De l'Asie,ou considérations religieuses, philosophiques et littéraires sur l'Asie, ouvrage composé et dédié à M. le baron Sylvestre de Sacy, par Mme V**** de C***

First edition of this ambitious study dedicated to the eminent Orientalist Antoine-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy, in which the author sets out to examine "l'état et les destinées de l'Asie, d'y suivre la trace des systèmes religieux et d'en indiquer l'enchaînement" (cf. Cordier, Sinica, 70. Barbier I, 305 c. Quérard XI, 101.)

Contemporary full porphyry calf bindings, smooth spines decorated with quadruple gilt fillets and gilt fleurons, gilt ornamental borders at head and foot, olive-green calf lettering- and volume-labels, three with losses at the corners, gilt rolls to the headcaps, covers framed with double gilt fillets, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, marbled edges, gilt fillets to the board edges; contemporary Romantic bindings.

Some foxing, a few areas of surface abrasion to the joints and covers; the half-title to volume IV is lacking.

The first volume is divided into two parts: religion; philosophy, literature and the arts.
The second contains the continuation of the second part, followed by sections devoted to China and Japan.

The third deals with the islands of the Indies and the South Seas, India, Persia, Northern Asia and Western Asia.

The fourth and final volume is devoted to Egypt and to the history of Asia from Antiquity to the author's own day.

A celebrated woman of letters, Louise Marie Victorine de Chastenay was born in 1771 at the Château d'Essarois (Côte-d'Or).

Having received the title of canoness, she subsequently devoted herself to literary and historical studies, and died at Châtillon-sur-Seine in 1855.

"Elle avait beaucoup étudié, avait reçu d'Arago des leçons d'astronomie et de Chevreul des leçons de chimie, s'intéressait à l'histoire, traduisait les Odes d'Horace, avait une grande réputation de bonté" (DBF VIII, 751).

Printed ownership stamps "R. Simon" in the upper right-hand corners of the title-pages of volumes II and III.

An attractive copy in contemporary Romantic bindings.