COCTEAU (Jean). *La Lampe d'Aladin*. Poems. Paris, Société d - Lot 329

COCTEAU (Jean). *La Lampe d'Aladin*. Poems. Paris, Société d'éditions, [1909]. In-8, fawn half-maroquin with corner pieces, ribbed spine, gilt head, full margins (Devauchelle). First edition of the author’s debut book, dedicated to his mother and published at the author’s expense. As a 20-year-old author and admirer of various inspiring writers, Cocteau dedicated most of the poems in this collection to contemporary figures in the arts and letters. One of the 50 head copies, hand-justified by Jean Cocteau (No. 7). Front cover slightly sun-faded, with minor scuffing. Included, bound separately as a single in-4 volume (Bradel binding in fawn half-maroquin with a band, signed by Devauchelle): - a handwritten title page adorned with a large, original, signed drawing depicting Salomé in front of Jean’s dripping head (Salomé folle, III). - an apparently unpublished poetic self-portrait (18 lines on a folio-sized sheet, on heavy paper, folded) in which Cocteau describes his own character and this collection of poems, which he presents as a blend of Gustave Moreau and Aubrey Beardsley; and concludes as follows: This 18-year-old has achieved the feat of writing a volume of verses worth remembering. - 4 autograph poems, with corrections and variants, from the chapter “Les Salomé,” dedicated to the tragedienne Mme Segond-Weber (pp. 57–62 of the volume) (4 mounted leaves). Ex-libris of P. R. Méry. Worn bookseams, including 2 torn ones; one weak binding.

Estimate:£1,251.99

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