207 - [Egypt]. PRISSE D’AVENNES, Achille Constant T. Emile.

[Egypt]. PRISSE D’AVENNES, Achille Constant T. Emile. Arabic Art Based on the Monuments of Cairo from the 7th Century to the End of the 18th. Paris, Morel et Cie, 1877. Atlas only, a collection of 149 plates out of 200, including tinted lithographs or black lithographs on a tinted background, and chromolithographs from the three volumes of the work. Volumes 1 and 2 in folio format (57 x 40 cm), in loose sheets. (3) ff., 31 plates out of 67; Volume 2: (3) ff., 55 plates out of 66. Volume 3 in in-plano format (63.5 x 39 cm), (4) ff., 63 plates out of 67. In loose sheets, housed in a contemporary blue half-basane cover with corner pieces (Cover rubbed with a slightly worn spine; foxing, water stains, and some marginal defects; tears on the title pages of Volumes 1 and 2). A collection of 149 plates from Prisse d’Avennes’ *L’Art arabe*, one of the most sumptuous and thoroughly documented 19th-century publications devoted to Islamic art and architecture. This comprehensive survey of the decorative and architectural arts of Cairo, which also includes picturesque views, is still considered one of the most important works on Islamic art and architecture. Our lot brings together plates from two editions of different formats published simultaneously, including 63 plates from the rare “grand raisin” in-plano edition of the third volume, devoted to works of art (glassware, textiles, weapons, manuscripts, and Qur’ans). The plates in the first two volumes are in folio format. The first volume contains 31 plates depicting interior and exterior views of public, private, and religious buildings in Cairo, as well as numerous details of mosaic floors and wall coverings; the second volume contains 55 plates illustrating primarily woodwork elements (minbars, doors) and wall-tile decorations. Each volume is accompanied by half-title pages, the title page, and a table of plates. Emile Prisse d’Avennes (1807–1879), a French orientalist and artist, was one of the great pioneers in the study of Islamic art and architecture in the 19th century. A tireless traveler, he spent nearly forty years exploring Egypt and the Middle East, bringing back an exceptional collection of drawings, surveys, and photographs. Published between 1869 and 1877, *L’Art arabe* remains one of the major reference works on Islamic art, notable for the precision and richness of its iconography.