Elemens de botanique
First edition illustrated with 3 repeated engraved title-frontispieces representing the King's garden, 451 plates drawn by Aubriet (who would later accompany the author on his voyage to the Levant), and 5 text vignettes. Dedication to King Louis XIV.
Contemporary polished marbled beige calf, spines with raised bands decorated with the cipher of Louis XIV in 4 compartments ornamented with fleur-de-lys, stars and plants, red morocco titles and volume labels, volume labels decorated with fleur-de-lys and suns, royal arms stamped on covers (OHR n°2494, 10, still in use at the beginning of the reign of Louis XV), boards thrice framed in gilt, inner dentelle and on edges, speckled edges, skillful restorations to spine-ends, some minor abrasions, worming causing a loss to the gilt arms on the upper cover of vol. III, faded tooling on 4th compartment of vol. II.
A precious gift copy, bearing the royal arms of Louis XIV stamped on the covers and the sovereign's cipher on the spines, framed by fleur-de-lys at the corners. A reference work for plant classification for over a century.