Mémoires sur l'éducation des vers à soie

The sought-after first edition, quite rare.

Contemporary full brown sheep binding. Decorated spine with raised bands. Brown morocco title and volume labels. Head of volume II worn. A stain on one cover. 6 corners slightly bumped. Right corner of endpaper of volume II torn and missing. The first leaf of the catalogue is absent. Good copy overall.

The three memoirs, which have become a classic of the genre, bring together three studies on insects producing a substance used by man; this is primarily a practical work that examines point by point how to use silkworms, cocoons, etc., as well as the proper cultivation of mulberry trees for this purpose. Manuscript pages at the end of the work establish a detailed table of contents, very useful when seeking a specific point.