BERQUEN, ROBERT DE

LES MERVEILLES DES INDES ORIENTALES ET OCCIDENTALES, OU NOUVEAU TRAITTE DES PIERRES PRECIEUSES & PERLES. PARIS: C. LAMBIN, 1661

Small 4to. [12], 112pp., engraved portrait of Anne Marie Louise D'Orleans; some spotting.ꦺ Expertly bound to style, full brown mottled calf, covers with double gilt rules, spines with raised bands in six compartments, second wit♕h red morocco lettering piece, others with repeat overall decoration in gilt.

First edition of this rare work on precious stones and pearls found in the East and West Indies, including a section on pearl fishing in the Persian Gulf

"The first chapter attempts to reconcile differing views of various writers, as cited by Berquen, on the origin of gemstones and precious metals, with following chapters taking ♎up the principal gemstones, and some minor ones, as diamond, sapphire, topaz, ruby, spinel, emerald, amethyst, aquamarine, hyacinth, opal, chrysolite, iris, vermeille, garnets, carnelian, turquoise, quartz varieties, pearl, coral and amber, and lastly, a chapter on gold and silver" (Sinkankas, p. 97f).

Dedicated to "La Grande Mademoiselle" Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier and niece 💦of Louis XIII, with her finely engraved portrait by L. Boissevin. This early treatise on the subject includes a chapter dedicated exclusively to pearls: "on pesche les perles en divers endroits du monde. Dans le Golfe Persique, principalement aux environs de l'Isle 🅺d'Ormus & Bassora: aupres de Baroyn [i.e., Bahrain], Catiffa, Iuffa, Camaron, & autres lieux de ce Golfe" (p. 74).

Scarce, particularly complete with the portrait

REFERENCE:

Alden and Landis 661; Brunet VI:4780; Ferguson𓄧 II:295 (note); Graesse I:348; JCB(3) III:51-52; Sabin 4957; Sinkankas 592