TRAITÉ DES ARBRES ET ARBUSTES QUI SE CULTIVENT EN FRANCE EN PLEINE TERRE

2 volumes, I.(ii), lxii, 368. II. (ii), 387 pages, 4 folding engraved plates, 250 full-page wood-engraved plates - 5 partly hand coloured, 250 smaller engravings of botanical details in the text - 1 partly hand coloured, contemporary mottled calf sides with new backs - the red title labels appear to be the original, the mottled leather sides are eroded along the edges and the corners have been strengthened, marbled endpapers with a bookplate on the front paste-down endpaper of each volume and an embossed private library stamp on both half-title pages, page edges dyed light red, there are a few marginal notes in an old hand and likewise some plates have old Latin plant names added, top corner of leaf 341/2 in volume II has been repaired with Japanese paper, some very light browning around the edges but the text and plate are generally crisp and clean, a good set.

The first edition of this important work with some of the famous Mattioli woodblock engravings. Hunt 90, states, 'The provenance of the Mattlioi woodblocks is interesting. After having been used for a number of editions until the 17th century, they were then apparently lost track of, until Duhamel du Monceau came upon them and used some of them again with excellent results for his "Traité des Arbres et Arbustes" 1755.'