La Salle d’Asile au Bord de la Mer – Ernest Fouinet | 1859 French Cartonnage Binding with Ship Illustration

A richly decorative mid-19th-century French volume, La Salle d’Asile au Bord de la Mer by Ernest Fouinet, published in Tours by Ad. Mame et Cie in 1859. This edition is housed in a striking original publisher’s polychrome cartonnage romantique, lavishly gilt and color-blocked, featuring a central ship-at-sea illustration framed by elaborate floral and ornamental borders.

The work is a sentimental and moral novel set along the coast, characteristic of French literary fiction of the period, exploring themes of family, duty, and human perseverance. The text is illustrated throughout with finely engraved plates protected by original tissue guards, enhancing both its literary and visual appeal.

Binding tight/ sound. Gilt vibrant.

An especially eye-catching example of French decorative publishing, this volume balances narrative charm with strong shelf presence, making it equally appealing to collectors of 19th-century French literature and those drawn to maritime imagery and ornate bindings.

Condition: Near Fine

Size: 4 3/4” x 7”

This beautifully preserved cartonnage is a compelling survivor of 19th-century French illustrated fiction, offering both decorative impact and literary substance.