Bibliothèque Orientale ou Dictionnaire Universel (4 Volume Set); Contenant. Tout ce qui fait connoître les Peuples de l'Orient, Leurs histoires et traditions tant fabuleuses que véritables. Leurs religions et leurs sectes. Leurs gouvernemens, politique, loix, moeurs, coutumes, et les revolutions de leurs empires. Les arts et les sciences, La Théologie, Médecine, Mythologie, Magie, Physique, Morale, Mathematiques , Histoire Naturelle, Chronologie, Géographie, Observations Astronomiques, Grammaire et Réthorique. Les vies de leurs Saints, Philosophes, Docteurs, Poëtes, Historiens, Capitaines, & de tous ceux qui se sont rendus illustres par leur Vertu, leur Sçavoir ou leurs Actions. Des jugemens critiques et des extraits de leurs livres, Écrits en Arabe, Persan ou Turc fur toutes fortes de Matières & de Prosessions.
La Haye [The Hague / Den Haag]: J. Neaulme & N. van Daalen, 1777-1779. Hardcovers. 4 Vol. Set. Quarto. Four volumes: Vol. I, 1777, A-E 1-8 (prelims & Avertissement), i-xliv (Epitre, Preface, Eloge de M. D'Herbelot, list of 'Auteurs Orientaux et autres Ouvrages, citez....'), 1- 664pp. (text), Vol. II, 1777, F-M, 1-754pp., Vol. III, 1778, N-Z, 1-624pp., Vol. IV, 1779, (continuation by C. Visdelou & A. Galand) i-viii (prelims, avertissement, Contents), i-vi ('Avis de l'auteur), 7-764 (text), II (errata leaf - recto incorrectly paginated '565,' verso blank). Contemporary tree calf boards, with gilt rules at edges, stoutly rebacked with original spine, in compartments, with labels in gilt and blind, laid down. Title-pages in red-and-black. Occasional decorative devices throughout. Engraved frontispiece of D'Herbelot in Vol. I, 6 fold-out tables in Vol. IV. First published in 1697, this expanded 1777-1779 edition comprises D'Herbelot's alphabetically-arranged encyclopedia of the Orient (chiefly the Middle East) in three Vols., with a fourth Vol. (by C. Visdelou & A. Galand) largely devoted to China & Tartary, with various chapters including a 'Description de la Chine,' 'Monument du Christianisme en Chine,' 'Histoire de la Tartarie,' etc., as well as a selection of 'maxims of the Orientals,' additions to the encyclopedic listing, and a general Index to the 4 Vols. Edward Said devotes 4 pages of his Orientalism (pp. 63-66) to D'Herbelot's Bibliotheque Orientale which - with Hottinger's Historia Orientalis (1651) - 'remained the standard reference work in Europe until the early nineteenth century.' . The Cambridge History of Islam notes its importance in bringing information about Islam to a broader European audience. A landmark in the dissemination of knowledge about the Middle East and Asia to the West. Internal Hinges reinforced with cloth tape. Contemporary tree calf boards, new leather backstrip, with remains of original leather backstrip (raised bands, leather title labels, gilt devices etc. between bands) laid down. Two small unobtrusive library stamps on blanks of each volume, but no other markings (our guess is that this set was never formally accessioned into the library in question, and thus remained unmarked, however when they disposed of it they put a neat stamp to that effect on the blanks of each volume). Original backstrips are defective, lacking some sections, including 1 title label from Vol II. A little light foxing prelims, otherwise, V.G.: a remarkably clean and very solid set of one of the major works of European Orientalism. Item #39158
Price: $950.00