Ian Ehling
Head of Department
Lot 27
CHAMPOLLION, JEAN-FRANCOIS. 1792-1832. Lettre a M. Dacier ... relative a l'alphabet des Hieroglyphes Phonetiques. Paris: Firmin Didot Pere et Fils, 1822.
6 March 2020, 10:00 EST
New YorkUS$10,000 - US$15,000
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CHAMPOLLION, JEAN-FRANCOIS. 1792-1832.
Lettre a M. Dacier ... relative a l'alphabet des Hieroglyphes Phonetiques. Paris: Firmin Didot Pere et Fils, 1822.
8vo (239 x 157 mm). Half-title, 4 folding lithographed plates after Champollion. Original printed wrappers, uncut. Some soiling to covers, spine repaired with Japanese paper, moisture stain to rear cover, some foxing throughout.
FIRST EDITION, IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS, OF CHAMPOLLION'S LANDMARK WORK ANNOUNCING HIS DECIPHERING OF THE ROSETTA STONE, and importantly describing his method. Considered the founder of modern Egyptology, Champollion for the first time was able to assign phonetic values to hieroglyphs, in the process unraveling the mystery of millennia of obscured historical records. In September of 1822, he proclaimed, "Je tiens l'affaire! " and promply fainted. He submitted an 8 page draft in the form of the present letter to the Academie in late September, before his scientific letter was published in late October 1822. "The turning point in the decipherment of the hieroglyphs" (Blackmer 306).
8vo (239 x 157 mm). Half-title, 4 folding lithographed plates after Champollion. Original printed wrappers, uncut. Some soiling to covers, spine repaired with Japanese paper, moisture stain to rear cover, some foxing throughout.
FIRST EDITION, IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS, OF CHAMPOLLION'S LANDMARK WORK ANNOUNCING HIS DECIPHERING OF THE ROSETTA STONE, and importantly describing his method. Considered the founder of modern Egyptology, Champollion for the first time was able to assign phonetic values to hieroglyphs, in the process unraveling the mystery of millennia of obscured historical records. In September of 1822, he proclaimed, "Je tiens l'affaire! " and promply fainted. He submitted an 8 page draft in the form of the present letter to the Academie in late September, before his scientific letter was published in late October 1822. "The turning point in the decipherment of the hieroglyphs" (Blackmer 306).