DINET (Étienne) - SLIMAN BEN IBRAHIM BAÂMER. La Vie de Mohammed prophète d'Allah by E. Dinet and Sliman Ben Ibrahim. Paris: H. Piazza, [1918]. -In-4, 315x246: frontispiece, VIII pp, (1 f.), 177 pp, (1 blank f.), 46 plates, printed cover. Dark green half-maroquin with corners, ornate spine, gilt head, untrimmed, cover and spine preserved (contemporary binding). First edition of "this admirable work, of a high religious and artistic character", dedicated "to the memory of the Muslims who died for France." It is illustrated with 35 out-of-text color compositions by master orientalist Étienne DINET (1861-1929), reproduced in register, and 12 very fine out-of-text color illuminations by Algerian miniaturist Mohammed RACIM (1896-1975). All hors-texts are presented under a captioned serpente. Edition of 925 copies, this one of 800 on vellum (no. 659). A unique and exceptionally enriched copy, including: Inside the book: - A superb original signed gouache by Étienne Dinet, 286x197 mm, depicting a man roped to a post, mitered at the head. This is the painting reproduced in El Fiafi Oua El Kifar ou le désert published in 1911. It depicts the character of Chikh Châïb, a fictional Moroccan traveler, healer and storyteller. - Color decomposition of an illustration. In a separate volume, uniformly bound: - Handwritten title in gold and red. - 2 handwritten pages for chapter one, the first with a color headband and autograph "Bon à tirer E. Dinet". - 52 trial proofs and bon à tirer of Dinet's plates, almost all annotated by the artist, many justified in his hand "Bon à tirer" (some with tracings). - An autograph manuscript by Étienne Dinet, 1 1/2 pages in-4, detailing his publishing project: "Il devra être tiré de cet ouvrage deux éditions: 1° Une édition de grand luxe qui contient toutes les planches ci-jointes, plus dix ou onze décorations en couleurs de Herzig dont les reproductions n'ont pas encore été exécutées. The plates will be framed with black and gold fillets. All copies will be numbered. - As for the price, it can only be fixed once the exact cost of this edition for bibliophiles has been calculated. 2° A popular edition - priced at ten francs - to reach the widest possible audience. This edition will contain the same text, a map, a decoration and twelve color plates...". In a note on the side, he indicated: "The 25-franc demi-luxe edition originally conceived will be suppressed." This additional volume is headed by an autograph letter from Piazza to Mademoiselle F. Guérin. A very well preserved copy in contemporary bindings. Provenance: Mademoiselle F. Guérin, with dispatch from the publisher.