La Genealogie et descente des roys de France depuis Pharamond I roy des Francois jusques a Henry IIII tres-chrestien a present regnant: avec leurs effigies. Paris: Jean Le Clerc, 1595.
No VAT on hammer price or buyer's premium.
La Genealogie et descente des roys de France depuis Pharamond I roy des Francois jusques a Henry IIII tres-chrestien a present regnant: avec leurs effigies. Paris: Jean Le Clerc, 1595.

Details
La Genealogie et descente des roys de France depuis Pharamond I roy des Francois jusques a Henry IIII tres-chrestien a present regnant: avec leurs effigies. Paris: Jean Le Clerc, 1595.

14 oblong 2º sheets (325 x 420mm), each mounted on paper and folded once (374 x 240mm), comprising a letterpress title leaf and 13 sheets of woodcut portraits and letterpress captions set within a continuous, woodcut, genealogical tree, the plates all coloured in an early, probably contemporary hand, the portrait of Henri IV finished with touches of gilt and gouaches. (Small losses to some plates, notably the title leaf, a few plates trimmed close, plates faintly and evenly yellowed, occasional light soiling, the mounts with small repairs.) 19th-century red half roan, spine with raised bands and compartments centred with a gilt vine leaf tool, lettered directly in gilt (corners and bands rubbed, joints cracked at the head, sides scuffed).

A POSSIBLY UNIQUE COPY, HAND-COLOURED AND HEIGHTENED WITH GOLD, OF THE ENLARGED EDITION OF THIS RICHLY ILLUSTRATED WORK, FIRST PUBLISHED BY LE CLERC IN 1583, NOW EXPANDED TO THE REIGN OF HENRI IV.

This rare work, comprising an engraved title and thirteen woodcut plates, was printed to allow all the leaves to be mounted, if so desired, to form a genealogical tree or even a scroll 5.5 meters long. Along this genealogy are 65 portraits of French kings engraved in medallions of 7cm, except for Pharamond who is shown in a large woodcut (21 x 21cm), and Henri IV whose portrait was engraved on copper and mounted in its medallion. This suite was also published as a book in 1585 under the title Abrégé de l’histoire de France.

Brunet mentions other editions under a slightly different title: Abrégé de l’histoire françoise, 1596 and 1599. The latter are the only ones recorded by Mortimer who has no knowledge of this earlier edition.

Brunet I, 14-15 (note); Guigard, Bibliothèque héraldique de France, 1685 (‘édition très rare aussi’); see Mortimer, Harvard French 1.
Special notice

No VAT on hammer price or buyer's premium.

Brought to you by

Eugenio Donadoni
Eugenio Donadoni
;

More from Important Books and Manuscripts from the Library of Jean A. Bonna

View All
View All