Georges Cretté, one of the most talented students at the Parisian École Éstienne, worked in Marius-Michel's prestigious bookbinding studio as the lead finisher until the master's death in 1925 when, a month later, he took over the firm known for its floral Art Nouveau flair. In order to retain Marius-Michel's clientele, Cretté initially continued this aesthetic. Gradually, however, his own geometric style took hold of which the present lot with its overlapping lozenge pattern is a fine example. His crisp, linear Art Deco designs often incorporated inlays of metal, ivory or enamel and exotic leathers and animal skins. The use of gold fillets was a hallmark of Cretté's designs and executed with such virtuosity as to earn him the nickname maître des filets. In some instances his bindings incorporated panels by contemporaries such as Paul Jouve, François-Louis Schmied and Jean Dunand. Cretté would also execute work for fellow binding designers such as his good friend Schmied who, while producing most of his own designs, did commission from Cretté on occasion, such as the two here offered titles Paysages Méditerranées (lot 42) and the present lot.