[China]. PALACES, PAVILIONS and gardens built by Giuseppe Ca - Lot 410

[China]. PALACES, PAVILIONS and gardens built by Giuseppe Castiglione in the imperial estate of Yuan Ming Yuan at the Summer Palace in Peking. Paris, Jardin de flore, 1977. In full, publisher's red half-basane, smooth muted spine, gilt title and illustration on upper board, inside mounted on tabs (bumps to head and tail of spine, not serious; some soiling to boards). Facsimile edition of the twenty plates engraved from 1783 to 1786 by Chinese artists, based on drawings by the painter Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766), depicting the buildings, gardens and factories erected from 1737 to 1766 for Emperor K'ien Long, by the Jesuits of the Court. The publisher points out that only 3 complete copies of the suite of original engravings are currently preserved. The work comprises 2 double leaves (title in French and English), 20 double plates printed by the Daniel Jacomet process, and 3 pages (captions, notes, bibliography). Limited edition of 275 copies (no. 160) on Rives vellum, pur chiffon, specially produced at Moulin du gué.