geometric decoration on the front board, composed of gold lines on a black background and large blue and orange curved elements. The edition’s colophon specifies that the copies on Vélin Labeur were bound according to a model by Paul Bonet, a renowned French artist and designer specialized in artistic bookbinding.

Inside, a photographic portrait of the author, taken by Hessler in Washington in 1951.

Conditions: copy in overall good condition. Binding well preserved, with slight signs of use and small superficial marks on the front board decoration. Interiors generally clean, with natural and slight yellowing of the paper. There are foxing and dark brown stains localized, particularly evident on the flyleaf, on the page of the tirage justification, and on some preliminary leaves. Internal text well preserved and perfectly legible.

There are some handwritten numerical annotations in pencil on a white sheet.

Copy no. 120/750, with binding realized according to the graphic design by Paul Bonet.

The photographs are an integral part of the description and document the volume’s state of conservation.