18 x 13 cm, 152pp. Period half-leather and cloth private binding with gold titles. Original wrappers retained internally. There is a reproduced drawing of the author as frontispiece after a portrait by Felix Valloton (tipped in as issued). First edition of this poetry collection which was only printed in the year of Rimbaud's death (November 1891) after a delay in finalising publication due to a controversial foreword by the poet Rodolphe Darzens.

That foreword caused the publisher to refuse to include the text in the final publication although some copies including the foreword did escape his censorship (see below). The book was published in an edition of only 550 examples and the majority of the books bear the date 1891 but a very small number for an unknown reason are known to have the published date printed as 1892: these books were NOT a second edition and were in fact published on the same paper and with exactly the same typography and content as the others hence making this something of a bibliographic puzzle. In fact one could argue that the books dated thus are more of a rarity than the already hard to find "1891" dated volumes.

Regarding this there is a bibliographic reference from Jean-Jacques Lefrere in his book "Les saisons litteraires de Rodolphe Darzens, suivi de documents sur Arthur Rimbaud" (Paris, Fayard, 1998), in the chapter entitled ";L'affaire du Reliquaire", page 310:

'L'annee qui suivit la fuite de Genonceaux, quelques exemplaires du Reliquaire avec la date de 1892 furent mis en librairie par on ne sait qui. Ils beneficierent meme d'une publicite dans le Mercure de France de mars, ou le volume etait propose pour un prix de six francs. Ces exemplaires, qui contenaient la preface litigieuse, furent presque aussitot retires de la vente, vraisemblablement a la suite d'une nouvelle protestation de Darzens. Quelques rares exemplaires portant la date de 1892, mais amputes de la preface, circulerent ensuite. Le Reliquaire, qui constitue la premiere veritable edition des poesies de Rimbaud, est aujourd'hui tres recherche par les bibliophiles et par les marchands de livres anciens. Le plus souvent, ce sont des volumes avec preface qui appairessent sur les catalogues en vente. Les exemplaires sans preface sont beaucoup plus rares, mais moins cotes que les autres'.

"'The year which followed the flight of Genonceaux, some copies of the Reliquary with the date of 1892 were put in bookstores by who knows who. They even benefited from an advertisement in the Mercure de France in March, where the volume was offered for a price of six francs. These copies, which contained the disputed preface, were almost immediately withdrawn from sale, probably following a new protest from Darzens. A few rare copies bearing the date of 1892, but amputated from the preface, then circulated. The Reliquary, which constitutes the first true edition of Rimbaud's poems, is today much sought after by bibliophiles and by antique book dealers. Most often, these are volumes with a preface that appear on the catalogs for sale. The copies without a preface are much rarer, but less quoted than the others."

This is one of the volumes that Lefevre describes as circulating without the foreword (as issued, not simply removed later) and dated as 1892. The condition is excellent with only a little fading/browning to most pages and the only page to show any deterioration is the table of contents at the back which has a distinct darker hue and slight edge damage. The private binding contains at the back a tipped-on a former seller's bibliographic description of the book mentioning the disparity in the date and the issue of the foreword. Otherwise VG. Clearly a rare item indeed.

24 x 22cm, 254pp plus pictorial boards. Exhibition catalogue and monograph on the work of the symbolist painter who began his career in Art Deco. Texts by Jifi Kotalik, Miroslave Lamac, Meda Mladek, Ludmila Vachtova in English and German. Many colour and b/w illustrations of work. Some wear to the extremities of the board and at the top of the spine else VG+.

19 x 11.7cm, 98pp. Original wrappers. First edition of this crucial and defining work of the Parisian Symbolist revolution, as pseudonymously authored and compiled (per citations) by Adam with the collaboration of the influential critic, gallerist, anarchist and acknowledged inventor of the post-Impressionist school, Felix Feneon, together with Jean Moreas (poet and author of the first 'proper' Symbolist manifest in 1886) and the poet Gustave Kahn. Composed of doctrinal and formulaic texts by these authors + citations by Maurice Barres, Jules Laforgue, Stephane Mallarme & Paul Verlaine.

This example from the issue on verge fort. Adam's pseudonym (Jacques Plowert) was adapted from a fictional work which he had earlier co-authored with Moreas. Typical internal foxing, else a solid example of this engaging effort. Rare.

18 x 12.5cm, 252pp. Modern half-cloth binding, Original wrappers not retained. First edition of this scarce biographical study of the saymbolist poet and surrealist icon. Moinor foxing evident on some pages else VG.

31 x 21cm, blindstamped and be-ribboned folder with tipped in  30 x 20cm, 40pp book -  of which 30pp have original reproduced pen and ink drawings by Holarek. The title translates to The fairy tale of the innocent.

The text tells of the young angel being sent down to earth and being rejected by the various estates of the nation - ultimately being sentenced to death by the courts. Holarek (1867 - 1919) studied at the art academies in Prague (and Munich for six years) before returning to Prague. This was the public version of the extremely rare deluxe version with original watercolours. Very slight markings to the outer folder and some minor marking internally on the title page from the ribbons which are interleaved through the covers but otherwise a near fine copy of this wonderfully attractive book.

29 x 21.8cm, unpaginated (100pp approx) plus card covers. Popular monograph of the symbolist which an essay by Arwan and many reproductions (101 in fact) of drawings and paintings of which four are in colour.

As usual almost all of the works selected for reproduction are erotic in nature (not hard one imagines for any show of Rops' work) but this is a useful reference nonetheless. Fine.

48 numbers + one promotional card - a very substantial run from this series (59 = ALL) of artist's books released by Pol Bury and Balthazar under their Poquette Volantes imprint (part of le Daily Bul) and with strong ties to the Belgium surrealist group (in many ways one could make a case for the group around Le Daily Bul to be the heirs to the traditions of Magriette, Nouge etc: after all Bory and Balthazar both contributed to Les Levres Nues and other official group publications).

So close were the group's ties to their predecessors that several of the surrealist group of Belgium are represented here with Paul Colinet (3 different books), de Jong, Marcel Marien and the editors themselves supplying individual projects. Also included here are important publications by Lourdes Castro and Robert Filliou (both of which are keenly sought in their own right outside of the collection) as well as contributions from Rene Bertholo, Koenig, Searle, Dax and Alchinsky amongst others. The print run was usually 1,000 numbered copies: individual numbers are sometimes encountered but it is somewhat difficult to gather large runs albeit incomplete as here. All near fine with only minor fading to the coloured boards the only flaws.

The collection comprises the following discrete volumes:

Vol 1: Paul Colinet ,Vilaine et Reseda

Vol 3: Pol Bury, Le petit commencement

Vol 4 Marcel et Gabriel Piqueray, Een lovely Badjou

Vol 5 : Lourdes Castro, Par Suite

Vol 6 : Catherine Valogne, Dialogues travers les siecles

Vol 7: Jaqueline de Jong , "A Table"

Vol 9: Rene Bertholo , L'amour l'italienne

Vol10: Ernest Pirotte Journal d'un Faiseur

Vol 11: Arrabal, Ceremonie pour une Chevre sur un nuage

Vol 13  Folon, Le Portmanteau<br />Vol 15: Louis Becnal , En Luputie (notes de voyages)

Vol 16: Fausta Squatriti , Les Chaenons manquants

Vol 17: Anatole Jakovsky, Le Bestiare Magique

Vo 18: van der Steen Empereur des Chats

Vol 19: Pierre Puttemans, L'Attagene des Pelleteries

Vol 21: Robert Filliou, Poeme Collectif

Vol 22: de Lussanet, Anita P.

Vol 23: Thiedore Koenig Fortuitemeng

Vol 24: Julie Cortazar /Alchinsky Histoires des Cronopiens de des Fameux. Dessins de Pierre Alchinsky.

Vol 25: Magliene , Du Nuage

Vol 27: Paul Bourgoignie, Moroses Mots Roses

Vol 28: Paul Kervan, Tickets de Metro

Vol 29: Antonio Calderara , Bianco e Giallo

Vol 30: Marcel Marien A l'Ombre de la Privie (avec cinq dessins de l'auteur)

Vol 31: Bernard Miot, L'ordre

Vol 32: Suzzy Embo, Plu Kifekler

Vol 33 Andre Balthazar, Deux Contes

Vol 34: Andre Martel, Cantode du Lobelisque

Vol 36: Jacques Calonne, Quadrangles pour Piano I

Vol 37: Jacques Calonne, Quadrangles pour Piano II

Vol 39: Trine ; L'Orichalcienne

Vol 40: Adrien Dax , Le passeur d'angles

Vol 41: Ronald Searle, The suicide &amp; Reincarnation of an Extremely Small Man

Vol 42: Villegle, Les Volantes du Ravisseur

Vol 43: Jean Groenon, Societie de Personne

Vol 44 Nicolas Florence, Quatre Feux Volonte

Vol 45: Philippe Geluck, Les Metiers Oublies

Vol 46 Robert Willems, Un theatre de Gousset

Vol 47 Claude Haumont, Les Hors venu

Vol 48: Gustave Belle, Ecrits Militaires

Vol 49 Marcel Bealu, Hemes et Konscience

Vol 50 Jean Leppien, U. F. O.

Vol 52: Marcel et Gabriel Piqueray, Die Damen

Vol 53: Lucia del Pezzo, Les Signes mysterieux

Vol 54; Tom Gutt, Anthologie des Poetes Belges Contemporains

Vol 55: Paul Colinet, La Preuve par Neuf de mon Ignorance Universelle

Vol 56; Jean Tardieu, Dix variations sur un Ligne

PRICE IS FOR ALL AS A COLLECTION