MONTAIGNE, Michel de - Lot 30

Lot n° 30
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Estimation :
1500 - 2500 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 5 055EUR
MONTAIGNE, Michel de - Lot 30
MONTAIGNE, Michel de Les Essais. A Paris, Chez Christophle Journel, 1659. 3 volumes in-12 (146 x 82 mm) of [34] ff, 556 pp, [12] ff ; [2] ff, 827 pp, [23] ff ; [2] ff, 610 pp, [17] ff. Olive morocco, triple gilt fillet framing the boards with gilt coat of arms in the center, crowned numeral at the corners, gilt ribbed spine, decorated edges, inner scroll, gilt dominoté paper lining and endpapers, gilt edges (period binding). First edition of the Essays published in three volumes and probably the most beautiful of the 17th century. It reproduces the dedication of Marie de Gournay to the cardinal of Richelieu and his preface. As for some previous editions (notably 1652 and 1657), it presents summaries and Latin quotations translated into French in the margins. The title-frontispiece of each volume is decorated with a beautiful portrait of Montaigne engraved on copper by Nicolas de Larmessin. This edition is not very common and according to Philippe Desan "most of the public libraries possess incomplete copies or with a volume from another edition". It was copied that same year 1659 by Antoine Michiels of Amsterdam and François Foppens of Brussels, but in a less correct version according to Brunet (III, 1838). It was then reprinted ten years later. A precious copy with all volumes dated 1659, bound in olive morocco with an interlaced and crowned cipher on the corners of the boards and on the spine attributed to Allard Le Roy, a seventeenth century writer (cipher reproduced by Olivier Pl. 1278 who questions its origin) and with the arms of the Courtaillon de Mont doré family stamped on a piece of leather mounted in the center of the boards, probably to mask the arms of the previous owner during the second half of the eighteenth century. Very rare in this condition. A few leaves are browned and have small wet spots. The copy comes from the Soleil collection with this handwritten mention "Vte Soleil yam. 72. 589 X" and bears the label "Livres choisis" of Pierre Berès. Large bookplate (XVIIIth?) torn from the back cover.
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