DESTAMINIL]. Le Cuisinier français perfectionné, containing the best prescriptions of ancient and modern cooking. S.l., B. Renault, 1844. In-8, half tan basane, spine with ornate nerves, brown title page (20th century binding). 368 pp. First edition of this complete cooking manual; it opens with a lexicon of terms and utensils and the art of cutting and serving; it is followed by numerous recipes and various procedures concerning domestic economy. Without the 5 plates announced in Vicaire, 274. Fragmentary added plate pasted in fine. Some foxing. Doubled false-title, wetness and soiling in-fine.

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.