Abr -
Isidore Stanislas Henri Helman (engraver), Pierre-Charles Levesque (translator), Jean-Denis Attiret (illustrator)
1786 - chez l'Auteur and M. Ponce, Paris - First Edition
A clean and unique example of this quarto, containing twenty four engraved illustrated plates, an engraved title page and twenty eight engraved plates of descriptive text in French taken from a larger work on Confucius (Pensées morales de Confucius 1782) by Pierre-Charles Levesque (who is referred to by Helman as Mr.l’Eveque).
Unique because it has exquisitely hand-written translations on contemporary sheets inserted after each illustrated plate. Most likely written by the former owner Jean Jeane Coney (born 1798).
‘Engraved by Helman [1743-1806] and drawn by Jean-Denis Attiret [1702-68], official painter to the workshop at Peking, copied from a set of Chinese miniatures which were sent by the Jesuit missionary Jean-Joseph-Pierre Amiot [1718-93] in Peking to Berlin, who was Louis XIV’s Minister of Art and the one in charge of France’s relations with China. The engravings illustrate the life and deeds of Confucius.’ Although undated, its publication was announced in the Journal de Paris on 7th Ctober 1786. According to Lowendahl this quarto edition was originally published unbound for 12 livres or in paper wrappers for 13 livres and 10 francs, at the same time a large paper copy was available for 18 livres, sometimes refrred to as a folio (42x28cm) it utilised the same plates to produce the same size images, but printed them on larger sheets allowing for larger blank margins.
‘Isidor Helman was a French engraver and print seller with a reputation as an engraver of genre scenes. One of the first pupils at the free school of drawing in Lille, he studied under Louis-Jean Guéret and Louis-Joseph Watteau.’ - Bibliotheca Wittockiana Western Travellers in China Discovering the Middle Kingdom .
Provenance: From the library of John Jeane Coney with his armourial bookplate. John Jeane Coney came from a Somerset family, educated at Oriel College Oxford, and admitted as a Barrister-at-Law in Lincolns Inn in 1823. His grandfather was a director of the Bank of England.
Reference: Cohen 262-3. Cordier, Bibliotheca Sinica, 667. Lust Western Books on China, 729. Löwendahl, China Illustrata Nova, 647.
Quarto (binding size 27x21.2cm, sheet size 26x19.3cm), pp. [4] 24 plates [on 24 leaves] 29 plates of text [on 26 leaves] [6]. Intersperced with handwritten text on additional sheets. In full textured dark teal morocco, spine lettered and ruled in gilt, single gilt filet border to upper and lower boards, edges and folds intricately decorated in gilt, hand-marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Condition: Near fine, som elight spotting to some pages, in very good binding with some marks to the leather. Ref: 111822 Price: HK$ 25,000
Unique because it has exquisitely hand-written translations on contemporary sheets inserted after each illustrated plate. Most likely written by the former owner Jean Jeane Coney (born 1798).
‘Engraved by Helman [1743-1806] and drawn by Jean-Denis Attiret [1702-68], official painter to the workshop at Peking, copied from a set of Chinese miniatures which were sent by the Jesuit missionary Jean-Joseph-Pierre Amiot [1718-93] in Peking to Berlin, who was Louis XIV’s Minister of Art and the one in charge of France’s relations with China. The engravings illustrate the life and deeds of Confucius.’ Although undated, its publication was announced in the Journal de Paris on 7th Ctober 1786. According to Lowendahl this quarto edition was originally published unbound for 12 livres or in paper wrappers for 13 livres and 10 francs, at the same time a large paper copy was available for 18 livres, sometimes refrred to as a folio (42x28cm) it utilised the same plates to produce the same size images, but printed them on larger sheets allowing for larger blank margins.
‘Isidor Helman was a French engraver and print seller with a reputation as an engraver of genre scenes. One of the first pupils at the free school of drawing in Lille, he studied under Louis-Jean Guéret and Louis-Joseph Watteau.’ - Bibliotheca Wittockiana Western Travellers in China Discovering the Middle Kingdom .
Provenance: From the library of John Jeane Coney with his armourial bookplate. John Jeane Coney came from a Somerset family, educated at Oriel College Oxford, and admitted as a Barrister-at-Law in Lincolns Inn in 1823. His grandfather was a director of the Bank of England.
Reference: Cohen 262-3. Cordier, Bibliotheca Sinica, 667. Lust Western Books on China, 729. Löwendahl, China Illustrata Nova, 647.
Quarto (binding size 27x21.2cm, sheet size 26x19.3cm), pp. [4] 24 plates [on 24 leaves] 29 plates of text [on 26 leaves] [6]. Intersperced with handwritten text on additional sheets. In full textured dark teal morocco, spine lettered and ruled in gilt, single gilt filet border to upper and lower boards, edges and folds intricately decorated in gilt, hand-marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Condition: Near fine, som elight spotting to some pages, in very good binding with some marks to the leather. Ref: 111822 Price: HK$ 25,000