Beschreibung:

HERBELOT de Molainville, Barthélemy d' (1625-1695). Bibliothèque Orientale, ou dictionnaire universel contenant tout ce qui fait connoitre les peuples de l'Orient. The Hague: aux depens de J. Neaulme & N. van Daalen, 1777-1782. 4 volumes in 8, 4 o (286 x 227mm). 4 titles printed in red and black, 4 section titles printed in black. Engraved portrait frontispiece of the author by J. Houbraken after N. van Daalen, 6 folding letterpress tables. Contemporary French red morocco gilt, covers with triple fillet borders, spines in six compartments with raised bands, green morocco lettering-pieces in second and third compartments, the others with repeat decoration in gilt centering on a flower-spray tool, gilt edges (slight scuffing or bumping to extremities). Provenance: two unidentified European armorial bookplates (one apparently from the library of a member of the Greek royal family); J.B. Hildyard (cutting and pencilled note, sale Sotheby's 18 June 1889, sold for 12 guineas). EXCEPTIONAL SET OF THE LARGE-PAPER ISSUE OF THE BEST EDITION OF THIS ENCYCLOPAEDIC WORK BY BARTHELEMY D'HERBELOT. The work was first published posthumously in 1698, and is a pioneering work of Western orientalism which covers all aspects of the Muslim East. The author drew on a variety of Arabic, Persian and Turkish sources to produce a work that was to remain the standard reference text in Europe for over one hundred years. The present edition, published on ordinary paper for 32 Florins and on 'grand papier' at 50 Florins, is particularly valuable as the entries have been re-arranged alphabetically. Brunet II, 664. (8)