[BINDING WITH LACE]. - MOLTER (Friedrich). [Kurze Encyklopädie, oder allgemeiner Begriff der Wissenschaften: Aus dem Französischen übersetzt.] [Carlsruhe: Macklot, 1762]. - In-12, red morocco, classical gilt lace on the boards, smooth ornamented spine, inner gilt roulette, blue tabis lining and endpapers, gilt edges (binding circa 1780). A very fine specimen of French binding with lace made in the years 1770-1780. The harmony of the decoration and its perfect execution indicate that it was made in one of the great bookbinding workshops of that time. It can also be attributed to the Manufacture royale des Papiers rayés, some of the irons being indeed identical to those appearing on the lace bindings of the previous lot. This attribution is not confirmed and a note by Jean-Baptiste Colbert de Beaulieu pasted on the inside attributes the binding to Derôme's workshop, which in our opinion does not seem to be the case. The binding covers a copy of Friedrich Molter's Kurze Encyklopädie, oder allgemeiner Begriff der Wissenschaften (Small Encyclopedia or General Concept of Sciences), published in 1762. Only the text of the book is found, without the introductory leaves containing the title, the epistle to Gustav Magnus von Wallbrunn (1702-1772) and the notice of the editor. Another note by Colbert de Beaulieu assumes that the copy came from the library of Queen Marie-Antoinette. There is no evidence to confirm this. A beautiful copy, very well preserved, with only a small restoration to one of the spines. Light spotting. Provenance: Jean-Baptiste Colbert de Beaulieu, with bookplate. - Jean Stefgen, with bookplate.