Ruth et Booz. Translation by J.-C. Mardrus

Paris: F.L. Schmied, 1930. Schmied, François-Louis. Small folio, 14-1/16 in x 11-1/8. 76 pp. Illustrated with twelve double-page and four single-page colored wood engravings. One of 155 copies printed on Madagascar paper (plus 10 for collaborators, and 7 on japon). Nasti B15. Full red morocco, bound with the pages tipped to hinges, cover with a central design after motifs in the book, tooled in gilt on inlays of black and maroon morocco, dentelles tooled in gilt and with gilt corner onlays, gold and black silk moiré endsheets, edges rough-gilt, bound by Schmied, signed on the front turn-in "F.L.S." Chemise and new matching slipcase. Light marginal foxing, but in excellent condition.Schmied bound only books of his own creation, choosing above all the books of his great years....The subjects of his designs come from the books themselves" Ray, The Art Deco Book in France, pp. 101-102. "In the introductory note...Théo Schmied points out the natural happiness of the interconnection between his father's cultural tendencies and art of the book and the world of the Near East as it is filtered by the 'inspired' Mardrus translations...throwing light on the the two fundamental aesthetic coordinates we need in order to understand how the details are made subordinate by the elegant decorative unity expressed by the plates, that is, the purity of the Egyptian graphic art and the will of the Italian primitives. The layout shows either a text harmoniously arranged in respect of double and single plates of various size, or a text framed by rules forming a variety of geometrical patterns and decorated by bout de lignes in sienna. The illustrations mainly show subdued and delicate pastel colours" - Nasti.