(Language of Flowers)DELACHÉNAYE, B.   ABÉCÉDAIRE DE FLORE,   Ou Langage Des Fleurs, Méthode Nouvelle De Figurer Avec Des Fleurs, Les Lettres, Les Syllabes, Et Les Mots, Suivie De Quelques Observations Sur Les Emblèmes Et Les Devises, Et De La Signification Emblématique D'Un Grand Nombre De Fleurs.       Paris: Didot l'Ainé,   1811.          First edition. The European genre of the "language of flowers" is popularly regarded as having originated with the publication in 1819 of LE LANGAGE DES FLEURS by Louise Cortambert under the pseudonym "Charlotte de Latour." There were, however, a few rare publications preceding it which also attempted to describe floral languages, the earliest of which was ABÉCÉDAIRE DE FLORE by B. Delachénaye. Its method differs from that of Cortambert and her imitators by creating a phonetic language based on the pronunciation of the names of individual flowers rather than a notional language based on floral associations. Each distinct phonetic sound within the French language was related to a flower whose name was pronounced using that sound, while birds and insects were used as punctuation. Seventy-seven different sounds and their representative flowers were identified. Each of these is illustrated on one of the book's 8 color plates. The system described here was well adapted to applied and decorative arts such as embroidery, but was too abstract and cumbersome for other purposes. Although the bulk of the work is given over to describing this phonetic system and the color plates (drawn by Turpin and Poiteau) used to illustrate it, Delachénaye also includes at the end a section entitled "Observations sur les emblèmes, les devises, et la signification des fleurs," which discusses the Turkish "sélam" and the concept of creating a language using flowers to represent certain ideas or emotions associated with them. Delachénaye notes the existence of at least three hand-written lists circulating in France which provided specific meanings for a variety of flowers and might be used for composing a sélam. With these as his source, he provides an alphabetical list of 190 flowers and their meanings. This list must constitute the earliest published floral dictionary of this genre. With the subscribers' list. Dedicated to the Empress Marie Louise of France.   8vo (21.7 x 13.8 cm); (viii) + 160 pp. + (iv) pp. subscribers' list + 12 engraved plates (8 hand-colored).            Half red leather with gilt lettering and tooling on spine, marbled boards, marbled endpapers; scattered light to occasionally heavy foxing to text, as is usual with this paper; occasional light foxing to a few plates. $900.00

CLICK To Return To Catalogue     /    HOME