La connoissance des pavillons, ou bannières, que la plupart des nations arborent en mer, comme sont ceux d'Angleterre, d'Écosse et d'Irlande, des Provinces-Unies, des Pays-Bas, de l'Espagne [...].

4to: 28 pp.; 90 pl. (occ. soiling).

Contemp. sheep, gilt orn. spine with raised bands, red sprinkled edges (sl. rubbed, one corner and head bumped, back covers with scratches). Nice copy.

Only edition of this quite beautiful book depicting 212 flags finely engraved, beautifully hand-coloured and gold heightened, used in shipping during the 1700s. It opens with an explanation of each plate, followed by the catalogue illustrating the various maritime nations, principalities and cities (England, France, Spain, Tuscany...), as well as numerous mercantile companies (Dutch East India Company, Russian merchants...); also including some flags from the Middle and Far East (Turkish, Chinese, Japanese and so on). Each full-page plate has in general two flags, bravely waving on staffs, some have only one impressive large flag, and a few have 4 of 6 flags per page. This work is sometimes attributed to Nicolas Aubin (° ca. 1655), a French pastor exiled to the Dutch Republic after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and presented as a supplement to his "Dictionnaire de marine contenant les termes de la navigation et de l'architecture navale". Rare at public auction.
Ref. STCN 189727519 (author unidentified). - BnF (id.). - Opac KBR (Aubin).
Prov. Count Vilain XIIII (bookpl.).