Rare, Striking 1808-10 Hand-colored French "Coquilles" Bookplate Engravings exotic wood Front clasp closes and holds

Front clasp closes and holds tight

so it could be mailed yet

Plenty of wear all over including a bit of bending at the hinges but the cover is still very well attached and closes flush

Really a terrific object that would be great on the desk sitting atop incoming or outgoing mail

Sold as found in a frame that looks to be lacquered and painted wood and shows a bit of loss around a couple of edges

Rare, Striking 1808-10 Hand-colored French "Coquilles" Bookplate Engravings exotic wood Front clasp closes and holdsSOLD : E, F My photos do not do these hand colored bookplate woodcut engravings justice they are subtle but quite stunning I think, with the interplay of the engraving and the coloration making them feel both unusual and really rather exquisite. They come from a scarce 1808 10 work "Conchyliogie systmatique et classification mthodique des coquilles," by the French naturalist Pierre Denys de Montfort (1766 1820) with the plates drawn and engraved by