Reliquiae.

James Joyce's first edition copy of the collected works of Marguerite Finaly, compiled by her husband, Horace Finaly, in her memory and privately printed for distribution to friends; with Joyce's ownership inscription. Octavo, bound in full crushed morocco by G. Cretté with gilt titles to the spine, silk-watered doublures and endleaves, tissue-guarded frontispiece portrait of Marguerite Finaly. One of 150 copies privately printed. Signed and dated by Joyce on the title page, "James Joyce Paris 27.xi.1926." Horace Finaly became a close friend of Marcel Proust in Paris and contributed to the magazine La Banquette. He rose to prominence as head of La Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas from 1919 to 1937, and enabled several major French-American industrial collaborations. He is referred to in Finnegans Wake, which Joyce was writing at the time of his inscription: "Play actors by us ever have crash to their gate. Mr.Messop and Mr Borry will produce of themselves, as they're twof genitalmen of Veruno, Sernior Nowno and Senior Brolano (finaly! finaly!), all for love of a fair penitent that, a she be broughton, rhoda's a rosy she. Their two big skins! How they strave to gat her! Such a boyplay!" In very good condition. Housed in a custom marbled slipcase. Rare and desirable from Joyce's personal collection.