Peter Bichsel   Fine Books

La Fontaine, Jean de. Gaab, Hannes. Die Grille und die Ameise. Text in Greek, French, and German.

With lithographed ms. original Greek text, 2 double-leaf colour lithographs, and blind-tooled ornament snaking through the entire Leporello. All graphics by Hannes Gaab. (10) Leporello-folded leaves. Folio. Orig. olive cloth with spine title. In matching slipcase (hand-bound by Erhart Köhler). – Mainz, Eggebrecht-Press, 1966.

One of 70 num. copies (no. 51) on Zerkall hand-made paper, signed by the artist. 50 copies were for trade. Set in Diotima type by Gudrun Zapf-von Hesse. Text from “Fables de La Fontaine”, Paris, Didot-L’ainé 1782. German translation by Hannes Gaab; with original Greek text at the beginning. The graphic artist Hannes Gaab (1908–1988) was awarded with the “Gutenbergplakette der Stadt Mainz” in 1979. – Not in Bodemann or Fabula docet. – Minor foxing to paste-downs and title, a fine copy. – Best.-Nr. 6964