18th-Century Illustrated Legal Manuscript. - [Attributed to Andre SIMON].
A near-contemporary manuscript fair copy of a published work, titled "Regles Du / Droit François / Par Monsieur claude pocquet de Livonnière / conseillier au presidial d'augers et ancien professseur / du droit françois eu la meme université / II edition / à paris / chez Jean Bapte. Coignard imprimeur ordinaire / du roi rue St. jacques à la Bible d'or / M. DCC. XXXII. / avec privelege de sa Majesté".
[France: circa 1732 - 1750]. Small folio. Pp. [1p. title (verso blank), 8pp. contents], text 'Regles..' 1-683[-684, blank except for floral flourish], [1-64 'Table des matieres...'; 1 p. 'Privelege donne ... par Le Roy...'] + 7 full-page full pen, ink and gouache colour 'portraits', each within a decorative surround, the first identified as ' Louis XV', the others unidentified. In addition the text has numerous uncoloured decorative elements added. 'Extra-illustrated ' with a letter from the booksellers 'Sanders of Oxford' attributing the manuscript to one 'Andre Simon' and a related 4pp. part-letter from the Duc d'Entrecasteaux to Simon.
Condition of contents: 'portrait' facing p.[684] strengthened on verso with slight loss to recto, otherwise uniformly excellent: very clean.
Contemporary French mottled/catspaw calf, spine gilt in compartments with gilt lettering piece.
Condition of binding: rubbed and scuffed, spine dry and cracking and chipped at head and foot - would benefit from a protective box or a rebind?
Provenance: ?duc d'Entrecasteaux (see associated letter from Sanders of Oxford).
An intriguing and beautifully executed work: the text itself appears to be a word-for-word copy of the printed text (issued as a 12mo. in 1732), but the chief glory of this work are the seven spectacular 'portraits', allied to the meticulous penmanship of the text. The present re-interpretation (according to Sanders letter) was written / illustrated by Andre Simon for the son the duc d'Entrecasteaux. The 1746 letter from the Duc to Simon suggests that he worked for the Duc but I have not been able to confirm this. The binding style suggests a 'no-later-than' date of 1750.
- Binding Condition: Acceptable
- Overall Condition: excellent internally
- Size: 10 7/8 x 7 ins; 276 x 178mm
- Sold By: Shadowrock Rare Books
- Contact Person: Adam Langlands
- Country: United States
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