Travel
LA MOTTRAYE, Aubry de
Voyages du Sr. A. de la Motraye [sic], en Europe, Asie & Afrique. o'u l'on trouve une grande varieté de recherches géographiques, historiques & politiques, sur l'Italie, la Grece, la Turquie, la Tartarie Crimee, & Nogaye, la Circassie, la Suede, la Laponie, &c. avec remarques instructives sur les moeurs, coutumes, opinions &c, des peuples & des pais ou l'auteur a voyage & des particularites remarquables touchant les personnes et les auteurs distingues d'Angleterre, de France, d'Italie, de Suede, &c.
Johnson & Van Duren, La Haye 1727. First edition in French, first issue (leaf *2 contains "avis au lecteur"), 2 volumes in 1, folio (31.5 x 22cm. approx.), [xiv], 472, 23 (appendix); [vi], 496, 39 (appendix) pp., title-pages printed in red and black, 2 additional engraved titles, 51 engraved plates of which 29 numbered 1-28 (+7*) and 18 numbered 1-17 (no. 9 used twice), 4 maps (2 folding), contemporary calf gilt, spines richly gilt in compartments, morocco lettering piece, little wear to spine extremities, an excellent copy.
This important work describes the author's travels over a 26-year period which took him through northern Europe to Tartary and the Levant. The plates are of particular interest and include many signed by Hogarth which form part of his early work. They illustrate antiquities, objets d'art, and scenes from Eastern life. Especially interesting is a palte showing a dance at a Greek wedding , with each member of the party dressed in a different regional costume. The French edition contains 4 plates not found in the English edition to replace 3 plates which exist in the English version. Atabey 661; Blackmer 946; Tobler 116.
Price: £ 5000
US Dollar Price: $ 9920
Stock Number: 58814