NAPOLEON'S CODE I Edition Duchy of Warsaw 1808

A small-format volume, bound in the later half-flat binding. Covers covered with marbled paper with an irregular wavy pattern in shades of brown and green. Back with prominent gilt embossing "CODEX NAPOLEON". Corners also protected with linen.
The book block consists of two co-bound volumes containing three books, printed on paper with a visible patina of time. The pages show natural discoloration, small spots and signs of use in places. Typography legible, columnar layout, characteristic of official prints of the early 19th century.
Paper, marbled paper, linen
Size: 17 x 11 cm
Condition as shown in photos.
The Code Napoléon (Code civil des Français), introduced in 1804 on the initiative of Napoleon Bonaparte, is one of the most important pieces of legislation in modern Europe, which shaped the foundations of modern civil law. Polish-language editions, published in Warsaw of the Duchy of Warsaw period, are testimony to the strong and direct influence of the French legal and administrative system on Polish law at the time.
The piece presented here, published by the Warsaw Piarists, is the first (unofficial) edition adapting the text of the code for a Polish audience - both officials and representatives of various social classes. The fact that the two volumes were bound in one piece indicates the practical utility of the piece.
The Napoleonic Code was a symbol of modernity, equality before the law and secular state order. Its presence in the collection is not only a testimony to the history of law, but also material evidence of the socio-political changes of the early 19th century. Despite its later binding, the piece retains a high collector's value.