Kingsborough, Edward King, Viscount.

9 volumes, large folio (545 x 364mm.), 742 lithographs (including 4 folding and 2 double-page) by A. Aglio, of which around 150 on india paper, and 2 lithographed tables, contemporary green half morocco, spines in 7 compartments with raised bands, lettered in gilt, top edges gilt, [Sabin 37800; Lipperheide 1620], large folding plate in vol.4 with slight wear along folds, some spotting and light staining, some scuffing to extremities of bindings, lower edges bumped

Annie, Viscountess Cowdray (1860-1932), formerly Pearson (née Cass), two variant bookplates, each incorporating a view of Dunecht house

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The greatest illustrated work on Mexican antiquities. Lord Kingsborough's (1795-1837) fascination with Mexican antiquities began while studying at Oxford, when Sir Thomas Phillipps showed him the Codex Mendoza, described by Samuel Purchas in 1626 and preserved in the Bodleian Library. Thus inspired and encouraged by Phillipps, Kingsborough decided to devote his life to the study of Mexican antiquities. Kingsborough employed the Italian painter Agostino Aglio to travel throughout Europe to find and copy Mexican manuscripts for publication. The plates depict mostly Mesoamerican pictorial codices, together with over 150 plates of sculpture and architecture. The substantial text, with sections in Spanish, English, French, and Italian, includes Sahagun's Historia General de la Nueva España and the chronicles of Alvarado Tezozómoc and Alva Ixtlilxóchitl. This enormous project cost Kingsborough £32,000 and his life: in 1837 he died of typhus contracted in prison in Dublin, a few days after being arrested for a debt to a paper manufacturer and others. Had he survived a few more months, Kingsborough would have inherited his father's annual estate of £40,000.