Lot 339

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Description:

6 Vols., Bernard Picart's Profusely Illustrated "Ceremonies and Religious Customs of The Several Nations of the Known World" - 18th C. Elephant Folio in English

Six assembled volumes of "Ceremonies and Religious Customs of the Several Nations of the Known World, Represented in above an Hundred Copper-Plates, Designed by the Famous Picart, Together with Historical Explanations and Several Curious Dissertations," edited by Jean-Frédéric Bernard and illustrated by Bernard Picart (London, England, printed by various publishers including Nicholas Prevost, James Bettenham, and Claude DuBosc [more clearly outlined below], 1731-1737.) With gilt embossed leather covers and titled spines complete with beautiful scarlet marbleized pastedown endpapers. Each of the six volumes has two ex-libris bookplates on the front pastedown endpaper linked to John Wilson-Patten, 1st Baron Winmarleigh (1802-1892), comprised of a Winmarleigh armorial bookplate, and a bookplate belonging to Winmarleigh's father, Thomas Wilson, formerly Patten. Condition issues include detached but included front and back covers of each volume. Isolated loosened or broken binding, with brittle and flaking leather. Scattered surface loss to the spines including four missing titles and one partial. The inner pages show expected wear including toning, foxing, and isolated water stains. The average size of each volume is approximately 10.5" x 16" x 2.5," making them just classifiable as elephant size folio. The entire stack measures 10.5" x 16" x 13.75" and weighs a total of 51 lbs.

Eighteenth-century copies of Bernard/Picart's "Ceremonies and Religious Customs of the Several Nations of the Known World" are rarely offered as complete. On Abebooks.com, various early editions of between 4 and 5 volumes are listed between $4,000-$9,375. A six-volume set of similar printing dates (1733-1739) sold at Sotheby's in December 2012 for $6,875.

Bernard Picart (1673-1733), a French expatriate printmaker who moved to the Netherlands, and a French Huguenot publisher named Jean-Frédéric Bernard (1683-1744) collaborated to produce their most famous work originally in French: "Cérémonies et coutumes religieuses de tous les peuples du monde." This exhaustive study of the world's religions was originally published in nine volumes in Amsterdam between 1723-1743. The "Picart," as this authoritative text is often known, was eventually translated into English, Dutch, and German. It greatly influenced intellectual circles in a Europe that was transitioning from the Scientific Revolution into the Enlightenment by promoting religious tolerance and cultural heterogeneity.

Bernard and Picart adopted a surprisingly modern approach that resembles today's ethnography. Their text and illustrations, liberated from the Eurocentric assumptions that one would expect from this period, are refreshingly objective and clinical. The variety of the study is also impressive: "Ceremonies and Religious Customs" examines Protestant and Roman Catholic Christianity, along with a multitude of alternative sects such as Quakers, Anabaptists, and "convulsionaires"; Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews; Muslims; Confucianism and religious practices in China, Japan, and southeastern Asia; and religious practices among indigenous peoples in North and South America. Topics covered include customs, rites, holidays, clerical practice and dogma, languages and calendars, belief systems, art, architecture, and music, dress/hygiene, and diet.

While Bernard's text is fascinating, the great draw to these volumes is visual. The series is copiously illustrated with Picart's engaging copper-plate engravings, many of which are full 2-page spreads, and a handful of which are foldouts. Volume 1 features a large foldout depicting the Pope's procession to St. John the Lateran entitled "Le Pape va en ceremonie prendre possession du Pontificat dans l'Eglise de St. Jean de lateran qui est la Capitale de toutes celles qui relevent de la jurisdiction du Pape dans la Chretieneté" which measures 36" x 15.75" unfolded. Please see the attached images for just a sampling of the magnificent engravings; more images are available upon request.

Printing information for these six volumes of "Ceremonies and Religious Customs of the Several Nations of the Known World" include:

1. Volume I: "The Ceremonies of the Jews, &c." (London: Printed for Nicholas Prevost, and Comp. at the Ship, against Southampton-street in the Strand, 1731.)Excluding preface and index runs about 412pp. (9 lbs)

2. Volume 2: "The Ceremonies of the Roman Catholicks" (London: Printed for Nicholas Prevost, and Comp. at the Ship, against Southampton-street in the Strand, 1731.) Excluding preface and index runs about 345pp. (8 lbs)

3. Volume 3: "The Ceremonies of the Idolatrous Nations" (London: Printed for Nicholas Prevost, and Comp. at the Ship, against Southampton-street in the Strand, 1731.) Excluding preface and index runs about 444pp. (9 lbs)

4. Volume 4, Part II (London: Printed for James Bettenham for Claude DuBosc, Engraver at the Golden Head in Charles-Street, Covent-Garden, 1735.) Excluding preface and index runs about 514pp. (9 lbs)

5. Volume 5: "The Ceremonies of the Greeks and Protestants" (London: Printed for Claude DuBosc, Engraver at the Golden Head in Charles-Street, Covent-Garden, 1736.) Excluding preface and index runs about 470pp. (8 lbs)

6. Volume 6 in Two Parts: "The Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England, of the Presbyterians, Independents, Anabaptists, Quakers, &c." and "Various Sects of the Mohametans, with an Appendix of the Lives of Mohammed, Omar and Ali" (London: Printed for Claude DuBosc, Engraver at the Golden Head in Charles-Street, Covent-Garden, 1737.) Excluding preface and index runs about 464pp. (8 lbs)

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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