La Civilisation des Arabes

First edition of this magnificent work, one of Gustave Le Bon’s (1841–1931) contributions to anthropology, in which he applied his pioneering theories to the Arab world. One of the few copies printed on japon paper, unrecorded in bibliographies.

Illustrated with 10 chromolithographs, 4 maps, and 366 engravings, including 70 large plates, after the author’s photographs or the most reliable documentary sources. Cf. Vicaire V, 134.

Contemporary half cherry-red shagreen, spine with five raised bands adorned with gilt fillets and double gilt compartments, double gilt fillet frame on marbled paper-covered boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, top edge gilt.

Minor superficial rubbing to spine ends.

A rare and attractive copy on japon paper, handsomely bound in contemporary period style.

Let us recall that, unlike the vast majority of anthropologists of his time, Le Bon did not consider race to be biological in nature, but rather socio-cultural—a hypothesis he was unable to popularize in the era of Chamberlain and Vacher de Lapouge. He resigned from the Société d’anthropologie de Paris in 1888 for this reason.