[Rarebooks] FS: Egyptian Antiquities in British Museum, 1842

[Powers Rare Books]

I can offer...

      [EGYPT]  BIRCH, S[amuel].  Gallery of Antiquities Selected from 
the British Museum by F. Arundale Archt. & J. Bonomi Sculptr. with 
descriptions by S. Birch, Assistant to the Antiqn. Dept. at the British 
Museum...  London: John Weale et al., [1842].  $650
      First edition.  Illustrated with a two-color lithograph title-page 
and divisional title and 57 lithograph plates (16 printed in black and 
one or two additional colors), including a large folding plate showing 
Ramses II's conquests in Asia and a folding plate of the Rosetta Stone. 
  4to, original gilt and blind-stamped cloth decorated with Egyptian 
motifs, [vii], 122, [2] pp.  Light wear to the spine ends and corners, 
upper hinge starting at the bottom, occasional foxing, but generally a 
near-fine copy.
      A rather scarce book to begin with, but particularly so in such 
nice condition.
      Francis Arundale (1807-1853) studied under Augustus Pugin for 
seven years, and in 1831, at the age of 24, went to Egypt and spent 
nine years in the East.  He never actually practiced architecture, but 
painted some large paintings from his Eastern studies and illustrated 
several books.  Joseph Bonomi (1796-1878) was at an early age a student 
at the Royal Academy, where he won the silver medal for the best 
drawing from the antique.  In 1824 he travelled to Egypt with Robert 
Hay (the dedicatee of this volume) and remained eight years, acquiring 
"that remarkable skill in hieroglyphic draughtsmanship which has been 
excelled by Wilknson alone" (DNB).  His illustrations appear in many of 
the work on Egypt published at this time.
      The first section is devoted to works of art that relate to the 
mythology of the Egyptians, the second is more historical, discussing 
those that illustrated the reigns of different monarchs, their 
iconography, and state of the arts.  The "Preface to the Historical 
Illustrations" leaf was misbound by the publisher at the beginning of 
the mythological section.  Each item illustrated includes "a succinct 
description of its use, application, locality, and relations; such as 
will, it is hoped, suffice the general reader, and offer to the 
Archeologist the broad outline of the subject."  Gay I, p. 72 (who 
gives a publication date of 1842-43).

$650 plus shipping.

Cheers,
Greg Powers
Powers Rare Books
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Manchester NH  03104
603-624-9707
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