Charles X - La Cavalerie - 1829





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Description from the seller
CAVALRY BETWEEN DISCIPLINE AND SPLENDOR: THE ORDINANCE AS A THEATRE OF WAR FIGURED
This imposing official publication from 1829, issued under Charles X, represents one of the last great attempts by the French monarchy to codify in a systematic way the traditional military art of cavalry, at the very threshold of political and technological transformations that would diminish its role. The work, organized in two distinct but complementary volumes, combines normative text and illustrative apparatus in a perfect synthesis of theory and practice: on one side the rigorous regulation of maneuvers, on the other their visualization through detailed plates. More than a mere manual, it is a device for representing power, where order, hierarchy, and movement become visual and political language.
MARKET VALUE
Complete sets of this edition by Imprimerie Royale, in good condition and with all plates present, generally sell for between 700 and 1,200 euros. Especially fresh specimens or those with high-quality bindings can exceed this range. The present copy, complete and in more than good condition, likely falls into the upper-mid market bracket.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION - COLLECTOR'S COPY
2 volumes in Folio. Volume I with printed text; Volume II composed of hundreds of engraved plates folded and full-page depicting figures of cavalry, exercises, formations, and tactical movements. Frontispieces with the royal crest engraved. Some wear to margins and spines and natural aging spots. In old books with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (4); 2nn; 24; 390; 4nn; (4). (4); 2nn; 8; plates hors texte and maps pighevole; (4).
FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Ordonnance du Roi, du 6 décembre 1829, sur l’exercice et les évolutions de la cavalerie.
Paris, Imprimerie Royale, 1829.
Charles X, Roi de France.
CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The 1829 Ordinance represents one of the last official codes of the French cavalry before the great military transformations of the 19th century. It crystallizes a centuries-old tradition made of discipline, geometry of movement, and absolute control of the military body. The plates in the second volume, of extraordinary clarity and precision, visually translate the complexity of the maneuvers, making the work an indispensable tool for officers and instructors. At the same time, the work reflects an almost theatrical dimension of war: the evolutions of cavalry, codified and represented, become a display of power and order. Published a few months before the fall of Charles X (Liberal Revolution of July, 1830), this ordinance also has the value of a historical document of a political and military system already nearing its sunset.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Charles X of France was born in 1757 and died in 1836. The last king of the Bourbon dynasty before the July Monarchy, he reigned from 1824 to 1830. His government was characterized by an attempt to restore traditional monarchical authority, culminating in the ordinances of 1830 that led to his downfall. Under his reign, numerous administrative and military reforms were promoted, including this codification of cavalry exercise.
PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Printed by Imprimerie Royale, the work falls within the official production of the French state destined for military establishments. These editions, characterized by high typographic quality and precision in the engravings, were primarily distributed to officers and military institutions. The distinction between the text volume and the atlas of plates reflects a consolidated editorial practice for technical and military manuals of the era.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
BNF Catalogue général: Ordonnance du Roi… sur la cavalerie, Paris, Imprimerie Royale, 1829 (record to be checked for complete collation of the two volumes).
WorldCat/OCLC: editions of the Ordonnance du 6 décembre 1829, indicating text volume and plate atlas.
Service historique de la Défense (France): copies of Charles X’s military ordinances (cavalry section, 1829).
ICCU/OPAC SBN: record for nineteenth-century French editions of military regulations (specific edition 1829 verification needed).
Seller's Story
CAVALRY BETWEEN DISCIPLINE AND SPLENDOR: THE ORDINANCE AS A THEATRE OF WAR FIGURED
This imposing official publication from 1829, issued under Charles X, represents one of the last great attempts by the French monarchy to codify in a systematic way the traditional military art of cavalry, at the very threshold of political and technological transformations that would diminish its role. The work, organized in two distinct but complementary volumes, combines normative text and illustrative apparatus in a perfect synthesis of theory and practice: on one side the rigorous regulation of maneuvers, on the other their visualization through detailed plates. More than a mere manual, it is a device for representing power, where order, hierarchy, and movement become visual and political language.
MARKET VALUE
Complete sets of this edition by Imprimerie Royale, in good condition and with all plates present, generally sell for between 700 and 1,200 euros. Especially fresh specimens or those with high-quality bindings can exceed this range. The present copy, complete and in more than good condition, likely falls into the upper-mid market bracket.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION - COLLECTOR'S COPY
2 volumes in Folio. Volume I with printed text; Volume II composed of hundreds of engraved plates folded and full-page depicting figures of cavalry, exercises, formations, and tactical movements. Frontispieces with the royal crest engraved. Some wear to margins and spines and natural aging spots. In old books with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (4); 2nn; 24; 390; 4nn; (4). (4); 2nn; 8; plates hors texte and maps pighevole; (4).
FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Ordonnance du Roi, du 6 décembre 1829, sur l’exercice et les évolutions de la cavalerie.
Paris, Imprimerie Royale, 1829.
Charles X, Roi de France.
CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The 1829 Ordinance represents one of the last official codes of the French cavalry before the great military transformations of the 19th century. It crystallizes a centuries-old tradition made of discipline, geometry of movement, and absolute control of the military body. The plates in the second volume, of extraordinary clarity and precision, visually translate the complexity of the maneuvers, making the work an indispensable tool for officers and instructors. At the same time, the work reflects an almost theatrical dimension of war: the evolutions of cavalry, codified and represented, become a display of power and order. Published a few months before the fall of Charles X (Liberal Revolution of July, 1830), this ordinance also has the value of a historical document of a political and military system already nearing its sunset.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Charles X of France was born in 1757 and died in 1836. The last king of the Bourbon dynasty before the July Monarchy, he reigned from 1824 to 1830. His government was characterized by an attempt to restore traditional monarchical authority, culminating in the ordinances of 1830 that led to his downfall. Under his reign, numerous administrative and military reforms were promoted, including this codification of cavalry exercise.
PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Printed by Imprimerie Royale, the work falls within the official production of the French state destined for military establishments. These editions, characterized by high typographic quality and precision in the engravings, were primarily distributed to officers and military institutions. The distinction between the text volume and the atlas of plates reflects a consolidated editorial practice for technical and military manuals of the era.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
BNF Catalogue général: Ordonnance du Roi… sur la cavalerie, Paris, Imprimerie Royale, 1829 (record to be checked for complete collation of the two volumes).
WorldCat/OCLC: editions of the Ordonnance du 6 décembre 1829, indicating text volume and plate atlas.
Service historique de la Défense (France): copies of Charles X’s military ordinances (cavalry section, 1829).
ICCU/OPAC SBN: record for nineteenth-century French editions of military regulations (specific edition 1829 verification needed).
