[A historical summary of the main features of the life of Confucius.] Folio (372 x 258mm) A fine copy. Contemporary red morocco, boards ruled in gilt and scrolled to a panel design, gilt garlands to corners, spine gilt ruled in bands with large yellow drum and trumpet fleurons at centres, edges and turn-ins richly gilt, blue watered-silk endpapers. AEG, corners slightly bumped, old ink stain on lower board. Engraved title and 24 numbered engraved plates all with fine contemporary hand-colouring, 28 unnumbered leaves of engraved descriptive text with borders hand-coloured in yellow (occasional marginal mark). First edition, a rare deluxe large paper issue with original hand-colouring on Dutch paper. This collection of engraved plates illustrate various scenes from the life of Confucius. Helman selected the images for engraving from an album of over 100 illustrations in the collection of the FrenchMinister Henri Bertin who had been sent the album, gathered from various artists in China, by the Jesuit missionary and his regular correspondent, Jean Joseph Marie Amiot. Amiot, who had lived in China since 1750, would publish his 'Life of Confucius' as volume 12 in his 'Memoires Concernant l'Histoire les Sciences et les Arts des Chinois' in the same year as Helman's work. Helman had earlier published the reduced version of the 'Suite de Seize Estampes Representant les Conquetes de l'Empereurvde la Chine', originally a Sino-French enterprise with only 200 copies printed which were almost all sent to the Quianlong Emperor. Helman developed an interesting style representing Chinese art and Chinese subjects tailored for a European audience that, during these years, was increasingly developing a passion for 'Chinoiserie'. Coloured plates in order: 1. Confucius. 2. We see here the mother of Confucius named Yen-Che who will seize the Ki-Lin, a species of marvellous and auspicious quadruped, consecrated by a fabulous tradition. This animal, whose appearances are very rare, suddenly appeared in the gardens of Chou-Liang-Ho. 3.Two dragons were seen in the air above Chou-Liang-Ho's house. There immediately appeared in Yen-Che's apartment five old men who had come to pay their respects to the child. 4. We see the apartment where Confucius was born, and where the ceremonies in use on the occasion of the new-born are performed. 5. Confucius, aged five or six, entertains with the young companions of his childhood. 6. Confucius, jealous of learning the rites that were practiced among the Tcheou, and of observing by himself the extent to which they had strayed from the old institutions, had himself introduced into the room where the emperors of the Tcheou paid homage to their ancestors. 7. It was in China one of the customs which went back to the highest antiquity, to suspend a bucket beside the Throne of the Emperors. This bucket is represented in this print. 8. We see Confucius and some of his disciples at the entrance of a pavilion from which he is about to leave to join a troop of hunters scattered in a plain bordered by mountains. 9. Confucius distributes to the poor of the countryside a thousand measures of rice which had been given to him as a pure gift by a minister whom he could not esteem, and who had been so generous only through a spirit of ostentation and vanity. 10. We see in the distance workers busy digging a well, one of the workers who, in the opening already made, has found a stone figure of a bizarre and monstrous shape. We see in the front of the print Confucius in his house with two of his disciples, a deputy presents to him (in a basin) the figure found while digging the earth, and asks him what it means. 11. Confucius attends the torture of a criminal that he himself has condemned. 12. A King of Tsi, formed with one of his courtiers the audacious project of surprising and kidnapping the King of Lou, Confucius and his Minister, in a concerted interview between these two Princes, and for which the King of Tsi had built an ediface represented in this table. Confucius' prudence thwarted this treacherous plot. 13. A disciple of Confucius, raised to the eminent dignity of chief magistrate of a large city comes to visit him in all the apparatus of his dignity. 14. One of the subjects of the King of Tsi, murderer of his sovereign and usurper of his crown, fearing that by the advice of Confucius, the King of Lou would declare war on him to punish him for his perfidiousness, undertakes to seduce this prince with magnificent present and restore to him the wisdom of Confucius. 15. Confucius falls into the disgrace of the King of Lou, passed into the states of Ly-Koung, the King of Ouei. We see him in a cart covered with a mat and dragged by an Ox. 16. One of the concubines of Ly-Kuang, named Nan-Tseu, who had gained over this prince the ascendancy which women of his kind always have over weak souls, had the curiosity to see Confucius. 17. Ly-Koung, with the intention of giving Nan-Tsee a brilliant feast, had himself taken to one of his pleasure palaces, among the courtiers who were to accompany him, he had caused Confusius to be registered so that in the eyes of the people this philosopher appeared in some way to authorize his amusements. 18. The King of Tchen had had a magnificent observatory built not far from his palace, and in a fierce outburst of anger, he had just condemned to death three officers who were to watch over the workers, and who had not done so. This subject is represented here in all its circumstances. 19. This print represents the outer room of the temple of light, a famous building in China, in which two statues were placed which can be seen in the the painting. Confucius explains to those of his disciples who had accompanied him to this temple, the historical fact consecrated by these two statues. 20. We see here one of the outer rooms of the temple of light which we have just mentioned. In the middle of this room is an altar on which we see a vase to burn perfumes, two candlesticks and two bouquets of flowers. 21. Confucius on his knees before an altar he has just had erected, thanks the Chang-ty (the ruler of heaven) for having granted him enough years to allow him time to put in order the six books which contain his doctrine. 22. The hall seen here represents one of those buildings named in Miao China; there are some private to each house, and others which are public monuments. They are sort of chapels where the Chinese perform respectful ceremonies in honour of their ancestors. 23. King Ngui-Koung, who had neglected Confucius during his life, sets the example of paying him the greatest honours after his death. 24. Tchen-Soung, third Emperor of the Soung dynasty performs respectful ceremonies before the representation of Confucius which had been placed in a Miao built in his honour by the orders of the prince.