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 red morocco binding. Early state of the plates, without engraved text and with captions supplied in manuscript in a contemporary hand. 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 (mostly lacking in this copy) 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 (628 x 463mm). 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, 28 (of 30) single-page costume plates, 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 (several plates misbound; captions of the processional portraits left blank, with captions supplied in manuscript; occasional light spotting, toning and soiling). Lacking the following leaves and plates: two costume plates; two leaves of “La France, La Religion”; two leaves of “Avertissement”; double-page “Table”; and leaf of “Noms de peintres et graveurs.” Contemporary French red morocco, French royal arms on sides (extremities lightly worn).

[WITH:] 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.Modern facsimile reprint [c.1950?]. Large folio (700 x 558mm). Accession numbers in pencil on lower right of each plate. Modern blue half morocco over marbled boards gilt (lightly rubbed). Provenance: Alfred Dailly (bookplate).