First Editions

First edition of one of the most beautiful books of the 18^th century, of which the text and the music are entirely engraved$. It is illustrated with an engraved title, 3 frontispieces by Le Bouteux and Le Barbier, a dedication page with the Dauphine arms, and 100 figures by Moreau le Jeune, Le Barbier, Le Bouteux and Saint-Quentin, finely engraved in copperplate by Masquelier and Née. The portrait of Laborde, which can be found on some copies, is not part of this edition and was printed in 1774, separately.
Dentelle bindings in full navy blue morocco, signed by Bruyère at the bottom of the pastedown endpaper. Slipcase covered with a blue marbled paper, suede interior, lined with navy leather; a wide navy silk riband allows the works to be taken out. Spine in five compartments very richly adorned with decorated panels and small finishing tools, fillet at the top and the bottom. Boards framed with fillets and large gilt lace work tooling with fleurons in the corner pieces. Leading edges and spine-ends highlighted with double gilt fillets. Large interior frieze. Overall immaculate paper, with some rare foxing in volume I. Slipcase rubbed on the top. Tiny, miniscule signs of rubbing on 2 spine-ends, one compartment and one leading edge. Very large margins.
Large library label: Morel de Voleine.
Magnificent copy bound in 4 volumes, very rare condition. There are usually only copies with 2 volumes for understandable cost issues. It is also very rare to find volumes of this colour that are not faded or sundamaged.

New edition, after the first, also published in Rome in 1657. The second text is also dated 1688, but not at the same address. A title page for the last part: Io. Petro Bellori notae in numistata tum Ephesia, tum aliarum urbium apibus insignata, without address or place, with a bee as title vignette. In all three parts, the plates are included in the pagination. The two parts following the first were not part of the first edition; they are joined to Mnestrier's text for the first time. The illustration contains 24 plates: 12 plates for the first part, some with 2 figures. 10 plates, mostly medals for the second part. 2 plates for the third part. Superbly engraved on copper, these plates are not signed.

Modern Bradel binding in half cream vellum, smooth spine, black shagreen title-label, antique paper boards, binding signed Goy & Vilaine.