82/3135 [Caricature]. Het Groote Tafereel der Dwaasheid, vertoonende de opkomst, voortgang en ondergang der Actie, Bubbel en Windnegotie, in Vrankryk, Engeland, en de Nederlanden, gepleegt in den Jaare MDCCXX. N.pl. (Amst.), n.publ., 1720, approx. (792)p. (numbered in pencil), (81 (fold./ double-p.) engr. plates, textleaves grangerized, contemp. blindst. vellum w. giltlettered red mor. letterpiece, folio.

- Partly yellowed/ foxed; extensive manuscript bibliographical annots. (prob. by J.M. Coffeng) in pen and ink on 4 final blank pages (a list of contents, an alphabetical index of the texts and an alphabetical index to the prints (with accomp. Frederik Muller nos.), all referring to the pencilled-in page numbers); with a manuscript list of reference works on Het Groote Tafereel der Dwaasheid on verso of first free endpaper and w. 3 tipped-in newspaper clippings on the work on verso of first free endpaper and on recto of first blank. Also with loosely added bibliographical annotations and cyclostyled typescript leaves on the contents of the volume.

= Provenance: Six van Hillegom (bookplate on upper pastedown) and J.M. Coffeng (owner's stamp on upper pastedown). A rare and rich copy of this first edition, containing a total of 81 engravings as well as the original letterpress 8vo size textleaves of 20 of the plays, poems and letters (in later editions these are replaced by reprinted folio size textleaves ) (see F.M. II, 104f). The prints in our copy include the following Cole nos.: 1-28, 30-68, 70, 72; Cole Supplement 1, Cole Suppl. 2, a variant of Cole Suppl. 2 (not in Cole, but listed by F.M. 3611c), Cole Suppl. 3, Cole Suppl. 6, a rare variant of Cole 12 (listed by F.M. 3547c as "Dezelfde pl., vroegere, zeldzame staat, waarin de guirlande van manden en eetwaren ter weerszijde van het opschrift (...) niet sterk geschaduwd is, doch een grijns en ossekop de plaats der latere manden innemen") and Cole Suppl. 25 and finally mounted on upper pastedown: "Posteritati mercatura" (not listed in Cole, but see F.M. 3624). Amongst the engravings in our copy there are a number of rare prints: i.a. the uncoloured variant of Cole 64; a variant of the portrait listed under Cole Suppl. 3, here the portrait within broad ornamental floral borders (see F.M. 3612). This copy also contains the rare engraved index listing 64 titles (see F.M. vol.II, p.108).

The texts include 19 rarities according to the manuscript list of contents by (probably) J.M. Coffeng, i.a. Op het dalen der actien (not in F.M.); Wind-negotie (not in F.M.); De Lachchende Momus onder de Actionisten (not in F.M.); Uitbreiding van het Vaarsje (F.M. 3689); Ongelyk toezigt (not in F.M.); Hollands dolle Windhandel (not in F.M.); Raadsel (F.M. 3691); Het klaagende Amsterdam (F.M. 3686); Op de Amsterdamsche Slede-vaart (not in F.M.); Aan Nederland (not in F.M.); Ach, ach, ach! Actionisten hoe voerje de vlag (woodcut score w. letterpress text. Not in F.M.); Brief, wegens de considerabele daling der Actiën in de Zuid-Zee-Compagnie (F.M. 3670) and Brief, behelzende serieuze Aanmerkingen, op de eerste Lotery der Provinciale Utrechtse geoctroyeerde Compagnie and Chronomastix, of de geessel dezer eeuw (not in F.M.).

A desirable copy of The Great Mirror of Folly, the famous and unique collection of satirical caricatures and concomitant poems and plays illlustrating the "bubble fever" of 1720: "In neither of these [France and England] did there appear such a stout and extravagant piece as this Dutch volume" (Cole). SEE ILLUSTRATION PLATE LXXVIII.