Warsaw, 1808 – The Napoleonic Code – First Edition: LAW, DUCHY OF WARSAW, NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, LEGISLATION, FIRST EMPIRE
A small-format volume, bound in a later half-cloth binding. The covers are covered with marbled paper featuring an irregular, wavy pattern in shades of brown and green. The spine features distinct gold-embossed lettering reading “KODEX NAPOLEONA.” The corners are also reinforced with cloth.
The book block consists of two bound-together volumes containing three books, printed on paper showing visible signs of age. The pages show natural discoloration, with minor spots and signs of wear in places. The typography is legible, with a columnar layout characteristic of official prints from the early 19th century.
Paper, marbled paper, canvas
Size: 17 x 11 cm
Condition as shown in the photos.
The Napoleonic Code (Code civil des Français), introduced in 1804 on the initiative of Napoleon Bonaparte, is one of the most important legal acts of modern Europe, having laid the foundations of contemporary civil law. The Polish-language editions, published in Warsaw during the period of the Duchy of Warsaw, bear witness to the strong and direct influence of the French legal and administrative system on Polish law at that time.
The piece presented here, published by the Piarists in Warsaw, is the first (unofficial) edition adapting the text of the code for a Polish audience—including both civil servants and representatives of various social classes. The fact that the two volumes were bound together into a single volume indicates the practical, utilitarian nature of this piece.
The Napoleonic Code was a symbol of modernity, equality before the law, and a secular state order. Its presence in the collection is not only a testament to the history of law but also tangible evidence of the sociopolitical transformations of the early 19th century. Despite having been rebound at a later date, the piece retains high collector’s value.
A small-format volume, bound in a later half-cloth binding. The covers are covered with marbled paper featuring an irregular, wavy pattern in shades of brown and green. The spine features distinct gold-embossed lettering reading “KODEX NAPOLEONA.” The corners are also reinforced with cloth.
The book block consists of two bound-together volumes containing three books, printed on paper showing visible signs of age. The pages show natural discoloration, with minor spots and signs of wear in places. The typography is legible, with a columnar layout characteristic of official prints from the early 19th century.
Paper, marbled paper, canvas
Size: 17 x 11 cm
Condition as shown in the photos.
The Napoleonic Code (Code civil des Français), introduced in 1804 on the initiative of Napoleon Bonaparte, is one of the most important legal acts of modern Europe, having laid the foundations of contemporary civil law. The Polish-language editions, published in Warsaw during the period of the Duchy of Warsaw, bear witness to the strong and direct influence of the French legal and administrative system on Polish law at that time.
The piece presented here, published by the Piarists in Warsaw, is the first (unofficial) edition adapting the text of the code for a Polish audience—including both civil servants and representatives of various social classes. The fact that the two volumes were bound together into a single volume indicates the practical, utilitarian nature of this piece.
The Napoleonic Code was a symbol of modernity, equality before the law, and a secular state order. Its presence in the collection is not only a testament to the history of law but also tangible evidence of the sociopolitical transformations of the early 19th century. Despite having been rebound at a later date, the piece retains high collector’s value.
