Il était une petite pie [There was a Little Magpie].

Finely bound example by Miguet from the edition de tête. Miro's first artist's book. One of 20 copies on Japon with an extra suite in black.

Lise Deharme is widely known for being a Surrealist muse after André Breton referred to her as 'La Dame au Gant' [The Lady with the Glove] in his book Nadja. She was also photographed Man Ray and hosted salons popular with the leading artists and writers of the time such as Joyce and Picasso. Although her legacy mainly remains in the shadow of the prominent male members of the Surrealist movement she was not merely a hostess but a prominent writer and editor of the magazine, Le Phare de Neuilly.

Colette and Jean-Paul Miguet, who were active between 1951 and 1981, were among the most prolific designer bookbinders of the second half of the twentieth century. 'Their productions range from the purest classic to the most modern original creation, without ever falling into the binding-object which for them is a heresy. (...) Boundless advocates of high quality book binding, these two craftsmen argue that the bookbinder must never betray the author in the design of a set, or, possibly, the illustrator, but must define graphics and colours that will interpret them best, and this, in a perfection of execution' (Julien Fléty, Dictionary of French Binders, 1988).

Limited edition, number 6 of 20 copies on Japon, numbered & signed by the artist and author on the justification, from a total edition of 300, 4to (32.3 x 24.3 cm); illustrated with eight full-page pochoir plates coloured by Saudé, with an extra suite in black; original illustrated cloth portfolio wrapper bound in, black calf by Miguet with cut-outs showing coloured morocco spots of the suede guards inspired by plate V, text in red, blue and green gilt to spine, chemise and slipcase, a fine copy.