Der Rabbi von Bacherach (The Rabbi from Bacharach) [SIGNED & INITIALED]

Berlin: Propyläen Verlag, 1923. First edition. Hardcover. Very good to near fine condition. 104/400. Folio. 57 (4)pp. Original three-quarter leather with blind-stamped double ruling over marbled boards with gilt lettering on black leather label of spine, gilt and debossed ruling on spine. Top edge leather colored. Foredge uncut. Frontispiece lithograph, signed in pencil by Liebermann. Title page printed in black and brown, vignette by Liebermann in lithography. Illustrated with fourteen additional b/w lithographs, three of them full page, and one additional vignette below final words: "The end and the following chapters were lost, without fault of the author. The limitation page is hand - numbered 104 and initialed ML for Max Liebermann. The lithographs were produced on a letterpress by M. W. Lassally.

In this prosaic piece Heine describes the Jewish culture of his time. The reader gets an overview of the development of Jewish life in general, and the German-Jewish community specifically. Furthermore, he integrates his own experience, especially his conversion to Christianity. The style is often similar to a travelog, including nature scenes and landscape descriptions. In addition, this work is often very satirical and portrays society in a funny yet critical way. The combination of all of these techniques as well as its social-historical context are what make this work unique. The illustrations are all rendered lithographically with the frontispiece signed by Liebermann. Text in German, Gothic script. Leather of binding a bit scuffed at edges and some slight imperfections on marbled boards. Top foredge corner lightly bumped. Inscription inked to inside front cover, indicating this volume to be a Golden Wedding anniversary gift.