Edited Contet (2 results)

Soft cover. Condition: Very Good.

Condition: Very Good. First Edition, First Printing. French architectural ironwork plates from Louis XIII through Empire, folio portfolio. A folio portfolio surveying French architectural ironwork from the seventeenth through early nineteenth centuries, issued by F. Contet as a visual reference work. Presented entirely as loose plates, the volume documents historic wrought-iron gates, grilles, railings, and decorative elements across successive stylistic periods. Text is in French; the plates are fully visual and usable without language proficiency. Physical Description: Publisher's portfolio with green cloth backstrip over marbled boards, secured with cloth ties. Folio, approximately 12.5 × 17.25 inches (44 × 32.3 cm). Four pages of title and plate list followed by 40 loose plates, complete. Several plates include multiple images, totaling 54 illustrated views. Text in French. Volume VII of VII. Condition: Portfolio shows handling wear with darkening to the perimeter and light corner wear. Boards rubbed. Text and plates evenly toned with minor occasional thumb-soiling. Plates remain clean and intact. Complete. First Edition, First Printing. Scarcity Note: Issued as a portfolio of loose plates. Complete examples retaining all plates and the original portfolio are uncommon, as plates were frequently removed for reference, study, or framing. Cross-Reference / Discovery Note: Related French architectural ironwork portfolios published by F. Contet in the 1920s, available separately; often sought under French Art Deco Ironwork. This volume functions as a historical sourcebook, presenting ironwork as an architectural and decorative discipline across multiple French stylistic eras. By grouping plates according to period, the portfolio allows direct visual comparison of evolving forms, motifs, and construction approaches, from the restraint of Louis XIII through the ornamentation of the eighteenth century and the formal clarity of the Empire style. The emphasis is documentary rather than theoretical, making the work especially useful for architects, preservationists, and designers engaged with historical precedent. Contextual / Historical Significance Published at the end of the 1920s, this portfolio reflects renewed scholarly and practical interest in historic architectural ironwork at a moment when modern design was redefining its relationship to tradition. Issued by F. Contet alongside contemporary ironwork portfolios, it situates historic French metalwork as a foundational reference for both restoration practice and modern decorative arts. Subjects: French architectural ironwork, Wrought iron design, Gates and grilles, Louis XIII style, Louis XIV style, Louis XV style, Louis XVI style, Empire style, Decorative Arts, Architectural History. Bibliographic References OCLC/WorldCat holdings under F. Contet architectural plate portfolios. Referenced in surveys of French architectural metalwork and decorative arts. Folio Portfolio of Loose Plates.