350.00€
Rare and historically important 1894 edition of Africa, a dramatic work in verse by the Belgian statesman, jurist, and anti-slavery advocate Baron Édouard Descamps.
Published in Louvain by Charles Peeters in 1894, this third edition is especially significant as it is:
The volume additionally bears twice the ex libris stamp of a member of the Mavromichalis family, further confirming its provenance within the family library. The recipient “Madame Mavromichali” may possibly be identifiable as Clémence de Labaume Mavromichali, associated with the prominent Greek political family.
The work received distinction in an international literary competition devoted to the best literary work addressing African slavery, reflecting the growing European intellectual and political engagement with anti-slavery discourse during the colonial era.
Written as a five-act verse drama (Drame en Cinq Actes, en Vers), Africa combines literary, political, and humanitarian themes and stands as a revealing document of late 19th-century European thought regarding colonialism, morality, and international reform movements.
This copy bears a signed inscription by Descamps to Madame Mavromihalis, linking the volume to one of the most historically important families of modern Greece.
The Mavromichalis family of Mani played a decisive role in:
Their conflict with Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias culminated in his assassination in 1831, one of the defining political events of early independent Greece.
Such association copies connecting major European intellectual figures with prominent Greek political families are highly uncommon and significantly enhance the historical interest of the volume.
Baron Édouard Descamps (1847–1933) was:
He represented Belgium at both Hague Peace Conferences (1899 and 1907), served as member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, and was repeatedly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize between 1901 and 1915.
Descamps was deeply involved in international humanitarian and anti-slavery movements and played an important role in the Belgian Anti-Slavery Society as secretary and editor of its journal.
He was also:
His intellectual and political career places this work at the intersection of:
Very good vintage condition.
Please examine all photographs carefully for detailed condition assessment.
This volume possesses multiple layers of collector interest:
Association copies involving major Greek historical families are rarely encountered on the market. The presence of both the author’s inscription and the family ex libris considerably enhances the historical and provenance value of the volume.
An exceptional item for collectors of:
