Antique PRISSE D’AVESNES “La Décoration Arabe” Book of Arabian Art

• Book of Arabian decoration and art collected by Emile Prisse d’Avesnes (1807-1879)
• Dated antique, circa 1885
• Edited and published by J. Savoy & Cie
• Textured black face with red spine 
• Stunningly vibrant depictions of Arabian art throughout the book 
• Beautifully preserved metallic embellishments
• Breathtaking quality and integrity considering age
• Signature and heraldic bookplate at the front of this book indicates that it belonged to Samuel Parsons Scott of Hillsboro, Ohio
  • S.P. Scott (1846-1929) was a lawyer, banker, and scholar
  • His private library contained around 8,000 volumes
  • Fascinated with foreign language and culture, he has an expansive collection of related books
  • Later in life, after a career as both lawyer and banker, he became more dedicated to being a scholar and writing, primarily focusing on translations
  • He willed his sizable collection of books to Jefferson Medical College, which would later become Scott Memorial Library at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • A wealthy man, there is documented provenance of Scott purchasing similar books via auction at Sotheby’s
  • Many aspects of Scott’s life are undocumented and unclear, so how this book escaped his collection and remained in Ohio is a mystery

This book is amongst hundreds of pieces of decor that are available at our location in Columbus, Ohio! Come in today and see the full collection.