[LUXURY FOLIO BINDINGS] George Ormerod [WITCH-HUNTING

DESCRIPTION: I present to you at auction a MONUMENTAL COMPLETE COLLECTION weighing 13 KG, in three precious folio volumes, of the celebrated work "The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester" (London, 1819), drafted by the eminent historian and antiquarian George Ormerod. This work is regarded by specialized bibliography as the undisputed pinnacle of English shire histories of the 19th century. A monumental compilation drawn from unpublished primary sources, the Tower of London archives, parish records, manuscripts from the Harleian and Cottonian Library, and exhaustive on-site surveys. A SUMPTUOUS BINDING IN RED MOROCCO THAT MULTIPLIES ITS MARKET VALUE: The greatest attraction of this copy and the element that exponentially drives its commercial value for high-end collectors and large libraries is its extraordinary and sumptuous period binding in full red morocco of fine grain (Red Morocco): + Aristocratic Elegance on Covers: Each of the three volumes features on its covers an opulent binding with double and triple gilt borders inlaid, corners moiré with classic florets, and a wheelwork of gold of exquisite definition. + Sumptuously Decorated Spines: Spines with raised bands highlighted by gold inlays, contrasting leather labels, and compartments studded with delicate filigrees, fleur-de-lis motifs, sprigs, and gold-tooled tooling. + Gala Edges and Endpages: Keeps the endpapers in marbleized multi-toned papers with gold borders at the turn-in of the covers and clean cut edges. + Exceptional Revaluation: The works in the In-Folio format clad in original period red morocco are the most sought-after items on the international auction market, markedly multiplying the valuation of copies in Dutch or plain cloth. HUNDREDS OF ENGRAVINGS, TWO-PAGE MAPS AND HAND-COLORED PLATES: The graphic program of this work is simply stunning. It contains hundreds of engravings interspersed in the text, genealogical trees, heraldic shields, and copperplate impressions, with particular emphasis on the plates outside the text and hand-colored maps of the period: + 2 Hand-Colored Topographical Maps: + The Great General Map of the County of Cheshire (Cheshire): A spectacular double-page folding map engraved by A. Davies, hand-colored in the period with the boundaries of hundreds of parishes in beautiful watercolor tones. + Delamere Forest Map (Delamere Forest, 1813): A detailed full-page map beautifully outlined by hand with carmine and pale green strokes. 2 Large Hand-Colored Historical Plates of the Period: + Two-Page Plate of the Painted Glass in a Window of Farndon Church: A dazzling fold-out engraving hand-illuminated showing equestrian scenes, armor, drums, muskets, and portraits of Cheshire’s Royalist Knights during the Chester siege in the English Civil War under Charles I. + Plate of the Saxon and Norman Earls of Chester: An extraordinary full-page plate hand-colored depicting the ancient Brereton Hall stained glass with portraits of kings, armored earls with swords and heraldic shields (Leofric, Hugh Lupus, Randle Blundeville, etc.). MYSTERIES, LEGENDS AND THE CITY’S MOST SECRET SIDE OF CHESHIRE: Through Ormerod’s meticulous pen, Cheshire’s history unfolds, imbued with the most unsettling, bloody, and legendary tales of feudal and early-modern England: + Heraldic Monsters and Man-Eaters: Among hundreds of crests and coats of arms of noble families, the striking copperplate vignette of the Dragon or Basilisk with Crown appears, rendered over a lattice, devouring a living man whose arms and torse protrude. + The Curse of the Breretons and the Pool of Death: The work documents the famous Black Legend of the Brereton family at Brereton Hall—from the mystical tradition that, before the death of the head of the family or heir, gigantic tree trunks floated mysteriously over the calm waters of the estate’s lake without any wind. + Witch Hunts and Blood Judgments: Tales of 17th-century witch persecutions, executions at Chester Castle, ghosts in the salt mines, and conspiracies during the Civil War between Parliamentarians and Royalists. PUBLICATION YEAR: London (England, United Kingdom) 1819. 1st EDITION LANGUAGE: English (Original Version) SIZE AND pagination: Dimensions: 48 x 35 cm. Pagination: VOLUME I: [4] + Frontispiece + Title + VI + 556 + [2] pp. VOLUME II: [4] + Title + 472 + [2] pp. VOLUME III: [4] + Title + 470 + [2] pp. COMPLETE WORK WITH PRECIOUS HAND-COLORED MAPS AND PLATES. CONDITION: Original full leather binding (red morocco) with covers bordered by gorgeous gold vegetal-inspired motifs, in good condition, with some wear as shown in photos. Five raised bands on the spine decorated with beautiful vegetal motifs. Interior in good condition, with clean and fresh pages for the most part, with occasional rust spots as shown in photos. High-quality, heavy paper. RARE AND QUOTED FIRST EDITION WITH LUXURY BINDING. DO NOT MISS IT. SHIPPING POLICY: Shipping costs are grouped to save you money. Economical shipping with major carriers: Spain --> via CTT Express 24h or CORREOS Europe --> via UPS Express 48-72h / FedEx Express 48-72h (Some countries may have longer transit times) United States --> via UPS Express 48h / FedEx Express 48h (We have been informed by our customers that these companies are less strict or do not apply the new 15% tax on imported goods) China --> via UPS Express 24h Rest of the World --> via UPS Express 48h / FedEx Express 48h *Books will be securely packed to travel comfortably to their new home.

Estimate:£460.67

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