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 the text volumes and the in-plano volume; marg. foxing, some on tissue guards, foxing on pl. 85 of "État moderne" vol. II, tear in blank margin of pl. 4 strengthened of "Antiquités" vol. II, vol. IV "Antiquités": sm. tear and two tears (one marg.) strengthened to pl. 6, sm. tear to one fold of pl. 21; occ. pl. trimmed to right margins).

Contemp. three-quarter calf, tree marbled paper on covers, gilt spines with raised bands ruled and orn. with roll-stamps (sl. traces of use, paper of lower part of vol. V "Antiquité" renewed).

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 888 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...) and 77 botanical plates. Copy also including 10 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 the "Canevas trigonométrique du Caire" and "Canevas trigonométrique d'Alexandrie", and 1 pl. "Produits de la machine à graver") and 1 unnumbered pl. in vol. II "État moderne" ("Médailles trouvées en Syrie"). With the addition of the unnumbered plates, this set totalises 899 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.