Erotic Ex Libris Exhibition (with signed bookplate, and unique leather binding)

Also signed by artists and curators, from the collection of Gordon R Smith

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

First edition. Hardback, rebound in full blue leather with a unique design: the front has the form of a naked lady reclining in gilt outline, and the rear board is the gilt outline of a pair of buttocks. Gilt titling to spine. Housed in a slipcase of card and watered silk (moire). 24 × 16cm, approx 176pp. Text in Czech and English.

From the library of noted collector Gordon R Smith, with his ex libris plate to the front endpaper by Frank-Ivo van Damme, and signed by the artist. The bookplate having a celtic design around several small vignettes of ladies of an erotic nature being deeply affectionate with each other.

This copy has been signed by six people involved with the exhibition: 1. Iva Tauferova (author of introduction), 2. Marianne Kalt (a noted Ex Libris collector), 3. Frank-Ivo van Damme (bookplate artist, see above), 4. Daniele Mussard (a Swiss textile artist), 5. Laurelle (the pseudonym of a French erotic book plate artist), and 6. Patricia Nik-Dad (an erotic bookplate artist, she signed it on 31 Oct [Halloween] so has doodled a witch with male genitalia and female breasts—and a rather excited broomstick!)

Full English title: III Triennial Havírov 2002 – Gallant and Erotic Creation in the Ex Libris and Small-sized Graphic

This is an exhibition catalogue for an international art show focusing on ex libris and small graphic designs with themes of gallantry and erotica. It is an exhibition held every three years in Havirov in the Czech Republic and attracted artists from around the world. A brief introduction is followed by about 150 pages of ex libris illustrations, and as the exhibition was also a competition, shows the winning entries.

Condition

The book is in very good condition, though with some sun-fading to the spine and a little marking to the slipcase. The contents are in very good condition, with clean pages and secure binding, the index with a few inoffensive marginal marks.