Lot 73
![[French Archaeological Mission to Persia] Ministère de l'Instruction publique et des Beaux-arts](https://media.app.artisio.co/media/104cbde6-0d38-43cb-9e0f-bb721ef57bcf/inventory/5ae53d04-98ff-4b21-a460-1f94995735ce/f4a157c5-4b4c-4034-9dfd-106658382bc6/00001_HmBvUV_original.jpeg)
[French Archaeological Mission to Persia] Ministère de l'Instruction publique et des Beaux-arts
Délégation en Perse
Auction: Other Properties | Wed 25 February from 10am | Lots 63 to 255
Description
Mémoires publiés sous la direction de M. J. de Morgan. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1900-1921. Volumes 1-14 and 16 only, large 4to (33 x 26.2cm), vols. 1-14 in half morocco, vol. 16 unbound in original paper wrappers, each volume with several plates (all present as called for), some folding, including colour lithographs, photogravures, collotypes, plans, maps, and numerous black and white illustrations, top edges gilt, others untrimmed, bindings worn, some dust soiling to pastedowns and preliminary leaves, bookplates of Manchester Free Public Libraries, each plate in vols. 1-14 with library blind stamp, plates in vol. 16 with ink stamp on verso;
Together with: Jules Oppert, Expédition Scientifique en Mésopotamie: Exécutée par Ordre du Gouvernement de 1851 à 1854, Paris: Imprimerie Impériale, 1859-63, first edition, 2 volumes, large 4to, without atlas volume, half morocco, gilt edges, bindings worn and scuffed, some spotting throughout, top of spine of vol. 1 missing, joints of vol. 1 cracking, with bookplates of Manchester Free Public Libraries and library ink stamps on verso of title page (vol. 2) and preliminary leaf (vol. 1) (17)
Footnote
In 1895 Nasir al-Din Shah granted France a monopoly on archaeological exploration in Persia, and Jacques de Morgan, a mining engineer with knowledge of Persia, was appointed director of the resulting mission, remaining in post until 1912 and focusing on the excavations at Susa. ‘The major discoveries included a prehistoric necropolis with painted ceramics of Susa style A (4th millennium B.C.E.); clay tablets with a proto-Elamite pictographic script that is still undeciphered; Elamite temples from the second half of the 2nd millennium B.C.E.; the stele of Hammurabi, with his law code; the stele of Naram Sin; the Manishtusu obelisk; and a bronze statue of Queen Napirasu’ (Encyclopedia Iranica). Volumes 16-28 (1921-39) were published under the title Mémoires de la Mission archéologique de Perse. For volume 29 (1943) the series was renamed Mémoires de la Mission archéologique en Iran, under which title it continues to be published to the present day, with volume 59 appearing in 2023.