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COMMISSION des SCIENCES et ARTS d'ÉGYPTE
Description de l'Égypte ou Recueil des Observations et des Reserches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition de Vivant Denon.
Pancouke, Paris 1821-30. Second edition. 38 vols. [26 vols. 8vo. (Text). + 11 vols. Folio. (Plates + Preface). + Elephant folio. (Plates)]. Text: 52 engraved or lithographic plates, including 15 folding and 36 printed recto and verso of 18 leaves and 34 folding letterpress tables; plates volumes with two engraved frontispieces, one hand-coloured, and 909 plates on 901 leaves (some folding or double-page). Later blue morocco-backed marbled boards. The set comprises: ANTIQUITÉS: Text: 10 vols. Plates: I. 97 plates numbered 1-97 (plate 61 duplicated in elephant folio). II. 92 plates numbered 1-92 (plate 28 misbound after plate 29). III. 69 plates numbered 1-69. IV. 73 plates numbered 1-72, with an extra plate A. V. 89 plates numbered 1-89. This section describes not only the ruins, with which Europeans were already familiar, but also the objects excavated there, including the Rosetta Stone.The portable objects collected were to have been removed to France but at embarkation William Hamilton (agent to Lord Elgin) and E.D. Clarke confiscated them; the majority survive today at the British Museum. The quality of the plates was much enhanced by the use of an engraving machine invented by Conté, which is itself illustrated in the succeeding part. Etat Moderne: Text: 10 vols. (published as volumes 11-18, with volume 18 in three parts). Plates: I. 83 plates numbered 1-83. II. 22 plates numbered 84-105 + 31 plates numbered I-XXXI + 11 plates lettered A-K + 9 plates lettered AA-II + 4 plates lettered KK-NN + 9 plates lettered a-i + 1 plate lettered k (jj and j not used) + 16 plates numbered 1-16 (2 per page) + 3 extra plates. This section describes the architecture of Egypt, particularly Cairo, subsequent to the Arab invasion in the 7th century. Other sub-headings include Arts et Métiers; Costumes et Portraits; Vases, Meubles set Instruments and Inscriptions Monnoies et Médailles. Histoire Naturelle: Text: 6 vols. Plates: I. 62 plates numbered within their orders. II. 115 plates numbered within their orders. III. 77 plates numbered 1-62 and 1-15. The principal sub-headings of this part comprise geology and physical geography by de Rozi'ere, mammals by Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire Jules-César Savigny and Audouin, flora by Rafeneau-Didile. The many artists who contributed drawings to this part include Barraband, Pr^etre, Pierre Joseph Redouté, and Turpin. Atlas géographique: engraved title + 2 key plates + 3 plates numbered 1-3 + 47 plates numbered 1-47. The origin of this survey was the inadequacy of d'Anville's map dating from 1765. The new survey conducted under Jacotin included not only Egypt but Sinai, Palestine and much of modern Lebanon, as an offshoot of the Syrian campaign. The maps were ready for publication by 1818, but, presumably for security reasons, they remained with the Dépot de Guerre until about 1830.
A handsome set of the second edition of the first comprehensive description of ancient and modern Egypt, and the outstanding achievement of Napoleon's expedition to Egypt (1798-1801). The work is the greatest of a number of first class scientific publications by the French government detailing the results of exploration, unequalled by any other nation during the same period. The only flaw in Napoleon's preparation for the invasion of Egypt was his miscalculation of the Turkish reaction to France's unsolicited 'help' in sorting out its most unruly vassals, the Mamluks of Egypt. Napoleon had intended to follow his military conquest of the country with the introduction of radical economic and social measures which might have created a modern European-style state, controlled by France, at the axis of all trade between Europe, India and the East. To this end nearly 500 French civilians were dispatched to Egypt, led by men drawn from the Institut de France, and known popularly as the savants. On arrival their first task was to make a thorough survey of every aspect of the country, including its vast wealth of antiquities. The work was co-ordinated by the Institut de l'Egypte, founded in the house of Hassan Kachef (illustrated in the plates to the Etat moderne), with Gaspar Monge as president. As early as October 1798 Fournier was entrusted with the task of uniting the reports on various disciplines with a view to publication. Following the capitulation of the army to Egypt under General Menou (a convert to Islam), the savants returned to France where a commission was set up for the editing and supervision of the work; its publication stretched over 20 years and was finally completed in 1830. Brunet II, pp. 616-617; Nissen ZBI 4608.
Price: £ 45000
US Dollar Price: $ 65240
Stock Number: 62620