Description
5 parts in 9 (of 15) vol., folio, cont. mottled calf (corners sl. bumped), gilt orn. spines on 6 raised bands (sm. def., joints sl. rubbed), gilt red leather title labels, gilt inner dentelles, [8]-civ-194, [4]-pp. 195/452, [2]-267-[1 bl.], [4]- pp. 269/472-[2 bl.], [2]-198, [2]- pp. 199/390, [2]-174-[2]-pp. 177/316, [2]-168, pp. 169/437-[1 bl.] pp. (minor spotting, III : hole in headpc. p. 269, V : right margins sl. staining, VI : sm. hole in pl. 184, VII : tear of +/- 10 cm in pl. 72 & 81, part 4 bound in 1 vol.). Good, large paper set. First edition of this work on classical archaeology by B. de Montfaucon (1655-1741), Benedictine of the Congregation of Saint-Maur and one of the founders of modern archaeology. From 1698 to 1701 he lived in Rome. He established his reputation with this 15-volume work published between 1719 and 1724. It contains "Les Dieux des Grecs & des Romains" (pt I/a), "Les Heros parvenus à la Divinité" (part I/b), "Le Culte des Grecs & des Romains" (pt II/a), "La religion des Egyptiens, des Arabes, des Syriens, des Perses (...)" (pt II/b), "Les habits, les meubles, les vases, les monoyes, les poids (...)" (pt III/a), "Les bains, les mariages, les grands & les petits jeux, les pompes" (pt III/b), "La guerre, les voitures, les grands chemins, les ponts, les aqueducs, la navigation" (pt IV/a), "Les chemins publics, les aqueducs, & la navigations" (pt IV/b), "Les funerailles, les lampes, les supplices" (pt V/a), "Les funerailles des nations barbares, les lampes, les supplices" (pt V/b). Without the 5 supplementary vol. (Paris, 1724). It is a vast pictorial encyclopedia with copious engravings of the gods, heroes, religious customs, architecture, military practices, domestic habits, and funerary rites of the ancient world. Engr. ills : 10 title-vign., portrait by J. Audran after N. Largillière, 5 headpieces, 976 (of 977) pls (of which 144 double-page, 1 unnumb. pl. in part 3 lacking ?). Titles in red & black. Libr. stamps and armorial bookpl. removed. Stamp Aug. Duchesne Rheims.
