FORNEREAU, Lucien (1846-1906) and Jacques PORCHER. Les ruines d'Angkor. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1890.
Lot 200

FORNEREAU, Lucien (1846-1906) and Jacques PORCHER. Les ruines d'Angkor. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1890.

Closed5 June 2019

Price Realised

GBP 1,625

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FORNEREAU, Lucien (1846-1906) and Jacques PORCHER. Les ruines d'Angkor. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1890.

Very rare extensive portfolio of plates, many of which document the 1887 Mission to Angkor Wat. They are of a very high quality of reproduction, 'absolument inédites.' When the French established their colonial administration in south-east Asia, Angkor Wat was brought to a much wider western audience through the travel notes of the French naturalist and explorer Henri Mouhot (1826-1861). His reports inspired the French government to send a Mission to Angkor Wat in 1887, and thus began a systematic study of the ruins. This enabled a much clearer understanding of the history, chronology of rulers and of the Khmer civilization that had produced the temple complex. By 1889-1890, the French government had committed substantial funds to Angkor's preservation. The present lot is a wonderful time capsule of images showing the extent of these endeavours. This work is extremely rare on the market.

Folio (385 x 280mm). Half-title. Map and 101 plates, plans and architectural drawings, with an extra plate 'Ta-Prom, Niches Ogivales et Tevadas' not called for in the list of contents, illustrations in text (some light spotting of text, map and a few plates lightly frayed and unevenly dust-soiled at edges). Loose unbound sheets in original grey cloth portfolio (extremities lightly rubbed and soiled, one set of ties broken).