OVIDE, BANIER (Abbé) - Les Métamorphoses d'Ovide, en Latin e - Lot 549

OVIDE, BANIER (Abbé) - Les Métamorphoses d'Ovide, en Latin et en François, De la Traduction de M. l'Abbé Banier, de l'Académie Royale des Inscriptions & Belles-Lettres ; avec des Explications Historiques. Paris, Chez Delalain, 1767-1770; 4 volumes in-4, contemporary full blond calf, very ornate smooth spines with false nerves, red morocco title-piece and tomaison, framing roulette, roulette on the edges, inner roulette, light blue endpapers (a few traces of scratches and use on the boards, particularly on the upper cover of volume 3). All 4 volumes. Famous edition illustrated with a frontispiece, 2 fully engraved dedication leaves to the Duc de Chartres, 4 different title finials and 30 vignettes, a final hors-texte cul-de-lampe and 139 hors-texte compositions. "Superb work due to the care of the publisher Basan and the engraver Le Mire. It is one of the most gallantly illustrated of the entire century" (Cohen). The figures have all the remarks of the first printing. A few leaves a little browned or foxed, not serious. A fine copy.