PALLIOT, Pierre; GELIOT, Lowan.

.A very good, clean copy of the second, enlarged edition by Pierre Palliot of this lavishly illustrated heraldic encyclopaedia, with over 4,500 engraved shields and coats of arms. Palliot (1608-98) was a Parisian printer and genealogist, who later moved to Dijon. Author of numerous works, with special focus on the genealogies of Bourgogne, he himself engraved the thousands of illustrations. Science des armoires was originally published as L Indice Armorial (1635) by Lowan Geliot, advocat au Parlement de Bourgogne . Palliot greatly enriched it with new illustrated examples from France and abroad, as well as heraldic curiosities , such as illustrations of heralds in ceremonial dress or jousting. Geliot s Indice comprised, in alphabetical order, hundreds of very technical heraldic terms pertaining to colours, charges, and so on (e.g., allelions, belic, esclat√®), with references to specific French and European coats of arms, many also illustrated by Palliot. The first word, arguably tongue-in-cheek, is Abbaiss é , i.e., the addition to one s shield of marks of honour (colour, helmets, charges, supports) that do not historically or legally belong to that family or individual, so as to appear more prominent a form of fraud. Palliot s work was a fundamental instrument for antiquaries, scholars, archivists, librarians, genealogists, booksellers, artists, numismatists, collectors, heralds, goldsmiths, embroiderers, art lovers, etc. , that is, all those requiring detailed heraldic information for work or leisure ( Bulletin , p.162). A very handsome, imposing work..