Joyce, James

asking his friend to send him "that leaflet about the Book of the Dead" for "the artist who is doing the preface to pamphlet no. 4", the recto of the card with coloured photograph of the Paris Bourse, autograph address, 8 October 1930, postal markings, lightly marked and chipped

Apparently unpublished: not in The Letters of James Joyce: Volume III (1966), ed. Ellman.

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Frank Budgen was a painter who had befriended Joyce in Zurich during World War I. The two shared ideas on aesthetic matters over many years, and their conversations are thought to have influenced both Ulysses and Finnegans Wake. The influence of the Egyptian Book of the Dead on Finnegans Wake is also well established, and the pamphlet mentioned here may be E.A. Wallis Budge's The Book of the Dead, published by the British Museum in 1922 and known to have been used by Joyce. A number of extracts from what was then called Work in Progress were published in pamphlet form, the fourth of which to appear was The Mime of Mick Nick and the Maggies (1934), which included artwork by Lucia Joyce.