LA CHAU (Géraud de) - LE BLOND (Gaspard Michel). - Lot 37

LA CHAU (Géraud de) - LE BLOND (Gaspard Michel). Description des principales pierres gravées du cabinet de S.A.S. monseigneur le duc d'Orléans, premier prince de sang. Paris: M. l'Abbé de La Chau, M. l'Abbé Le Blond, Pissot, 1780-1784. -2 volumes in-folio, 328x200: frontispiece, (16 ff.), 299 pp. misquoted 303, 102 plates; (2 ff.), v pp., (1 f.), 211 pp. misquoted 215, (2 ff.), 77 plates. Blond calf, triple gilt fillet framing the boards, ornate ribbed spine, interior gilt roulette, red edges (period binding). Cohen, 542-543. First edition of this precious, detailed catalog of the engraved stones in the collection of Louis-Philippe d'Orléans (1743-1793). It was written by Géraud de La Chau (1750?-....), librarian, secretary and keeper of the Duke's cabinet of engraved stones, and Gaspard Michel Le Blond (1738-1809), then sub-librarian of the Collège Mazarin. It contains descriptions of nearly 200 ancient stones from antiquity to the 18th century. The illustration of this work is remarkable. It includes a frontispiece with the portrait of the Duc d'Orléans, engraved by Jacques-Gabriel de Saint-Aubin after Cochin, two identical title vignettes drawn and engraved by Saint-Aubin, two superb bands engraved by Saint-Aubin after Cochin, 56 extremely fine culs-de-lampe drawn and engraved by Saint-Aubin, except for the last one in the first volume, which was engraved by the same artist but after E. de Sabran (i.e. 46 in the second volume). de Sabran (i.e. 46 in the first volume and 10 in the second; Cohen counts 55), as well as 179 engraved stone plates, unsigned but attributed by Cohen to Saint-Aubin. Copy without the 7 plates of Spintrian medals, which are almost never found in copies with contemporary bindings such as this one. A fine copy printed on fine paper, in which plate 40 in the first volume is erroneously numbered 4. The head covers are damaged, with a small loss at the head of the first volume. Some rubbing and spotting. First cover of first volume largely faded. Dark stains on bottom of spine and part of first cover of second volume. Very good condition inside, with only a few scattered brown spots.