DANSES D'INDOCHINE.

Paris [1932], Editions des Chroniques. Stiff pictorial wrs., very good, 24 x 30.5 cm., 89p., [17] p. French text, pp.97-9 English text, 60 fine photo plates with captions in English & French. R A R E FIRST & ONLY EDITION A stunning look at the minority ethnic types of Indochine & their fabulous costumes, architecture and stone monuments. Covered in the 60 superb plates are bas-reliefs of dancing Khmer girls some with actual live dancers dancing before these stone sculptures, ceremonial & highly stylized dances at Angkor Vat, the monkey king, [similar to the Ramayana], Royal stories, analogy between the past and the present dancers; Phnom-Penh Palace dancers, dance troops, mudra hand gestures shown with elaborate jewlery; Laos-the Royal Dances in Luang-Prabang, Vientiane, against fabulous and ancient stone temples, Annam: Hue Palace dancers and musicians, festivals; Tonkin: provincel dances and festivals of Laokay, Hadong, Bac Ninh, Tran Ninh, Bien Hoa, Bassac, Cochinchine & of the moi [Meos, Khas]. Exceptionally fascinating work, it shows the primitive emotions and ultra-refined portrayal of traditional dances unchanged over the centuries as well as the actual locations at which these rituals were perform- ed, all in the ancient style costume made from either velvet or silk, wearing heavy jewelery weighing up to one or more kilos ! Dancers portrayed Royal personages, Gods, Goddesses, masked dancers, Lion dancers and a host of others. A great look back into the ethnic people's past of Indochina. .