MONTFAUCON, dom Bernard de Lot n° 49

Antiquity explained and represented in figures. Supplement to L'Antiquité expliquée Paris, Delaulne, Giffart, etc., 1722-1757 THE MONUMENTAL FRENCH ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ANTIQUITY. THE BEST EDITION, ILLUSRATED WITH NEARLY 1,400 ENGRAVED DRAWINGS 15 large folio volumes (430 x 280 mm). Titles printed in red and black, woodcut letters, vignettes and headbands. COLLATION AND ILLUSTRATION: (t.1): 3 f. n. ch., civ pp., 194 pp., 122 plates and 3 uncounted, i.e. 125 plates including 9 doubles; (t.2): 2 f. n. ch., pp. 195-452 [i.e. for 454], 123-224 plates and 2 uncounted, including 8 doubles; (t.3): 1 f. n. ch., 267 pp., 104 plates including 19 doubles; (t.4): : 2 f. n. ch., pp. [269]-472 ; pl. 105-194 and 1 uncounted, of which 8 double ; (t.5) : 1 f. n. ch., 198 pp., 121 plates and 2 uncounted, of which 14 double ; (t.6) : : 1 f. n. ch., 198 pp., 121 plates and 2 uncounted, of which 14 double; (t. 7) : 1 f. n. ch., 174 pp., 113 plates and 4 uncounted, of which 43 double; (t. 8) : 1 f. n. ch., pp. [175]-316 [sic for 322], pl. 114-145 [for 144] and 2 unnumbered, including 11 duplicates; (vol. 9): 1 f. n. ch., 170 pp., 131 plates including 10 duplicates; (vol. 10): 1 f. n. ch., pp. [171]- ; pl. 132-204 including 2 duplicates; Supplement I : : 1 f. n. ch., xxiv pp., xxxv pp. and verso n. ch., 246 pp., 1 blank f. ([Hhiv] forming part of the quire but not numbered), pp. 247-258; 88 plates and 14 unnumbered, of which 16 duplicates; Supplement II: 1 f. n. ch., viii pp., 237 pp., 1 blank f. [Ggiv], pp. 239-248; 61 plates and 16 unnumbered, of which 20 duplicates; Supplement III:: 1 f. n. ch., viii pp. 252 pp. 84 plates and 11 uncounted, including 25 duplicates; Supplement IV : 1 f. n. ch. vi pp. 173 pp. 60 plates and 8 uncounted, including 27 duplicates; Supplement V : 1 f. n. ch. vii pp. and verso n. ch. 239 pp. and verso n. ch. 73 plates and 2 uncounted, including 21 duplicates. A total of 1,394 intaglio plates, including 249 double plates. CONTEMPORARY BINDINGS. Granite calf, triple fillet framed in cold, spine ribbed and decorated with small irons, red morocco title page, interior roulette, marbled paper lining and endpapers, spotted red edges. PROVENANCE : probably Boissieu de Luigné family (printed wedding announcement of May 7, 1936 in Chartres with handwritten inscription about the book) -- Paris, May 15, 2013, no. 447 Marks of use to binding. A few leaves uniformly foxed, small worm gallery on a few leaves not reaching the text. This work, "which has never really been replaced" (Brunet, III, col. 1861), offers one of the most comprehensive views of Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquity, in all aspects of society, religion and art. Bernard de Montfaucon (1655-1741), a native of Languedoc, is considered the inventor of archaeology in France. Shortly after serving in the Perpignan cadet corps, he entered the Benedictine monastery at Toulouse, where he studied Greek, art history, philosophy and theology. After a stay in Italy, he retired to the Parisian abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés to continue his studies, where he was buried in 1741. The work's first publication, in 1719, aroused considerable interest in Europe, with everyone wanting to read and see the book. Within two months, all printed copies were sold out. This new edition, published three years later, was considerably expanded with volumes of Supplements. BIBLIOGRAPHY : Brunet, III, col. 1861