Beschreibung:

[RECHBERG, Charles, comte de (1775-1847) and George Bernhard DEPPING (1784-1853)]. Les Peuples de la Russie, ou description des moeurs, usages et costumes des diverses nations de l'Empire de Russie, accompagnée de figures coloriées . Paris: D. Colas, 1812-1813. Fine copy of Rechberg's famous work, containg 18 original watercolours by E. Karnejeff and printed on very large velin paper. The coloured plates are of even higher quality than the deluxe edition mentioned by Colas. There were three issues of the work: one with plates uncoloured; one with colour-printed plates; and then a deluxe issue with either the plates entirely coloured by hand (as here) or with the plates colour-printed and enhanced by hand-colouring. The artist Emelian Mikhailovich Karnejeff joined G. M. Springporten’s 1802-1805 survey of the Russian hinterland, including the breadth of Siberia, the Caucasus, and the Urals, and includes in the present work detailed ethnographic portraits of two Alaskans (of the Kodiak / Fox Islands, as well as of the Aleutian Islands). In addition to depicting Slavs, Tartars, Caucasians, and Mongols, Karnejeff recognizes the contributions of 'peuples immigrés' to Russian society, including portraits of Armenian, Persian, Chinese, and Japanese subjects in his survey. Karnejeff’s watercolours impressed Rechberg, the Bavarian ambassador to the court of Alexander I, who commissioned the present volumes. The work was published in French due to its status as a lingua franca . Unlike most copies, the plate of 'Cosaques du Don' is present, and the original watercolours of both 'Le Bain russe' and 'Montagne de Glace a Tobolsk' are also bound-in. Brunet IV, 582; Colas 2491; Fekula 3568; Lipperheide Kaa 27; Vinet 2323. Two volumes, folio (476 x 395mm). Half-titles, 88 engraved and aquatint plates, printed in colour by A. Manz, Scotnikoff, Melnikoff, Hesse, Gros, Adam and others, after E. Karnejeff and finished by hand, and 18 original water-colours in place of 18 others, all before letters (without the subscription leaf sometimes present, very minor scattered spotting but heavy to the 2 plates of the 'Tartares Nogais' in vol. I and that of the 'Lama Mongole' in vol. II). Contemporary red morocco-backed baords, covers with elaborately gilt-tooled flat spines, gilt edges (upper cover of vol. I with wear to left-hand gilt border with loss and the corners sometime repaired, otherwise extremities rubbed).