- 115
Catherine II, of Russia
Estimate
2,500 - 3,500 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Catherine II, of Russia
- Nakaz... [Instructions... to the Commission on the Work of the new Code of Laws]. St Petersburg: Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1770
- Paper
4to (290 x 210mm.), title-pages and parallel text in Russian, Latin, German and French, engraved head- and tailpieces, contemporary half calf neatly rebacked, edges uncut
Provenance
Alexander Douglas-Hamilton (1767-1852), tenth duke of Hamilton ("Hamilton sale 1884, lot 479", inscription on inside front cover) and son-in-law of William Beckford, also ambassador to the court of St Petersburg in 1806, his sale, Sotheby's, 2 May 1884; Archibald Philip Primrose (1847-1929), fifth earl of Rosebery, armorial bookplate
Literature
Drage 208; Fekula 2013
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
THE HAMILTON-ROSEBERY COPY. Catherine's attempt at a new code of laws for Russia was apparently drawn up by her personally from the works of Montesquieu and Beccaria. The translator of the text into Latin, Grigory Kozitsky, was a secretary of Catherine's and was appointed by her as head of the Society Striving for the Translation of Foreign Books.