26

MANUEL ORAZI (1860-1934) & AUSTIN DE CROZE (DATES UNKNOWN). CALENDRIER MAGIQUE. 1895. Folio of 16 double page colored lithographs. 19x6

MANUEL ORAZI (1860-1934) & AUSTIN DE CROZE (DATES UNKNOWN) CALENDRIER MAGIQUE. 1895. Folio of 16 double page colored lithographs.
19 3/4x6 1/4 inches, 50x16 cm. L'Art Nouveau, Paris.
Condition B / B+: narrow folio in original wrappers; front cover detached; contents loose; minor chipping at corners. Paper.
A rare, unusual and completely unexpected Art Nouveau book in the form of a black magic farmer's almanac for 1896. The darkly comical, satanic spoof written in a parody of old French was penned by Augistin de Croze (who was primarily known for his writings on food and wine) and illustrated by Manuel Orazi. It was published by Bing who owned L'Art Nouveau gallery. It is a tour-de-force of illustration in which each page is a seemingly chaotic yet inventive composition that touches on just about every imaginable occult symbol and macabre image. The phantasmagoria within includes witches, devils, burning candles, blood, pentagrams, owls, keys, demons, ghouls, skeletons, braziers, maidens, snakes, sorcery, alchemy, astrology, horoscopes and much more. In addition to its content it is also a masterpiece of printing as evidenced in the deepness of the blacks, the sophisticated gradations of the grays and the richness of the bronze ink. Although it is written that the book was allegedly printed in a limited edition of 777 copies, this number is likely a part o the book's humor, and is some unexplained pun on numerology. Given the scarcity of the book, it is likely that far fewer copies were actually printed.

  • Condition: All items are offered for sale subject to Swann Galleries' standard terms and conditions of sale, which are published in our catalogues.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Upon request, Swann will facilitate the shipping of purchases to out-of-town buyers at an additional charge for packing, shipping and insurance, but will not be responsible for any loss, damage or delay resulting from the packing, handling and shipping thereof. Unless specific instructions are received, Swann is the sole judge of the method to be used for shipment. Packing and shipping costs will be noted on the invoice mailed to successful bidders after the sale, and are based on the actual costs involved. Be advised that a full commercial invoice must accompany any purchase shipped outside the US.

December 16, 2009 1:30 PM EST
New York, NY, US

Swann Auction Galleries

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 23% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $149 $10
$150 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $5,999 $200
$6,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 + $50,000