China - Lot 455

China [BIBLIOTHÈQUE de L'EMPEREUR Napoléon Ier à SAINTE HÉLÈNE] - GROSIER (Jean Baptiste) Description générale de la Chine. New edition, with map & figures. Paris, Moutard, 1787. 2 volumes in-8; illustrated with a folding map and 15 folding plates out of text. Mentions Bibliothèque de l'Empereur Napoléon Ier à Ste Hélène (signed Marchand) - Témoignage d'affection à Edam (?), ancien consul (signed Marchand - March 6, 1870). Attached to the second volume is a letter with Marchand's embossed crowned cipher (Paris March 4, 1870, signed Marchand), addressed to the author of "L'Empire du milieu", to whom Marchand offers the books. Probably Benoît Edan, French consul general in Shanghai from 1859 to 1863 (hence former consul). 19th-century ½ eggplant chagrin, smooth spines decorated with romantic rocaille irons in long, "Ste Hélène" gilt on upper boards, 2 corners dulled. St. Helena's library consisted of two main parts: On the one hand, the volumes taken from France, from Trianon and other imperial collections, stamped "Cabinet de S. M. l'Empereur et Roi" with the arms: as they were considered Napoleon's property, they became part of the estate. On the other hand, the 1226 paperbacks and hardbacks sent from England between 1816 and 1821 were not considered Napoleon's property by the English. They were sold in London at Sotheby's in 1823. Of these two categories of books, some [those from Paris] were marked with a stamp, a shapeless and illegible wet stamp, the others [those from London] with a wax impression in which the imperial arms were vaguely distinguishable" (A. Guillois). The copy we offer bears a shapeless seal and belongs to the first group of books, the one that followed the Emperor in exile from Malmaison to St. Helena. It is not mentioned in the Trianon library catalog. The Emperor's will (codicil of April 16, 1821) stipulated, among other things, that all his belongings on St. Helena were to be bequeathed to three faithful exiles, Bertrand, Montholon and Marchand, who had accompanied him and who were to be his executors. According to Marchand's memoirs, on May 14, 1821, at Longwood, the three legatees constituted "roughly equal lots of books or other effects" and drew lots for them. Packed in leaded cases, the lots were shipped in transit to London. This copy thus went to Louis-Joseph-Narcisse Marchand, whom Napoleon made a count on his deathbed and called "a friend" himself. A handwritten note by Marchand and the letter accompanying Volume 1 (dated March 4, 1870) attest to the fact that the work was in his possession at the time. The words "Sainte-Hélène" in bold gold lettering on the upper covers are identical to those on the copy sold by Sothebys Paris (Sothebys, lot 223, session 2.12.2003; sold for €59125) and were most probably affixed on his initiative. Grosier's work is a comprehensive study of the observations and details collected by the Jesuits. On the subject of botany, the author demonstrates the error of Jussieu and Vaillant, who had claimed that Mandragore was the true Chinese Gin-Seng. Provenance: Bibliothèque de l'Empereur à Sainte Hélène (black stamp on title page), brought back by Marchand (1791-1876), first valet de chambre and executor of Napoleon Bonaparte's will, who had "Ste Hélène" gilded on the boards; enriched by several handwritten notes in his hand (including Bibliothèque de l'Empereur Napoléon à Ste Hélène - Cte Marchand) and a letter with his embossed crown seal.