Ագոնց (Ստեփանոս) [AKONTS (Stepanos)]. Հասարակախօսութիւն աշխա - Lot 10

Ագոնց (Ստեփանոս) [AKONTS (Stepanos)]. Հասարակախօսութիւն աշխարհագրութեան [General introduction to geography]. Venice, Imprimerie Sainte-Lazare, 1817. In-12, 398 p. (out of 399 p.) including 10 plates, contemporary speckled fawn basane, smooth ornate spine, orange title-piece and cream tomaison, gilt roulette framing the boards, (binding slightly rubbed, headbands and spines rubbed, corners dulled, light foxing, soiling and stains, p. 399 missing, some plates missing (the plates opposite p. 36, 81, 100, and 116, tear without missing plate opposite p. 118 and 120). Rare illustrated geography teaching book. The illustration includes fine vignettes at the head, as well as 10 copper-engraved plates, all folding except for one depicting an erupting volcano, hand-colored. Among these plates are terrestrial and astronomical representations, as well as a double-hemisphere Armenian world map showing California in its island form, a cartographic representation typical of the mid-17ᵉ to mid-18ᵉ century. An extremely rare work, particularly for the presence of the world map. To our knowledge, the digitized copy in the National Library of Armenia does not contain this map. Old stamp faded from title.