Lepsius, Carl Richard

First and only edition, 13 volumes, comprising one volume of text (see catalogue note) and 12 atlas volumes, text 4to (310 x 247mm.), 36pp.; atlas volumes folio (760 x 615mm.), each volume with printed half-title, title and list of plates (vol.1 also with dedication), 900 numbered chromolithographed, lithographed or tinted lithographed plates showing views, maps, plans, diagrams, antiquities, inscriptions, papyrus, etc., including 6 bis plates and 4 folding plates, uniform contemporary diced half calf, [Blackmer 1007; Hilmy I p.375], a few plates spotted or slightly spotted (mostly in vol.9 and 10 - list available), neat library stamps on half-titles and titles, 6 plates slightly misbound, some spine ends of first three vol. slightly torn (one with slight loss)

A good copy. Carl Richard Lepsius (1810-1884) studied archaeology and languages at various German universities and "is in general accepted as the greatest Egyptologist after Champollion" (Dawson and Uphill, pp.173-174). He was chosen to lead the Prussian expedition to Egypt in 1842-1845, one of the best prepared expeditions ever to have worked there. The original intention was to survey only the monuments, but Lepsius also excavated the site of the Labyrinth at Fayûm. He recovered some 15,000 antiquities which were sent back to Berlin, many of which are reproduced in these volumes.

The work remains a fundamental resource for Egyptologists on both monuments in Egypt and Nubia. The plans, maps and drawings of tomb and temple walls are of a high degree of accuracy and reliability, and are often the only record of monuments that have since been destroyed or later reburied.

The plate volumes are arranged in six parts, in more or less chronological order: part 1) volumes I-II, Topographie und Architectur; 2) volumes III-IV, Denkmäler des Alten Reichs; 3) volumes V-VIII, Denkmäler des Neuen Reichs; 4) volume IX, Denkmäler aus der Zeit der Griechischen und Römischen Herrschaft; 5) volume X, Äthiopische Denkmäler; 6) volumes XI-XII, Inschriften mit Ausschluss der Hieroglyphischen.

The text did not appear until after Lepsius' death, when Edouard Naville and others edited his notes, and is not present with this set of plates, though it does include a prospectus, Vorläufige Nachricht über die Expedition, ihre Ergebnisse und derren Publikation. As the text was not published until 1897-1913 (in 5 volumes), the text and plates are rarely found together.