Description of the Collection of Ancient Marbles in the British Museum; with Engravings. Parts. III, IV, V, & XI

London, England: The British Museum, 1818. First Edition . Hardcover. Very Good. Folio - over 12" - 15" tall. Offered are four volumes [called "parts"] of an eleven-volume set, published serially between 1812 and 1861, and depicting classical marbles in the collection of The British Museum. Vol. III, 1818; Vol. IV, 1820; Vol. V, 1826; Vol. XI, 1861. These are not reproductions or facsimiles. Vol. IV with the watermark "Turkey Mills 1819," Vol. V with the watermark "Turkey Mills 1825," and Vol. XI with the watermark "J. Whatman 1860." 12.25 x 9.5 inches. Printed for The British Museum by G. and W. Nicol; J. Murray; Longman; et al. Primary text in English, with occasional notes in Latin and Greek. Light brownish-green plain paper-covered hardboards, with simple paper title labels on the spines and front covers. Vol. III with evident chipping/losses along the spine. Vol. XI with moderately bumped corners. Bindings generally very clean. Text blocks firmly bound in, but note that there is a crack between signatures in Vols. III and XI. Fore- and bottom edges moderately deckled to a handsome effect. Light to moderate offsetting to the pastedowns and opposite FEPs. Vol. III with unnumbered text pages, 2 double-page plates and 15 featured engravings. Vol. IV with 36 numbered text pages, and 38 featured engravings. Vol. V with 44 numbered text pages, a double-page plate and 13 featured engravings, one of which is in color. Vol. XI with 106 numbered text pages, a title page vignette (being Plate 51), and 52 featured engravings. All volumes with a title page vignette. Many of the text pages are unopened, hence unread. All plates on heavy-weight, card stock of rag content. Almost all pages and plates are virtually free of foxing or spotting or soiling. Quite a few sheets with a hint of age-toning at the edges, quite minor. On the whole a clean and attractive group of four volumes. A Very Good set of copies. Note that Vol. XI is particularly scarce. Various volumes in the series were edited by British Museum heads of the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities; Coombe, Taylor, 1774-1826; Hawkins, Edward, 1780-1867; Cockerell, C. R. (Charles Robert), 1788-1863; Birch, Samuel, 1813-1885. Includes Fourth Room marbles, Temple of Apollo Epicurious marbles, Fifth Room sepulchral monuments, and Eleventh and Twelfth Room marbles from the Townley collection.