Beschreibung:

BUC'HOZ, PIERRE JOSEPH. Collection précieuse et enluminée des fleurs les plus belles et les plus curieuses qui se cultivent dans les jardins de la Chine que dans ceux de l'Europe. Paris: chez Lacombe, [1776]. 2 vols., folio, 436 x 272 mm., contemporary French red morocco, covers with triple gilt fillet borders, spines in eight compartments, gilt and gilt lettered, g.e., foot of spine of vol. 1 chipped, upper and lower joint at top compartment of spine of vol. 2 slightly worn, some edge and corner wear repaired and the leather color restored at these points, a little wormed on spine leather . FIRST EDITION. Calligraphic engraved title-page to each volume, by Mlle. Niquet, the first printed in sanguine, the second in blue, 2 pp. engraved index at end of vol. 2, 200 engraved plates, colored by hand within yellow-painted frames, in two series each numbered to 100, 79 of the first series with captions printed in Chinese. FINE COPY of a sublimely decorative book by Buchoz (1731-1807), the physician and artist-naturalist from Lorraine. It is probable that the plates with captions in Chinese derive directly from Chinese originals (Pritzel refers to Buchoz as a "miserable compiler") although the Chinese style is evident in the second volume which features plants from European gardens. (Johnston). Cleveland Collections 528; Dunthorne 60; Nissen BBI 282; Pritzel 1326. Provenance : Bassompierre, Geneva, eighteenth-century bookseller's label -- Hug. de Bassville, eighteenth-century engraved bookplate. both of these plates partly covering spaces from two earlier plates. (2)