Philippe

1685 · 743 — Lyon: Jean Girin & Barthélemy Rivière 1685. First edition. <br /> <br /> A landmark in the cultural and scientific history of coffee tea and chocolate — the three “new beverages†of early modern Europe. Written by Philippe Sylvestre Dufour 1622–1687 a Lyon apothecary physician and merchant this 1685 first edition is among the earliest treatises devoted to the preparation medicinal properties and social virtues of these drinks. Dufour discusses the origin of coffee in the Ottoman Empire tea in China and cacao in the Americas blending pharmacological observation with moral reflection on their consumption. The work marks an important moment in the spread of global trade and early modern dietary theory illustrating how exotic imports became staples of European life and medicine.<br /> <br /> Illustrated with three full-page engravings and an engraved frontispiece including a striking depiction of an Ottoman coffee drinker a Chinese tea ceremony and a native American holding a chocolate vessel. These plates helped define the visual iconography of coffee and chocolate in the 17th century. Dufour’s Traitez became the foundational French-language reference on these drinks influencing subsequent European authors. This copy shows early marginal notes and the presence of all plates noted for the true first edition confirming its completeness and authenticity.<br /> <br /> Condition & Binding: Contemporary full mottled calf spine gilt in compartments with floral ornaments and gilt title “TRAITÉ DU CAFÉ.†Light rubbing and edge wear; some cracking along joints but binding remains solid and entirely original. Mild staining and toning to a few leaves; scattered foxing consistent with age. Engravings crisp and well-inked showing excellent impression quality. Early manuscript notes on title and endpaper likely from an 18th-century hand. Overall- good. Jean Girin & Barthélemy Rivière unknown