Everything Known about Tea in the Middle of the 19th Century, Presented in a Very Lustrous Publisher's Binding

MONOGRAPHIE DU THÉ. DESCRIPTION BOTANIQUE, TORRÉFACTION, COMPOSITION CHIMIQUE, PROPRIÉTÉS HYGIÈNIQUE DE CETTE FEUILLE.

(TEA). HOUSSAYE, J. G.

(Paris: Printed by H. Fournier et Cie for the author, 1843). 246 x 160 mm. (9 3/4 x 6 1/4"). 2 p.l., 160 pp. [1] leaf (ad). FIRST EDITION.

Publisher's blue buckram, covers with blind-stamped flourishes, upper cover with gilt-stamped pagoda, smooth spine with gilt lettering. With engraved vignette on title page and 17 engraved plates, as called for, showing tea plants, tea plantations, and the processing of leaves. Corners slightly bumped (as expected with thin boards), persistent light foxing (first and last half dozen leaves more noticeably foxed), but still an excellent copy, quite clean and fresh internally, in an exceptionally well-preserved binding that is extremely lustrous and shows virtually no wear.

Offered in an extraordinarily lustrous publisher's binding, this attractively illustrated publication--part informational text, part clever advertising material--provides a fascinating glimpse into the 19th century tea industry. Our author, J. G. Houssaye, ran a Parisian Chinese imports shop, À La Porte Chinoise, which specialized in tea. In the introduction to this work he writes that he had been involved with the tea trade for 20 years, and he remained in business until at least 1855, when he lent his collection to the International Exposition, writing a lengthy catalog to provide context about Chinese culture and history. His collection was sold at auction the following year, suggesting he may have either died or left the trade. The present work, which is illustrated with attractive wood-engravings depicting every part of the tea production process, details all aspects of the trade, including imports to Europe and the United States, the botanical and chemical properties of the tea plant, different varieties and preparations of tea, and Chinese tea harvesting, processing, and culture. Houssaye tells us in the introduction that he has "done the most conscientious research on the nature of this plant" and that he has read "all the ancient and modern authors who have written about tea." The depth of his research is confirmed by the bibliography at the end of the work, which comprises publications on tea dating from 1590 to 1841. However, it is evident that Houssaye's production of this work was not merely scholarly: the binding and title are decorated with his logo, and an advertisement for À La Porte Chinoise appears at the end. His practical goals are further attested to by the pasted-in corrections for his address that appear on the title and advertisement: he had moved his premises from rue de la Bourse to rue Vivienne during the production of the book, and naturally wanted readers to be able to find his new location. (ST20535-06)

Price: $450.00