Description de l'Egypte

or Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition de l'armée française. Paris, Imprimerie Impériale, Imprimerie Royale, 1809-1828. 10 vols. of plates large in-folio (73,5 x 56 cm), 3 vols. of plates in-plano (112 x 73 cm) and 1 vol. of text ([1] f. faux-titre, xcii pp. Préface historique, 8 pp. Avertissement) large in-folio (73,5 x 55 cm). Contemporary blue marbled boards, red title and tomation labels on spines (engraved label of Tessier bookbinder and gilder of the Duke of Orleans in some volumes). Without the 9 vol. of large text in-4. FIRST EDITION AND FIRST PRINTING OF THIS MONUMENT OF BOOK HISTORY. The Description de l'Égypte is the result of the collaboration of the scholars, artists and technicians who followed Bonaparte to Egypt. It is the most monumental work ever devoted to a people. Monge and Denou were the project managers. The atlas, here complete with its 13 volumes and all its plates, is made up as follows: - Antiquities: 5 volumes in-folio (I. [4] ff., [28] pp. explanation of plates; II. 3] ff, [39] pp. explanation of the plates; III. 3] pages, [21] pp. explanation of the plates ; IV. 4] pages, [33] pp. explanation of the plates ; V. 3] ff., [42] pp. explanation of the plates) illustrated with a frontispiece, an unnumbered map (Aegyptus Antiqua... by D'Anville, smaller format) and 424 plates (ch. 1-97, 1-92, 1-69, 1-72 and 1-89 + 5 duplicate line plates: duplicates of plates 79 and 87 and an unnumbered plate "Erment (Hermonthis), astronomical bas-relief carved on the ceiling of the temple sanctuary. Thebes, astronomical painting on the ceiling of one of the tombs of the kings" in vol. I in-folio, and duplicate plates 20 and 21 in vol. IV in-folio) of which 30 finely coloured. 96 plates, among the totality of these 424 plates, are distributed in the 2 volumes in-plano. - Modern state : 2 volumes in-folio (I. [3] ff. false-title, title, names of authors ; II. 3] ff. false-title, title, authors' names) illustrated with an unencrypted map (Egypt named in the country Missir, by D'Anville 1765) and 170 plates (ch. 1-105, I-XXXI Arts and Crafts, A-K Costumes and portraits, AA-NN Furniture and instruments, a-k Inscriptions, coins and medals). 12 plates, among the totality of these 170 plates, are distributed in volume II in plywood. - Natural History: 2 volumes in 3 folio volumes (I. [3] ff. false-title, title, names of painters; II. 2] ff. title and names of the painters; II bis. 1] f. faux-titre) illustrated with 244 plates (ch. 1-7, 1, 1-14, 1-8, 1-5, 1-27, 1, 1-3, 1-14, 1-5, 1-13, 1-9, 1, 1-7, 1-3, 1-20, 1-9, 1-3, 1, 1-14, 1-2, 1-62, 1-15) of which 13 finely coloured. - Geographical atlas: 1 broadside volume illustrated with an engraved title, an unnumbered plate (assembly table, topographical characters, harmonic alphabet), and 50 plates (ch. 1-3 then 1-47 including 3 plates with 2 mid-page maps each: 7/17, 27/42 and 39/38). Bonaparte had foreseen the publication, but the paternity can be attributed to Kléber who, on November 19, 1799, created the Commission des Arts et des Sciences, comprising 165 scholars in charge of collecting all the information necessary to make ancient and modern Egypt known. Some famous naturalists and draughtsmen also contributed, such as Jacques Barraband, Pierre-Joseph Redouté, Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire and Jules-César Savigny. It was to King Charles X that Jonard, general secretary of the editorial staff, presented the last plates. A second edition, called the Panckoucke edition, of smaller format, was published between 1821 and 1829. The quantity and precision of the information provided surpassed all the works that had been published before the expedition (travellers' accounts and drawings, books). The monuments were surveyed and described with remarkable accuracy. Even the inscriptions, the mystery of which had not yet been discovered, were reproduced with great fidelity. The Description de l'Égypte is still a first-rate source of documentation: many of the buildings depicted on these plates were later completely destroyed. Bindings rubbed, headpieces and corners worn, some spines lacking paper (lack of binding at the tail of volume I in-plane, detached piece preserved; lack of binding at the outer edge of the second plate of volume I in-plane). Explanatory page of the frontispiece of volume I of the Antiquities scorched. Wormholes in the inner margin of the first leaves and first plates of volume I of the Modern State. Very scarce foxing (present especially on some of the false titles), very good general interior condition, good printing of the plates. Provenance Former library of a Councillor of State and Peer of France, Chamberlain of Napoleon I and Count of the Empire, with his seal of approval.