Art Nouveau style picture book about the legendary origin of Hungarians from the Huns, 1890

Ferencz Helbing: Magyar hunmondák [The Hungarian Huns]. Cover design, 7 double-paged illustrations, illustrated title and end papers in chromolithography after ink and tempera drawings by Ferencz Helbing. Budapest: József Ede Rigler, s.a. [1890].

Oblong-4to. 32 not numbered pages. Chromolithography and letterpress, in original publisher's half-cloth.

First and only edition of this Art Nouveau style illustrated and designed picture book about the legendary origin of Hungarians from the Huns.

Contents, Illustrations: The book contains of 9 texts congenially accompanied by 7 striking double-paged illustrations after ink and tempera drawings by Hungarian Art Nouveau artist and designer Ferenc Helbing 1870-1958). Helbing, also director of the Hungarian School of Applied Arts in the period in between the two wars, is nowadays most famous because of his poster art and commercial art, but he also designed fine bindings and ex libris and illustrated books.

Condition: Top and bottom of spine with very small faults, edges and corners of boards in parts minimally bumped, otherwise well preserved copy with particularly fresh chromolithographs.

Rarity, Holdings: Of outstanding rarity in holdings worldwide. According to OCLC and KVK only two further copies of this item a localised, at Berlin (StaBi) and Budapest (Országos Széchényi Könyvtár).