Chinese astrological and prophetic almanac. 26th year of Tao-Kouang. 1846. 2 works bound in an in-8 volume, printed in black and red, illustrated with numerous in-text woodcuts. Bound in orange half-maroquin, 5-ribbed spine, gilt title and date, caissons underlined with cold fillets, covers preserved, signed Lortic. (spine faded, binding slightly rubbed and stained). Joint : Manual of sericulture. In-8 Japanese-style paperback, most pages with a question about silkworm culture and a blank space, presumably to accommodate a handwritten answer. (cover slightly missing). Provenance: Natalis Rondot French economist, art historian and silk industrialist, Natalis Rondot was delegated by the Reims Chamber of Commerce to represent France in China on an extraordinary mission to negotiate trade treaties from 1843 to 1846. During this trip, Natalis Rondot became interested in Chinese, Japanese and Indochinese cultures, their silk-working techniques and learned Chinese. On his return, he made a decisive contribution to the development of Lyon's silk industry in the 1850s. Appointed by the Chamber of Commerce in 1856, he founded the Musée d'Art et d'Industrie de Lyon, the future Musée Historique des Tissus, which he inaugurated in 1864. Expert: Mr Nicolas Asvisio - nicolas.asvisio@gmail.com - 06 47 79 88 52