About this Item
Folio, 36x24cm (14¼"x9½"). French language. Translations from the Greek of the 11 surviving books (of 24) of the Roman History of second-century historian Appian of Alexandria; comprising accounts of wars in Libya (Punic Wars) and Syria, of wars against the Parthians, Mithridates, and the Gauls, and of the Civil Wars. pp(2)/(10)/25(1)/549(25)/25(1) including single blank preliminary leaf; with armorial title-page engraving, head- & tailpieces and decorated initial capitals, and large folding map of the Empire with hand-coloured outlines accompanied by 25pp alphabetical guide (duplicated at the end of the volume). Contemporary full calf. Spine with six raised bands, gilt decorations, and two gilt-bordered red leather labels - the upper with gilt title, the lower with gilt decorations around gilt Order of the Garter insignia incorporating crown & dragon. Original endpapers. Spine rubbed & pitted, with loss at head and foot, and with a little loss at ends of raised bands; gilt decorations faded, labels a little chipped at corners. Both front and rear hinges split from head to foot, though no slackening. Boards rubbed & pitted, and lightly marked; front board with a little loss of hide adjacent to hinge. Outer corners of boards worn, with variable loss of hide; outer corners of front board also bumped. Fore-edge of rear board with loss of hide along uppermost 6cm; a few patches of minor loss along board edges elsewheres. Endpapers a little dust-marked, creased and toned. Upper outer corner of front pastedown with engraved book-location paper label bearing Order of the Garter insignia as on spine label; front flyleaf with signs of bookplate removal, nothing too disfiguring. Preliminary leaf dust-marked & toned towards edges. Title-page lightly toned and lightly dust- & handling-marked towards edges; two near-parallel creases across lower outer corner, the longer passing through minimal amount of publisher details. Contents otherwise lightly toned and/or faintly dust-marked at edges, with occasional more extensive light toning. Marbled edges of text-block age-toned, top edge also dust-darkened. Binding holding firmly and of good shelf appearance; contents clean and tight, with map in excellent condition, and text with generous margins. VERY GOOD copy. Seller Inventory # 27240
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