Gagarine, Prince Grégoire and Ernest Stackelberg

First edition, folio (548 x 380mm.), lithographed additional pictorial title, map and 80 plates after Gagarine (19 coloured or tinted), wood-engraved illustrations in text, contemporary half morocco, lettered on upper cover "Le Caucase pittoresque", gilt edges, [Colas 1148; Lipperheide 1385; not in Atabey or Fekula], lacking half-title and printed title, some plates and text spotted, 2 neat library stamps on verso of title, binding very slightly worn

A rare work that, although never fully complete, remains the most lavish and detailed study of Caucasia of its time. The work was original published in 20 livraisons containing a total of 80 plates. Each livraison contained a section of text explaining the accompanying plates. Stackelberg had intended to publish further relevant text at a later date, subsequent to a new expedition to Caucasia. His expedition, however, was thwarted and the text never published.

The plates in this work are topographical in nature and do not reproduce any of those in his earlier work, Scènes, paysages, moeurs et costumes du Caucase (see lot 166). This copy does not have the printed title page as the additional pictorial title was presumably deemed to be sufficient.