Description

Thirteen volumes in twelve, ABSOLUTELY COMPLETE WITH ALL SUPPLEMENTS, PRICE LISTS, ETC, an outstanding set of the "Bibliographie Instructive" (the first great universal bibliography) and the Duc de la Vallière catalogue, elegantly and uniformly bound (as "BIBLIOGRAPHIE DE DE BURE", on the upper spine labels) in contemporary calf. Volumes 1-7 comprise the main body of the Bibliographie Instructive: (1) ii, *iv (dedication to Gaignat, often missing), iii-lxxvi, 603, 1 (corrections) pp; (2) xxviii, 772 pp; (3) xvi, 734 pp; (4) 544 pp; (5) viii, vii*-viii*, ix-xxiv, 631 pp; (6) 685 pp; (7) 687 pp. Volumes 8-10 comprise the supplements to the Bibliographie Instructive", including the Gaignat catalogue and the table: (8) xl, 621 pp; (9) 492 pp; (10) xxxii, 168 pp. Volumes 11-13 comprise the Duc de la Vallière catalogue: (11) 3, lxiv, 71 (additions, often missing), 602, x, 90 (supplement, often missing) pp + engraved portrait of La Vallière + folding plate; (12) 3, 758 pp + folding plate and 4 facsimile plates; (13) 3, 388, 376, 92, 42 (price list, usually missing), 1 (note) pp. 8vo. BEAUTIFULLY BOUND IN CONTEMPORARY CALF, spine gilt with morocco lettering-pieces. A trivial bit of wear to bindings. INTERNALLY FINE AND BRIGHT. An outstanding set, made all the more interesting by the fact that a contemporary collector thought to have De Bure's main works uniformly bound together.