MBA004: Lot 43. HELMAN, Isidore-Stanislaus-Henri.

In this edition, the plates and the engraved text are printed on recto only next to each other on the same sheet.

The plates are reductions of large plates engraved from drawings by Jesuit Attiret, on orders of the Emperor of China and the intervention of the East India Company. Cochin the French engraver was charged by M. de Marigny to oversea the work, and the plates were actually done by Aliamet, Choffard, Le Bas, Nee, Prevost and Saint-Aubin. Distribution was very strictly limited to China, and only one or two rare copies were found in Europe. It was after these sets that Helman made his fine engravings.

Description

Landscape folio (54 x 40 cm.), engraved title, engraved dedication, 24 engraved plates accompanied by engraved text, contemporary cartonnage binding, later manuscript label to upper cover, a little light foxing, a very good example.

Provenance

Bibliography

Cohen de Ricci 479; Lust 1987; Cordier 587-88. Cf Lowendahl 655 for a similar (smaller sized) edition.