JEAN-BAPTISTE NINI. SA VIE — SON OEUVRE.
Tours: Imprimerie A. Mame et Fils, 1896. 4to, contemporary green quarter morocco with marbled sides; spine with five raised bands, lettered in gilt; top page edges gilt; marbled endpapers; original printed paper covers bound in. 177, (1) pages; printed throughout in red and black, title incorporating a fine illustration of a Benjamin Franklin medallion; halftone text figure; 108 detailed descriptions; 72 very fine photographically printed illustrations of medallions in the catalogue, 5 of them depicting Benjamin Franklin. Occasional pencil annotations. Binding rubbed; recently resewn and restored, with only minor signs of interior wear. Very good. Item #7675
No. 91 of only 200 copies issued of this classic work, most of which have long since perished. Richard Margolis described the work as follows: “Storelli was for many years the standard work on Nini. Its usefulness was limited only by its rarity, a mere 200 copies having been printed. ... Storelli was the first to illustrate all (or nearly all) of Nini’s medallions, although only at a stated two-thirds of actual size. While a total of one hundred and seven medallions are described, the great majority from the collection of the Prince de Broglie, thirty-seven of them are variants of basic types, so that seventy major portrait types are listed and illustrated. ... Storelli lists nine different Franklin medallions, including three rarities which are omitted by Villers.” Rarely offered: the copy in the Ford Library realized $1700 hammer in 2004, and subsequently offered examples have brought comparable amounts. Forrer IV.276. Ex Bibliothèque du Cerce de l’Union Artistique, with their ink stamp; ex Alain Weil; ex Richard A. Margolis Library (Kolbe & Fanning Sale 159, lot 164).
Price: $875.00