Rare first octavo edition, 2 vols., frontcovers and the spines richly gilt and sumptuously decorated with morocco onlays in various colours, backcovers elaborately stamped in blind and gilt with coloured morocco onlays as well. The frontboard showing a Maharaja and the backboard with a picture of a lute player. All edges gilt. Illustrated with a map indicating the author’s routes and 36 lithographs in duo tone.
Coll. Vol. I: blank, lith. title page, half title, pl. 1 as frontis, title page, pp. i, (1), map, pp. 227, vignette, blank.
Coll. Vol II: blank, lith. title page, half title, pl. 19 as frontis, title page, pp i, (1), 267, vignette, blank.
Plate 36 erroneously bound between plates 22 and 23.
Both volumes with a lithographed title page dated 1850 and a second letterpress title page dated 1851 and stating that it is the second edition. We assume that this is the first Curmer & Lecou edition (or the first issue of the second edition if the 1848 Amyot edition is considered to be the first edition of this work), despite the indication “deuxième édition” on the letterpress title page for a number of reasons; the main reason being that we have a second edition with the same letterpress title page, however, with important differences from this edition.
Only this edition has an extra lithographed title page with the year “MDCCCL” (1850) at the bottom of the page. Moreover it has a very luxurious binding. Though the basis is publisher’s cloth, panels have been laid on which are extremely richly gilt and have onlays in various colours, while the other edition, also with its publisher’s cloth, is gilt- and blindstamped, but far less luxurious. Being aware of prince Saltykov’s taste and his involvement with the folio editions of his work, this luxurious binding may have been his wish as well.
