PEYSSONNEL, Charles de. Observations historiques et géographiques, sur les peuples barbares qui ont habité les bords du Danube & du Pont-Euxin.

PEYSSONNEL, Charles de. Observations historiques et géographiques, sur les peuples barbares qui ont habité les bords du Danube & du Pont-Euxin.PEYSSONNEL, Charles de. Observations historiques et gographiques, sur les peuples barbares qui ont habit les bords du Danube & du Pont Euxin. Paris: Tilliard. 1765. 4to. Contemporary worn calf, rebacked in the 20th century, marbled edges; pp. xliv, 364, title page printed in red and black, engraved frontispiece, four folding engraved maps, eight engraved plates, one folding engraved plate with Greek inscription; frontispiece with two minuscule

PEYSSONNEL, Charles de. Observations historiques et géographiques, sur les peuples barbares qui ont habité les bords du Danube & du Pont-Euxin. Paris: Tilliard. 1765.

4to. Contemporary worn calf, rebacked in the 20th century, marbled edges; pp. xliv, 364, title-page printed in red and black, engraved frontispiece, four folding engraved maps, eight engraved plates, one folding engraved plate with Greek inscription; frontispiece with two minuscule marginal holes, plate with inscription with old repair to tear, otherwise, apart from occasional light toning, very good.

First edition of this historico-ethnographic investigation into the regions north and west of the Black Sea, together with an archaeological survey of Magnesia, Sardis and Thyatira (now Akhisar) in Lydia, Western Anatolia. Claude-Charles de Peyssonnel (1727-1790) had been a diplomat at the court of the Crimean Khan, thus gathering first-hand information on the history, topography and ethnography of the peninsula before the Russian conquest. He served as well as consul to Smyrna (Izmir) and Crete, were he explored the topography, ancient architecture and history. The very accurate and beautiful maps are of Colchis, the Crimea, Ionia and the Gulf of Smyrna.

Atabey 949; not in Blackmer.

Provenance: Partly erased engraved bookplate of François-Louis Claude Marini, called Marin (1721-1809), journalist, writer, publicist, member of several academies and Censeur Royal inside front cover, next to slightly later Inner Temple bookplate, and their small circular stamp in red to versos of illustrations and on title-page, 20th-century release stamp on title-verso, gilt-stamped Inner Temple Library supralibros to both boards. Ownership inscription of the Oxford archaeologist, professor of poetry and Anglo-Saxon, John Josias Conybaere, dated 1810, on front fly-leaf.

SKU: 2124808