[BINDINGS]. BECQUE, Maurice de (1878-1928), illustrator. – Rudyard KIPLING (1865-1936). Le Livre de la Jungle. Paris: Simon Kra, 1924. –Le IIe Livre de la Jungle. Paris: Simon Kra, 1925.
2 volumes, 4° (306 x 247 mm). ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR SIGNED BY BECQUE, 110 colored etchings, comprising 32 full-page plates, 60 in-text illustrations, 16 culs-de-lampe, and 2 additional cover illustrations all by M. de Becque, three additional suites of plates, illustrations, and culs-de-lampe, with and without remarques. Uniformly bound in full tan morocco, spines gilt-lettered, fawn morocco doublures, wide borders comprising purple, green, aqua, blue, yellow, brown and tan floral and decorative onlays gilt, brown silk end-papers by E. Maylander; tan morocco-edged slipcases. Provenance: Robert Coulouma (presentation inscription from Kra); sold Sotheby’s London, 20 October 1969.
LIMITED EDITION, one of 15 copies on Imperial Japon with 3 additional suites of plates, this copy unnumbered and with an ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR, from a total edition of 300. PRESENTATION COPY inscribed by the publisher Simon Kra to Robert Coulouma, the printer of the book (“à Monsieur Robert Coulouma, Unique imprimeur…”), and with an original watercolor by Maurice de Becque INSCRIBED to Coulouma. A FINE COPY.