LOUIS XV (1710-1774), King of France – Le Sacre de Louis XV, Roy de France & de Navarre, dans l'Eglise de Reims, Le Dimanche XXV Octobre MDCCXXII.[Paris, 1722?].

One of the most magnificent of all festival books, in a contemporary Padeloup le jeune binding. This monumental work depicts the ceremonial events that occurred upon the coronation of Louis XV at the Cathedral in Reims in 1722. The accompanying descriptive text was written by Antoine Danchet and revised by Jean-Paul Bignon and Claude Gros de Boze. The plates illustrate various scenes from the coronation including the procession to the church, the King prostrate before the altar, the crowning of the King, the celebratory festival held after the coronation, and the costume plates show the attire worn by Louis XV and some of the notable figures in attendance. Berlin 3009; Brunet V, 19 “ce volume est recherché à cause de belles planches qu'il renferme”; Cohen-de Ricci 917; Vinet 516; Watanabe 2018.

Folio (626 x 466mm). Text printed on rectos only. Engraved throughout, preliminaries and accompanying descriptions of plates each within elaborate border, engraved title-page, nine double-page plates on guards, 30 single-page costume plates, double-page table of contents, double-page “Table,” single-page list of "noms des peintres et graveurs," and nine headpiece vignettes of allegorical figures by Charles Nicolas Cochin the Younger, Louis Desplaces, Ennemond Petitot, et al. after Pierre Dulin and Pierre Josse Perrot; borders of many engravings colored by a later hand. (occasional light spotting, toning and soiling; small 21mm dampstain at bottom of margin several leaves, gradually diminishing and then disappearing; long split on some double-paged plates; 35mm closed tear at bottom of plate “La Ceremonie des offrandes”). Contemporary black morocco by Antoine-Michel Padeloup (1685-1758; binder’s ticket at bottom of “Noms de peintres et graveurs” at end), broad gilt borders, royal arms in center (extremities rubbed).