Natural History, Science & Medicine
COURT DE GEBELIN, [Antoine].
Histoire naturelle de la parole, ou précis de l'origine du language & de la grammaire universelle.
Valleyre l'aine for the author, Boudet, Veuve Duchesne, Saugrain and Valleyre, Paris, 1776. 8vo (19.5 x 11.7 cm). [2] ll., 400 pp. with engraved frontispiece by Romanet after Marillier, woodcut head- and tailpieces, 2 folding engraved plates including one printed in colour by Gautier d'Agoty. Contemporary marbled calf, gilt line on covers, flat spine gilt in compartments, red morocco label lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers; skilfully recornered and rebacked preserving original spine. Provenance: Librairie de Videcoq (Parisian bookdealer, label pasted on front pastedown).
FINE COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION ILLUSTRATED BY GAUTIER D'AGOTY, "connu par son habilité en ce genre" as stated by the publishers in a special "avertissement". The colour engraved plate showing the speech organs was printed from separate mezzotint plates, one for each primary colour and one for black. This edition is an extract of the third volume of 'Le monde primitif', a large survey of human speaking capacities, whose 9 volumes Court de Gebelin published in 1773-92. Blake 101; Cohen-De Ricci 261-262: "Jolie figure by Marillier"; Cat. of Early Colour Printing 51, IX.
Price: £ 850
US Dollar Price: $ 1690
Stock Number: 73368