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NABECOR ENCHERES
120
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MAILLET (M. de), LE MASCRIER (The Abbé) - A Description of E…
See original version (French)
120
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MAILLET (M. de), LE MASCRIER (The Abbé) - A Description of E…
See original version (French)
Estimate €250 - €300
Voluntary lot
Description
MAILLET (M. de), LE MASCRIER (The Abbé) - A Description of Egypt containing various interesting observations on the ancient and modern geography of that country, on its ancient monuments, on the manners, customs and religion of its inhabitants, on the government and trade, on the animals, trees, plants, etc. Compiled from the memoirs of M. de Maillet, former French consul in Cairo. Paris, published by Louis Genneau and Jacques Rollin, 1735; in-4, XXIV-328 + 242 pp. + table of contents, full calf binding of the period, spine decorated with five raised bands, edges painted red. The work is illustrated with a map and 7 engravings, including 2 fold-out plates (a depiction of the Great Pyramid, mummies and a hippopotamus). The author was sent to Cairo as French consul in 1692; he developed a passion for ancient Egypt and became a scholar of antiquities. He learnt Arabic so that he could converse with ease. His description of Egypt is intended to be more than a travel narrative—a form it does not, in fact, take—as it seeks to encompass all aspects of Egypt (historical, geographical and natural); it is also a record of life in Egypt in the early 18th century. Le Mascrier compiled the work from the author’s manuscripts and chose a simple, open style, with the author appearing to answer questions put to him about Egypt. A portrait of M. de Maillet is included at the beginning of the work.
See original version (French)
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