Sumptuously bound, from the library of Mary Lecomte du Noüy

Breton [de la Martinière, Jean-Baptiste Joseph]. L'Égypte et la Syrie, ou moeurs, usages, costumes et monumens des Égyptiens, des Arabes et des Syriens. Précédé d'un Précis historique.

€ 9.500,00

First edition, the rare coloured issue in contemporary French master bindings.

Contains a large number of very pretty views and charming genre scenes, also showing costumes, arms, tools, etc. Accompanied by notes by Jean Joseph Marcel (1776-1854), director of the French Imperial printshop at Cairo. Immaculate, sumptuously bound copy from the library of Mary Lecomte du Noüy with her gilt morocco bookplate on all pastedowns. Uncommonly well preserved; most copies in the great travel collections were incomparably the worse for wear: the Atabey copy was described as "rubbed, upper joint of vol. VI wormed" and was uncoloured, as were most of the press run and all recent copies showing up in trade or at auction.