Fine hand-coloured copy of this fully engraved work, printed on papier verge de Hollande extra-fort - one of these 'rarissimes exemplaires dont les figures, chefs-d'oeuvre de gravure, ont ete peintes dans un coloris d'une beaute surprenante' (Pia).

Hancarville catalogued Sir William Hamilton's collection of ancient vases in Naples in 1764, from which it is likely he took some inspiration for these images showing a collection of classical erotica, supposedly taken from actual medallions. In 1777 he travelled to London, where he arranged the second edition of this work with the text also in English.

Our copy matches Pia's description; the number of plates may vary.

2 vols, small 4to (20.7 x 15.4 cm). Fully engraved: hand-coloured title numbered 1, pp. 10 preface in red with black borders, plates numbered 2-30, hand-coloured, each with a leaf or two of text in red within red border; hand-coloured title and 35 hand-coloured plates with text leaves as before - in all 66 hand-coloured plates including two titles. Contemporary marbled calf, spines with raised bands gilt in compartments, brown morocco labels lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, red edges; a bit rubbed, hinges a bit weak.

Cohen 476; Pia Enfer 1487-1488.