Full Title:

Title page recto: JAMES BRANCH | CABELL | [decorated rule] | [enclosed in a single ruled box] DAS | ZERBROCHENE | SIEGEL | [decorated rule] | Ein Komödie der Ausflüchte | [device of The Sigil of Scotia] | [Bastei-Lübbe castle logo] | [rule] (see image above).

Title page verso: BASTE-LÜBBE-TASCHENBUCH | Fantasy | Band 20111 | Erste Ausflage: September 1988 | © Copyright 1917, 1922, 1930 by James Branch Cabell | Copyright renewed 1944 by James Branch Cabell | All rights reserved | Deutsche Lizenzausgabe 1988 | Bastei-Verlag Gustav H. Lübbe GmbH & Co., Bergish Gladbach | Originaltitel: The Cream of the Jest | Ins Deutsche übertragen von Heiko Langhans | Herausgegeben und mit einem Nachwort versehen | von Dr. Helmut Pesch | Titelillustration: James Warhola | Illustrationen von Johan Peterka | Umschlaggenestaltung: Quadro-Grafik, Bensberg | Satz: Fotosatz Schell, Bad Iburg | Druck und Verarbeitung: | Brodard & Taupin, La Fléche, Frankreiche | Printed in France | ISBN 3-404-20111-6 | Der Preis dieses Bandes versteht sich einschlieffeßich | der gesetzlichen Mehrwertsteuer. (see image above).

Publication:

Bergisch Gladbach, Germany: Bastei-Lübbe, September, 1988

Collation:

Trade paperback in wraps [17.6 cm. (6 15/16 in.) x 11 cm. (4 5/16 in.)]. Pp. 256; (1) free endpaper, Bastei-Lübbe castle logo at bottom; (2) frontispiece; (3) title page; (4) publication data; (5) quotation; (6)-(7) Map of Poictesme (verso blank); (9)-(11) Contents; (12) illustration; 13-17 author's Vorwort (translated from the Storisende Edition); (18) illustration; (19) fly-title; 20-242 text; 243-(253) Nachwort; (254)-(256) publisher's advertisements. Pages (19), (47), (97), (127), (170), (211), and 237 are fly titles. Pages (12), (18), (46), (96), (126), (169), (210), and (236) are illustrations. Pages (8), (45), (125), (209), and (235) are blank.

Wraps:

Front panel red, white or black lettering over illustration by James Warhola. Spine and rear panel black or white lettering over blue background (see image above).

Spine: 20111 | [rule] |880 | [lettered up the spine] [Bastei-Lübbe castle logo] James Branch Cabell Das zerbrochen Siegel FANTASY

Front panel: [in red] JAMES BRANCH | CABELL | [white decorated rule] | [in white, all enclosed in a single red-ruled box over blue ground] DAS | ZERBROCHEN | SIEGEL| [white decorated rule] | [in black] Die Chroniken von Poictesme | [Bastei-Lübbe castle logo]

Rear panel: JAMES BRANCH | CABELL | [4-line biography of Mr. Cabell] | [in white, all enclosed in a single red-ruled box over blue ground] DAS | ZERBROCHEN | SIEGEL | [8-line blurb] | [quotes from two reviews] | [Bastei-Lübbe castle logo] Deutsche | Erstveröffentlichung Fantasy | [black lettering, all enclosed in a black, single ruled box, white ground] [prices, ISBN data, bar codes]

Map of Poictesme:

The map shown here was reprinted in several of Bastei-Lübbe's German translations of works in The Biography of Manuel. It is based on Peter Koch's 1928 Map of Poictesme, Hall G8, and was revised and transliterated into German by Dr. Helmut Pesch. It is signed on the lower left Inv. Peter Koch 28, and on the lower right delin. H. Pesch 85.

Frontispiece:

Above frontispiece: Taschenbücher von JAMES BRANCH CABELL | im BASTE-LÜBBE-Programm: | Die Chroniken von Poictesme | 20 075 Die Legende von Manuel | 20 081 Der silberne Hengst | 20 087 Die schönste aller Frauen | 20 099 Der verwunschene Ort | 20 105 Der Zauber der Eva

Frontispiece: Dom Manuel's Coat of Arms

Subscript: [in italic] >>Anstelle von süβem Duft aber wird as Gestank geben; | und anstelle von wohlgelocktem Haar Kahlheit; | und anstelle eines Mieders ein geschnürtes Sackleinen; | und Brunst anstelle von Schönheit.<< (see image above).

Dedication:

The Cream of the Jest was dedicated to Louisa Nelson. This dedication is omitted in this edition.