France en Miniature, La. Marcilly, aîné rue Saint Jacques, 10. [Paris]. 1825. "Circa 1825. Printed surface 56 x 96mm. Imprimerie de Rignoux. Six volumes in French in original cartonnage slipcase with costume engraving within elaborate giltborders and cornerpieces and beneath blue printed title. V.1: Normandie v. 2: Alsace et Vendée v. 3: Bretagne v. 4: Auvergne et Cévennes v. 5: Gascogne v. 6: Béarn et Languedoc. Each volume with 32 printed pages and with a vignette engraving pasted onto upper covers. 12 finely engraved regional costume plates. A box containing 6 miniature books. Each volume has 31 pp. and 2 lithographs in colours. The box is composed of a finely decorated and gilt lid bearing an engraved coloured vignette in the center representing a regional costume. This boxed assemblage comprises six thin volumes in embossed cartonnage bindings covered in papier porcelaine, with hand-colored engraved illustrations. Each covering is in a pastel color: rose pink Paris, pale blue St. Petersburg, tan Vienna, lime green Rome, violet Berlin, and buff Constantinople. Each volume is bound in cased boards decorated on the front cover with gilt ornaments and a mounted engraved vignette in colours in the center depicting a woman in traditional costume. Original box. Dimensions of the box: 194 x 139 mm. Dimensions of the volumes: 118 x 77 mm. Superb box containing 6 miniature books dedicated to the several French regions and to their traditional costumes.The 6 volumes describe Normandy, Béarn, Auvergne, Gascony, Brittany and Alsace. Each volume is illustrated with 3 lithographs depicting the traditional costumes of the regions described, one on the front cover of the volume, the other 2 inside the volume. An uncommon example of a precious box complete with its 6 (near) miniature books, in very good condition. 75 x 116 mm. Original harlequin cartonnage. Gumuchian, 2613. OCLC, 1412212345. WorldCat locates 5 copies worldwide. 73 firsts2024