Les peuples de la Russie, ou Description des moeurs, usages et costumes des diverses nations de l'Empire de Russie, accompagnée de figures coloriées. Tome deuxième.

1 (of 2) vol., large folio; front. and 47 pl. (foxing, caption of pl. [5] blurry).

Contemp. long-grained green leather, wrappers pasted on boards, flat spine, yellow edges (very rubbed).

First edition of volume II only of the famous work on the costumes and customs of the people of Russian Empire by Count Ch. de Rechberg (1775-1847). Illustrated with 48 nice colour-printed plates (frontispiece incl.) by Adam & Gros, Scotnikoff, Melnikoff, Coqueret, etc. after E. Karnejeff. Depicting the bazaar at Nertchinsk, a Teleut Shaman, Circassian dance, Mongol musical instruments, a Kalmyk girl, a Tungusic witch, "habitant des isles aux renards", a night fair at Obdorsk, Aleuts, "peuples immigrés" among whom Persians, Japanese, Armenians, Chinese merchants of the fair at Kyakhta, etc. With captions in Russian and French. There were three issues of the work: with plates uncoloured, with colour-printed plates (as here) and a deluxe issue with the plates hand-coloured or colour-printed heightened by hand. Printed on very large vellum paper. Wrapper with the information on subscription pasted on lower board.
Ref. Colas 2491. - Lipperheide 27. - Vinet 2323.