First edition of a famous French dancing manual
RAMEAU, Pierre.
Le maître a danser. Qui enseigne la maniere de faire tous les differens pas de danse dans toute la regularité de l'art, & de conduire les bras à chaque pas.
Paris, Jean Villette, 1725. 8vo. With etched frontispiece and 59 etched plates (including 3 double-page and 1 larger folding) showing 2 couples dancing the minuet before King Louis XV and his court, individuals and couples demonstrating dance positions, dance steps, positions and movements of the hands and arms during the dance, drawn and mostly etched by the author. Further with numerous charming woodcut headpieces and tailpieces (2 signed "V.LS" or "V.LS in"), woodcut decorated initials, and decorations built up from cast fleurons. Green morocco (ca. 1900?), gold-tooled spine, gold-tooled turn-ins, fillets on board edges, curl-marbled endpapers, gilt edges (stamp on endleaf: "Gloss. Elldt Jnr"?). XXIV, 272 pp. Full description
€ 21,500
Paris, Jean Villette, 1725. 8vo. With etched frontispiece and 59 etched plates (including 3 double-page and 1 larger folding) showing 2 couples dancing the minuet before King Louis XV and his court, individuals and couples demonstrating dance positions, dance steps, positions and movements of the hands and arms during the dance, drawn and mostly etched by the author. Further with numerous charming woodcut headpieces and tailpieces (2 signed "V.LS" or "V.LS in"), woodcut decorated initials, and decorations built up from cast fleurons. Green morocco (ca. 1900?), gold-tooled spine, gold-tooled turn-ins, fillets on board edges, curl-marbled endpapers, gilt edges (stamp on endleaf: "Gloss. Elldt Jnr"?). XXIV, 272 pp. Full description