Mann Thomas

1912 · rif. 63412 — München, Hyperion Verlag Hans von Weber, 1912. Large 4to. (Binding: 283 x 205 cm). Bound uncut, with top edge gilt, in a truly magnificent, innovative mechanical binding, made of light grey polycarbonate, by Edgard Claes. Internally very nice and clean, with only a few occasional very minor light brown spots. Printed on thick, heavy paper (Büttenpapier) with watermarks. (1), 97, (1) pp. The splendid binding, made of polycarbonate with mechanical boards, is housed in a wonderful illustrated polycarbonate chemise with a blue morocco spine, again housed in a highly decorative polycarbonate slip-case with removeable spine. The boards, with exposed hinges, are with numerous cut-out shapes revealing 12 cogwheels (to each board) of varying sizes inside. The boards consist of three layers, with the cogwheels in the middle" they are all striped in shades of orange, pastel blue, yellow and purple, white and grey. Five tips of the largest cogwheel on both boards protrude at the middle of the boards, so that the cogwheels can be turned, creating a mechanical mirage throughout the boards. The spine has the title and publishing year in black letters on white and grey vertical stripes. The block is bound with fishing line, which is visible on the upper and lower part of the spine. Dark blue velvet end-papers. Both covers of the chemise with black/grey white illustration being a stylized vue of a Venice canal. Onside covered in blue velvet. The highly decorative polycarbonate slipcase is in light grey with patterns in the same pastel colours as the binding. The slipcase has a sliding ""spine"" with title in the same colour. Inside of slipcase also covered in blue velvet. The book was bound in May 2026 and signed in hand (pencil) by Edgard Claes, on a blank leaf after the colophon. This leaf also carries a stamp of the monastery with Claes' name.