Description de l'Égypte ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition de l'armée française. Seconde édition [...].

11 vol., folio (without text volumes and in-plano vol.; light marg. foxing and spots, extensive in some vol., “Antiquité”: marg. dampst. in vol. I, II, III, IV, V (mostly touching pl.), sm. tears (some strengthened) in pl. “produits de la machine à graver” of vol. I, on title and pl.13 of vol. II, 29, 43, 51 of vol. III, 6, 7, 9, 10, 15 of vol. IV, traces of marg. mould in vol. II, III, in pl. 3, 11, 12, 17, 19, 24, 37 of vol. IV, 29, 37, 85 of vol. V, sm. marg. creases in pl. 27 of vol. III; “État moderne”: dampst. in vol. I (mostly touching pl.) and marg. in vol. II, sm. tears in pl. 16, 24, 39, 41-43 of vol. I (some strengthened), marg. mould in vol. I, light soiling on the image in pl. 97 of vol. II; “Histoire naturelle”: marg. dampst. in vol. I, II, in pl. 40 (“Botanique”), 5 (“Minéralogie”) of vol. II bis, sm. marg. tears in pl. 8 “Zoologie. Poissons du Nil”) of vol. I, 7 (“Zoologie. Echinodermes”) of vol. II, 14 (“Botanique”) of vol. II bis (strengthened), traces of marg. mould in pl. 2 (“Zoologie. Reptiles”) of vol. I, light marg. crease in pl. 5, 6 (“Zoologie. Ortho.”) of vol. II; “Atlas géographique”: marg. dampst. on sheet 2 and 3, marg. tear on sheet 43 (strengthened).

Contemp. three quarter brown shagreen, cloth on covers, spines with raised bands (extensive parts of spines missing, joints split, boards sl. rubbed and some mould on vol. 1 of "État moderne", corners bumped).

Second edition (1st 1809-1829), called "Édition Panckoucke", for which the printer received the permission of printing by Charles X the 23 juin 1821, before the publication was even finished. First encyclopaedia on Egypt concerning its ancient ("Antiquité", 5 vol.) and modern history ("État moderne", 2 vol.), the geography (1 atlas vol.) and natural history (3 vol.).
Splendid illustrations, for which the best engravers were requested. The "Description" is composed of 886 plates, some on double pp. or folding: 2 frontispieces (portrait of Louis XVIII and "Tableau des monuments [...]", nicely hand-coloured), 419 pl. for the Antiquity (Philae, Edfu, Minet-Abou, Luxor, Abydos, etc.), 170 pl. for the "État moderne" (architecture, inhabitants, "métiers", etc.), 51 maps (incl. the "carte d'assemblage"), 167 zoological pl. (shells, reptiles, insects, birds, etc.) and 77 botanical pl. Copy also including 12 unnumbered plates in vol. V "Antiquité" (8 pl. "Inscriptions intermédiaires de la pierre de Rosette", usually bound in the in-plano vol. (missing here), 1 pl. with "Tableaux des constellations semblables dans les planisphères", 1 pl. "Canevas trigonométrique du Caire" and "Canevas trigonométrique d'Alexandrie", and 1 pl. "Produits de la machine à graver") and 1 unnumb. pl. in vol. II "État moderne" ("Médailles trouvées en Syrie"). With the addition of the unnumb. plates, this set totalises 898 plates. Complete with the 2 ff. "Description du Tableau" and "Médailles", and also with the general table of plates. The Atlas also contains an engr. title and an engr. leaf with two tables: "Caractères topographiques" and "Alphabet harmonique". The "Description" initiated the fascination for Ancient Egypt and established Egyptology as a scientific discipline.
Ref. Cp. Blackmer, Sothebys cat., n. 526 (ed. 1809-1812 & 1817-1822). - Nissen (ZBI) 4608 and (BBI) 2234. - Bruwier M.C. - Présence de l'Égypte dans les coll. de la Biblioth. universitaire Moretus Plantin, Namur, 1994, pp. 166-174. - En français dans le texte, n. 219. - Brunet II:617.
Prov. [Castle of Duras].