Seven extraordinary diabolical full page engravings adorn this early 19th century Armenian religious book. Graphic supernatural imagery of sinners suffering eternal damnation in the fires of Hell. Created by an unknown engraver in the style of Jesuit Priest Alexandre Perier from his 1724 "Disillusion of Sinners" (Desengano dos Peccadores) originally printed in Rome in 1724.

Place of publication unknown, date unknown, circa early 1800s. Blind tooled leather over wood boards, sewn endbands, 3 raised spine bands, 5.25 x 3.35", [iv] 260 pages [iv], Armenian text, printed on laid paper, illustrated with seven woodcut engravings printed on one-side only, decorated throughout with a variety of ornaments including cherubs and birds, zoomorphic initials, and various head and tail pieces.

CONDITION: missing title page and 3 leaves of text (pages 23/24, 75/76, and 217/218); all 7 engraved plates are accounted for but plate #3 on page 73 has a large corner chip affecting the image, the leather spine is perished exposing burlap spine covering, leather covers rubbed, rear covers bottom corner-tip is chipped. Internally there are inked notations in Armenian on endpapers, some ink stains/staining here and there including on the plates, gutter cracked but stitches holding well, some edgewear/edge tears, finger soiling, a few old repairs, generally clean, bright and legible and the plates remain striking. Housed in a later slipcase. Uncommon, I have not found another example of these early engravings.