Description de l'Asie Mineure

'Probably the greatest work of exploration made by a single traveller' (Blackmer).

Trained as an archaeologist, Texier, who was a Membre Correspondant de l'Institut, was sent on a mission to Turkey, making three consecutive journeys to the Levant between 1834 and 1836. This work is a summation of all the material he gathered on these expeditions. The plates show plans of archaeological sites, views of ancient monuments, mosques and modern buildings, views of remarkable sites, bas-reliefs and other archaeological objects. This remarkable work has been compared in its conception with the Description de l'Égypte, although it was limited in time and space, and was the work of only one man.

First edition; 3 vols, large folio (56 x 37 cm); 254 plates on 249 sheets, of which 7 tinted lithographs, 5 chromolithographs, 2 hand-coloured, and 6 double-page, large folding map in two sheets loose from tabs, lightly spotted throughout with some slight toning, margins occasionally frayed, bleach spot to upper margin of pp. 106-9 of vol. I, marginal water staining to final few gatherings of vol. I & II (about 20 pages each), pp 31-34 of vol 2 dog-eared, perforated library stamps to titles and p.93 of vol. I, ink library stamps to versos of maps and plates; later half calf, marbled boards, spines lettered in gilt in six compartments, a good set; ; 332; 268 pp.

Atabey II, 1211; Blackmer 1645; Brunet V 768-769; Weber 304; Vinet,1775.