DIEULAFOY (Marcel). The Ancient Art of Persia. Archaemides, Parthes, Sassanides. Paris: Librairie Centrale d'Architecture, 1884 (tome 1); Paris: Librairie Centrale d'Architecture, Des Fossez & Cie, 1884 (tome 2); Paris: Ve A. Morel & Cie, Des Fossez & Cie, successeurs, 1885 (volumes 3 and 4); Paris: Librairie des imprimeries réunies, [1889] (volume 5). - 5 volumes in-folio, 390x285: (2 ff.), III, 60 pp, (2 ff.), 2 maps, 18 plates; (2 ff.), 90 pp, (1 f.), 16 plates; (2 ff.), 106 pp, (1 f.), 17 plates; (2 ff.), 84 pp, (2 ff.), 18 plates; (2 ff.), 238 pp, (1 f.), 22 plates. Red half-chagrin, spine ribbed, gilt head, untrimmed (period binding). Sought-after first edition of this seminal work. It retraces the exploration missions carried out in Persia by Jane and Marcel Dieulafoy, a couple of pioneering archaeologists, between February 1884 and May 1885, then from December 1885 to April 1886. Their work, marked by major discoveries such as the famous friezes of the lions and archers (now on display at the Louvre), marked a turning point in the study of ancient Iran. As the first systematic explorers of Fars and Elam, the Dieulafoys unearthed vaulted monuments dating from the Achaemenid, Parthian and Sassanid eras. These remains reveal a remarkable architectural continuity, linking Antiquity to the Middle Ages. Their approach, resolutely empirical, is distinguished by its refusal to speculate: they analyze the materials, climate and remains in situ, letting the remains "speak" for themselves rather than imposing hasty interpretations. The publication is divided into five volumes or parts: Monuments de la ville du Polvar-Roud. - Monuments of Persepolis. - Persepolitan Sculpture. - Vaulted Monuments of the Achaemenid Period. - Parthian and Sassanid monuments. The edition is illustrated with numerous drawings in the text, as well as two maps and 91 plates, including 4 fold-outs. The plates include several precious photographs by Jane Dieulafoy, reproduced in heliogravure. Some wear and tear. Scattered foxing.