Kalilah wa-Dimnah, illustrated

[Bidpai - Humayun-Nameh]. Ali Chelebi ibn Salih / Galland, Antoine. [Kalilah wa-Dimnah - French]. Les contes et fables indiennes de Bidpai et de Lokman. Traduites d'Ali Tchelebi-Ben-Saleh, auteur Turc.

€ 6,500.00

First edition thus: a posthumous, finely illustrated edition of Galland's French translation of the "Humayun-Nameh", the Turkish version of the "Kalila wa-Dimnah" or "'Anwar-e Soheyli". The ancient Sanskrit "Panchatantra" fables, classics of their genre, are thought to have been assembled ca. 200 BC out of stories from an even older oral tradition. The stories became known in Europe through Hebrew translations of Arabic versions under the name of Bidpai. Featuring animals as a mirror for human behaviour, the fables were intended to educate people, especially young rulers.

"Cette édition, qui a été publiée par Th. S. Gueullette, ne donne que les quatre premiers chapitres. C'est à tort que le nom de Louqmâne figure sur le titre, le livre ne contenant rien de lui; dans le manuscrit autographe de Galland, on ne trouve pas la mention de ce nom [...] C'est donc d'éditeur qui a ajouté le nom" (Chauvin").

Evenly browned throughout due to paper stock; extremeties slightly rubbed, but a very prettily preserved set. Provenance: Contemporary handwritten ownership "Pissous", dated 1728, to title-pages. 18 century engraved armorial bookplate to first pastedown with additional 19th century bookplate ("L") to both pastedowns.