Defrasse & Lechat Epidaure 1895 Folio Aesculapius Photographs Medicine 1ST NR

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A MONUMENTAL BOOK AND ONE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE – ONE OF THE EARLIEST ARCHAEOLOGICAL PUBLICATIONS TO USE PHOTOGRAPHS, ONE OF THE EARLIEST WORKS ARCHAEOLOGY TO APPROACH MODERN STANDARDS OF SCIENTIFIC RIGOR, AND STILL A NECESSARY REFERENCE FOR ANYONE ENGAGED IN THE STUDY OF THE ECONOMY OF ANCIENT GREECE, MEDICINE IN ANCIENT GREECE, ANCIENT GREEK FESTIVALS AND THE OLYMPIC GAMES. � OFFERED WITH NO RESERVE is an excellent example of the beautifully illustrated 1895 first edition of ‘Epidaure, Restauration & Description des Principaux Monuments du Sanctuaire d’Asclepios,’ adorned with 13 full-page or folding engraved plates (including 5 double-page, 1 triple-page, 1 quadruple-page and 1 chromolithograph) and 78 in-text photographic plates, printed in very large folio at Paris by May and Motteroz, with the original wrappers bound in, complete in all respects, bound in late-19th century brown half-morocco over marbled boards, in excellent condition internally and very good condition externally, and from the library of the Prince and Princess Henri De La Tour D’Auvergne-Lauraguais. � The full title reads as follows: � “Epidaure / Restauration & Description des Principaux Monuments du Sanctuaire d’Asclepios / Releves et Restaurations par Alphonse Defrasse Architecte Ancien Pensionnaire de l’Academie de France a Rome / Texte par Henri Lechat charge de course a la Faculte des Lettres de Montpellier Ancien Membre de l’Ecole Francaise d’Athenes / Ouvrage honore d’une souscription du Ministere de l’Instruction publique et des Beaux-Arts / Paris / Ancienne Maison Quantin / Librairies-Imprimeries Reunies / May & Motteroz, Directeurs / 7, rue Saint-Benoit / 1895” � This important and imposing work describes both the monuments of Epidaurus and their restoration. Epidaure, or Epidaurus, is the ancient Greek city reputed to be the birthplace of Apollo's son Aesculapius. In Greek mythology, Aesculapius is regarded as something of a humanized Zeus, one who can cure mortals of ailments. He has traditionally been associated with medicine, both in Greek mythology and in the succeeding centuries – the staff of Aesculapius entwined by a snake has for centuries, if not millennia, symbolized medicine. The volume is remarkable for the exceptional quality of its illustrations� and its analysis. In particular, the 78 in-text photographic vignettes represent one of the earliest instances of the use of photographs in an archaeological or architectural publication. One of the large plates is a chromolithograph. Remarkably, two other plates are triple and quadruple-folding respectively. � It is particularly notable that in this example the original paper wrappers have been preserved. � THIS BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED ACCOUNT OF THE RESTORATION OF THE MONUMENTS OF AESCULAPIUS IS FROM THE LIBRARY OF THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS HENRI DE LA TOUR D’AUVERGNE-LAURAGUAIS. IN 1916, PRINCE HENRI DE LA TOUR D’AUVERGNE-LAURAGUAIS MARRIED ELISABETH BERTHIER DE WAGRAM, DAUGHTER OF THE THIRD PRINCE DE WAGRAM AND A MEMBER OF THE ROTHSCHILD DYNASTY. The House of De La Tour d’Auvergne includes within its lines the Counts of Auvergne and Boulogne, the Viscounts of Turenne and Princes of Sedan, and the Dukes of Bouillon and Albret. The line of De La Tour d’Auvergne-Lauraguais became in the 1896 the final surviving line of the House of De La Tour d’Auvergne. De La Tour d’Auvergne-Lauraguais are one of only six families (alongside the houses of Savoie, Lorraine, Grimaldi, Rohan and La Tremoille) to be granted the rights and privileges accorded to foreign princes. � The volume is complete in all respects and is paginated iv, 192, plus the 49 engraved plates (the plate count includes the frontispiece). The volume measures 46.0 cm by 33.0 cm by 4.0 cm; each leaf measures about 450 mm by 320 mm. � The volume is bound in full 19th century half-calf with the spine divided by raised bands into 6 compartments. The title, authors and year of publication are in gilt upon the spine. The binding is in very good condition, with stron... read more

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