Forum Rare Books

Voyages to the British East Indies, Ethiopia and New England

AA, Pieter van der. Naaukeurige versameling der gedenk-waardigste zee en landreysen, na Oost en West-Indiën, mitsgaders andere gewesten, ... zedert het jaar 1611 tot 1616.
Leiden, Pieter van der Aa, 1707. 9 works in 1 volume. 8vo. Contemporary vellum, with a silver fastening at the fore-edge (Germany, 18th century). Full description

€ 2,950

The Ottoman Diderot: dictionary of people, places, things and concepts in the Ottoman Empire

ABBONDANZA, Vincenzo. Dizionario storico delle vite di tutti i monarchi Ottomani.
Rome, Luigi Vescovi, Filippo Neri, 1786. 4to. Contemporary sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 4,500

The Dutch Republic bans the export of military goods to territories under Spanish control

[AERSSEN, Cornelis van]. Placcaet vande Staten Generael der Vereenichde Nederlanden, inhoudende scherp verbodt van opte steden, havenen, ... onder t'gebiedt vanden Coninck van Spaingien, ... geen toevoer uyte Vereenichde Nederlanden te doen van salpeter, buspoeder, ...
The Hague, Aelbrecht Hendricksz., "1591" [=1591/94?]. Disbound. Full description

€ 650

Aesop edited by Heinsius and illustrated by Van Sichem, in a prize-binding with the Amersfoort arms

AESOP. Fabulae ... Graecè & Latinè, nunc denuo selectae: eae item quas Avienus carmine expressit. Accedit Ranarum & murium pugna, Homero olim asscripta. Cum elegantissimis in utroque libello figuris, & utriusque interpretatione plurimis in locis emendata.
Leiden, Joannes Maire, 1632. 8vo. With 47 woodcut illustrations (5 x 6.5 cm) by Christoffel van Sichem II in the text. Contemporary vellum, each board with a panel stamp (59 x 50 mm) of the Amersfoort coat of arms. Most endpapers later. Full description

€ 3,500

Of lasting value of the history of Arabic literature

AHLWARDT, Wilhelm. Verzeichniss der Arabischen Handschriften der Königlichen Bibliothek zu Berlin.
Berlin, A. W. Schade (I) and A. Asher & Co. (II-X), 1887-1899. 10+1 volumes. 4to. With 12 photographic halftone plates of 62 manuscript specimens in vol. X. Added: separate atlas issue of the 12 plates. Altogether 11 vols. in publisher's light blue printed boards. Full description

€ 8,500

Rare early edition of a popular book of botanical, mineralogical and zoological wonders
with a large woodcut of the author among his books

ALBERTUS MAGNUS (pseudo).

Liber secretorum ... De virtutibus herbarum: & animalium quorundam. Eiusdemq[ue] liber De mirabilibus mundi: & etiam de quibusdam effectibus causatis a quibusdam animalibus &c.
(Colophon: Venice, Johan Baptist Sessa, 12 February 1502). Small 4to (21 x 15.5 cm). With a large woodcut portrait of the author at his desk. Gold-tooled maroon morocco (ca. 1870/90?) for James Carnegie, 9th Earl of Southesk (1827-1905), gilt edges.

Full description

€ 12,500

The "Doctrinale" with authoritative commentary by Johannes Synthen,
one of two known copies

ALEXANDER DE VILLA DEI and Johannes SYNTHEN. [Doctrinale part 1, with the commentary by Johannes Synthen]: Glosa super prima parte doctrinalis Alexandri. Per Joannem Synthen Daventriae extremo labore collecta.
Deventer, Jacobus de Breda, [between 5 April and 21 May 1490]. 4to. With only 2 initials executed: first chapter: a red R with red pen work and a red V at the beginning of Chapter 5 (damaged). Lacking 4 leaves. Binding lost except front cover: a vellum leaf from an early 15th-century rhetorical manuscript, rubricated in red. Full description

€ 6,500

Two seminal works of Arabic astronomy in their first and second (greatly revised) editions

AL-FARGHANI (ALFRAGANUS), Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Kathir.

Continentur in hoc Iibro. Rudimenta astronomica Alfragrani.
[AL-BATTANI, Muhammad ibn Jabir]. Item Albategnius De motu stellarum, ex observationibus tum propriis, tum Ptolemaei, omnia cum demonstrationibus geometricis & additionibus Joannis de Regiomonte.
[REGIOMONTANUS, Johannes]. Item Oratio introductoria in omnes scientias mathematicas Ioannis de Regiomonte, Patavii habita, cum Alfraganum publice praelegeret. Eiusdem utilissima introductio in Elementa Euclidis.
[MELANCHTHON, Philipp]. Item Epistola Phillippi Melanthonis nuncupatoria, ad Senatum Noribergensem. Omnia iam recens prelis publicata.
Nürnberg, (colophon (2f6): Johann Petreius), 1537. With 29 woodcut diagrams and letterpress tables.
With: (2) RICCI, Agostino. De motu octavae sphaerae, opus mathematica, atq[ue] philosophia plenum. ... Eiusdam De astronomiae autoribus epistola.
Paris, Simon de Colines, 1521. 2 editions in 1 volume, the first in 2 parts. 4to (20.5 x 15.5 cm). Both set in roman types, including small caps. Contemporary blind-tooled calf. Binding badly damaged and spine reinforced with paper at an early date.

Full description

€ 65,000

Rare 17th-century writing book & instructions, for learning without a master

ALLAIS, Jean Baptiste. L'art d'ecrire.
Paris, chez l'auteur, 1680. Folio. With engraved calligraphic title-page and 18 (of 23) engraved leaves with calligraphic writing samples and illustrations, all engraved by Louis Senault. Disbound, sewn on top. Full description

€ 1,250

Rare 17th-century writing book & instructions, for learning without a master

ALLAIS, Jean Baptiste. L'art d'ecrire.
Paris, chez l'auteur, 1680. Folio. With large woodcut vignette on letterpress title-page, a woodcut headpiece, 2 woodcut decorative initials, decorations built up from cast arabesque fleurons, an engraved calligraphic title-page and 22 (of 23) engraved leaves with calligraphic writing samples and illustrations, all engraved by Louis Senault. Contemporary calf, gold-tooled spine, and unusual marbled paste-downs. Full description

€ 2,250

A dissertation from Manilla's Jesuit University
on practical mathematics for the military

ARAYA, Fernando de. Conclusiones mathematicas, practicas, y especulativas defendidas en el principio del segundo año ...
Manila, Nicolas de la Cruz Bagay, 1758. 4to. With engraved frontispiece equestrian portrait of Ferdinand VI, King of Spain and Emperor of the Indies. Contemporary salmon-coloured silk over flexible boards, preserved in modern portfolio. Full description

€ 8,750

Italian florilegium, only copy known with 65 plates printed in up to 6 colours

ARENA, Filippo.

La natura, e coltura de' fiori fisicamente esposta.
Palermo, Angelo Felicella, 1767-1768. 2 text volumes (4to), bound as 3, and 1 plates volume (oblong folio). With 65 engraved plates printed in colour, occasionally combining up to 6 colours on one plate. The first plate (here wholly printed in dark green) serves as an (allegorical) frontispiece and includes the name of the author and that of Mario Cammerari, the second plate depicts tools, seeds and details of flowers, the third plate contains parterre designs and the other plates depict flowers (several to each plate). Modern flexible boards, covered with decorated paper.

Full description

€ 85,000

The most important source for the Moluccas in the early colonial period

ARGENSOLA, Bartolome Leonardo de. Conquista de las islas Malucas.
[Madrid, Alonso Martin, 1609]. Small folio (22 x 30 cm). With an engraved architectural title-page showing an allegorical scene (the Moluccas represented by a native woman with feather headdress, cornucopia and sword, riding a crocodile, with the Spanish royal coat of arms in the sky) and a sleeping lion (representing the author?) in a separate cartouche below. Early 18th-century richly gold-tooled red morocco, each board with a large centrepiece a petit fers made partly with pointillé stamps. Full description

€ 35,000

Pseudo-Aristotelian text together with two Greek poems, edited by Bonaventura Vulcanius

ARISTOTLE (Pseudo), Gregorius CYPRIUS, Paulus SILENTARIUS. De mundo, Graece: cum duplici interpretatione Latinâ. Priore quidem L. Apulei; alterâ verò Guilielmi Budaei. Cum scholiis & castigationibus Bonaventurae Vulcanii tam in Aristotelem, quàm in utrunque eius interpretem. Accessit seorsim Gregorii Cyprii, encomium maris, Gracè, nunquam antea excusum. Et Pauli Silentiarii Iambica.
Leiden, Officina Plantiniana/Franciscus Raphelengius, 1591. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. Contemporary vellum. Full description

€ 1,800

Biography of a famous abbess and reformer of Port-Royal. With notes on the history of Port-Royal, Maubuisson and other monasteries

ARNAULD D'ANDILLY, Angélique de Saint Jean. Relations sur la vie de la Reverende mere Angelique de Sainte Magdelaine Arnauld, ou receüil de la mere Angelique de Saint Jean Arnauld d'Audilly, sur la vie de sa tante la mere Marie-Angelique de Sainte Magdelaine Arnauld, & sur la réforme des abbayes de Port-Royal, Maubuisson & autres, faite par cette Sainte Abbisse.
With: (2) ARNAULD, Angélique de Sainte Magdelaine. Mémoires pour servir à la vie de la R. Mëre Marie Angélique de Sainte Magdelaine Arnauld, reformatrice de Port Royal.
[France], 1737. 2 works in 1 volume. 12mo. Contemporary mottled calf, gold-tooled spine with red morocco title-label, marbled edges and marbled endpapers. Full description

€ 3,500

Unidentified humanist's selections from St Augustine
to defend the Catholic faith against reformers and heretics

AUGUSTINE, Saint. Collectanea, ex universo opere librorum D. Aurelii Augustini passim decerpta, semitam quanda[m] media[m] Christianis, nu[n]c misere dissentie[n]bus[!] mon[s]trantia, qua unanimiter ad ecclesiam Christi redeant.
Deventer, Albert Paffraet, 1529. 8vo (16.5 x 10.5 cm). With the title in letterpress in a woodcut border and one woodcut initial. With a contemporary manuscript index (31 1/2 pp.) and contemporary manuscript notes (1 1/2 pp.) giving quotations from Saint Augustine on 16 leaves bound at the front. Contemporary blind-tooled brown calf over wooden boards (the back board replaced with paperboard), with a brass catch-plate in the middle of the fore-edge (clasp and anchor plate lacking and binding repaired). Full description

€ 12,500

Two rare editions of sermons, printed and published at Cologne ca. 1502 and in 1505

AUGUSTINUS DE LEONISSA. Sermones pulcherrimi sup[er] d[omi]nica[m] or[ati]o[n]em Pater noster & angelicam salutat[i]o[n]em Ave Maria. Unicuiq[ue] ad populu[m] vole[n]ti declamat[i]o[n]es facere acco[m]modati. editi p[er] venera[n]du[m] patre[m] Augustinu[m] de Leonissa ...
(Colophon: Cologne, heirs of Heinrich Quentel, 1505). With 3 decorated woodcut initials, many 3-line and 2 larger Lombardic initials. With the first decorated initial hand coloured, and rubricated throughout.
With: (2) BONAVENTURA, Saint (pseudo). Sermo[n]es Quattuor novissimorum perutiles et n[e]cc[ess]arii. unu[m]que[m]que in devot[i]o[n]is ardorem dei quam timore[m] i[n]ducentes. a Beato Bonaventura editi.
(Colophon : Cologne), [Cornelis de Zierikzee, ca. 1502]. With a small woodcut of Christ at the Last Judgement on the title-page framed by 4 decorative woodcut strip borders, a full-page woodcut of King David meeting Christ at the Last Judgement (repeated at the end), a few 3-line Lombardic initials and spaces left for a few larger manuscript initials (not filled in). 2 works in 1 volume. Small 8vo (14.5 x 10.5 cm). Modern blind-tooled brown goatskin morocco. Full description

€ 4,850

First edition of the "Divisiekroniek", with 239 woodcut illustrations, in an interesting binding

[AURELIUS, Cornelius]. Die cronycke van Hollandt, Zeelandt en[de] Vrieslant beghinnende va[n] Adams tiden tot die geboerte ons heren Jh[es]u[m] voertgaende tot de[n] jare M.CCCCC. ende Xvij.
Leiden, Jan Seversz., 18 August 1517. Folio. With the title-page printed in red and black with a large woodcut between different woodcut borders, and 239 woodcuts in text, including 121 woodcut portraits. Black blind-tooled goatskin (1637), with gold-tooled title and binding date on side. Full description

€ 45,000

Facsimile of the Codex Veytia, with 12 hand-coloured plates

[AZTEC - FACSIMILE]. Codice Mariano Fernandez Echeverria y Veytia, edicion limitada a veinticinco ejemplares laminas iluminadas a la acuarela. Ejemplar no. 20.
Mexico, Guillermo M. Echaniz, [1937]. Folio. With 12 hand-coloured plates depicting 21 figures from the Codex Veytia. Contemporary red half roan. Full description

€ 7,500

Standard biography of Saladin

BAHA' AL-DIN IBN SHADDAD (BOHADIN) and Albert SCHULTENS (translator). Vita et res gestae sultani, almalichi alnasiri, Saladini ... nec non excerpta ex historia universali Abulfedae.
Leiden, Johannes le Mair, 1755. Folio. With the title-page printed in red and black and with a woodcut device. Text in Arabic with parallel Latin translation. 19th-century boards covered with brown pastepaper. Full description

€ 7,000

Important history of ancient astronomy, with chapters on Egyptian, Chaldean and Persian astronomy

BAILLY, Jean-Sylvain. Histoire de l'astronomie ancienne, depuis son origine jusqu'a l'établissement de l'École d'Alexandrie.
Paris, Debure brothers, 1775. 4to. With 3 numbered folding engraved plates. Beautifully bound in contemporary gold-tooled red morocco, each board with coat of arms of Simon-Pierre Merard de Saint-Just in the centre, marbled endpapers. In modern slipcase covered with marbled paper. Full description

€ 25,000

Facsimile of Alunno of Ferrara's "Cartoni", plates with calligraphic examples

BARKER, Nicolas. The glory of the art of writing: the calligraphic work of Francesco Alunno of Ferrara. - Facsimile of the Cartoni.
Los Angeles, Cotsen occasional press, 2009. 2 volumes. Folio. Text volume with a frontispiece and small decoration on title-page, both in colour, and two black and white illustrations in text. Facsimile with the same decoration on title-page, and 231 facsimile leaves in colour. Dark blue cloth, with a matching slipcase. Full description

€ 200

First edition of an interesting "Italian Robinsonade" full of piquant details on early 18th-century daily life

[BARRE DE BEAUMARCHAIS, Antoine de la]. Avantures de Don Antonio de Buffalis. Histoire Italienne.
The Hague, Jean Neaulme, 1722. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. With 6 full-page engraved plates. Contemporary calf. Full description

€ 750

Treatise on education and pedagogy based on the Christian religion

BASEDOW, Johann Bernhard. Methodischer Unterricht der Jugend in der Religion und Sittenlehre der Vernunft nach dem in der Philalethie angegebenen Plane.With: (2) BASEDOW, Johann Bernhard. Methodischer Unterricht in der überzeugenden Erkenntniss der biblischen Religion, zur vorgesetzten Ausführung des in der Philalethie angegebenen Plans.
Altona, David Iversen, 1764. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. With an engraved illustration on both title-pages. Slightly later brown pastepaper boards. Full description

€ 2,000

73 proof impressions of all 12 illustrations

BAYARD, Émile. [Proof impressions of illustrations for Alphonse Daudet's Fromont jeune et Risler aîné].
[Paris, 1885]. Folio (35 x 29 cm). Proofs of 12 engraved plates in many different states, giving 73 prints in total, engraved by Jules Massard and Eugène Abot after Emilé Bayard (image size 10.7 x 7.3 cm; plate size 19 x 14 cm). Contemporary half goatskin morocco. Full description

€ 4,750

The pedagogical essentials of the Renaissance collected,
together with Greek epistles

[BECH, Philipp, ed.]. De disciplina puerorum, recteque formandis eorum & studiis & moribus, ...
Basel, Joannes Oporinus (colophon: Bern, Samuel Apiarius, March 1556).
With: (2) [MOREL, Guillaume, ed.]. Graecorum veterum selectae brevesque epistolae.
Paris, Guillaume Morel, King's printer for Greek, 1562. With a remarkable woodcut device on the title-page. With the Greek text set in Claude Garamont's famous Grec du Roi and the Latin translation set in his Aldine-style italic. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo (15 x 10 x 4.5 cm). Richly gold-tooled tanned sheepskin (ca. 1700), gilt edges. Full description

€ 12,500

The first history of Christianity in England
in contemporary blind-tooled calf with a roll showing Reformation portraits

BEDA VENERABILIS (The Venerable BEDE). Ecclesiasticae historiae gentis Anglorum libri quinque diligenti studio à mendis, quibus hactenus scatebant, vindicati.
Including: BEDA VENERABILIS. Epitome sive breviarium totius praecedentis historiae Anglorum ...
Antwerp, Joannes de Grave (Gravius), 1550. Folio. With De Grave's woodcut armorial device on title-page (repeated on the otherwise blank final leaf) and 30 woodcut decorated initials. Contemporary blind-tooled calf, each board with a double border made from a roll with 4 heads in profile, not labelled but showing Martin Luther, Philipp Melanchthon, Desiderius Erasmus and apparently the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V rather than the more common Jan Hus, each in an oval wreath and separated by foliage (bilaterally symmetrical both vertically and horizontally). With a ca. 1680 endleaf and early 19th-century spine labels and marbled paste-downs. Full description

€ 4,000

Bellarmino's Arabic catechism with the rare Arabic instructions for confession and communion

BELLARMINO, Roberto. [Title in Arabic] | Dichiarazione piú copiosa della dottrina cristiana.
Rome, [Propaganda Fide], 1770. 8vo.
With: (2) BORGIA, Stefano. Irsad li-ajl al-i'tiraf wa-tanawul al-qurban, … [= Instructions for confession and communion]
[Rome, Propaganda Fide, 1770?]. Both works are set entirely in Arabic type. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo (18 x 12 cm). Contemporary half sheepskin. Full description

€ 4,500

First edition of one of the most important natural history books of the Renaissance,
with 158 hand-coloured woodcuts

BELON, Pierre. L'Histoire de la nature des oyseaux, avec leurs descriptions, & naïfs portaicts retirez du naturel: escrite en sept livres, ...
Paris, Gilles Corrozet (colophon: printed by Benoit Prévost), 1555. 7 parts in 1 volume. Folio. With woodcut portrait (apparently of the dedicatee King Henri II), large woodcuts of the skeletons of a man and a bird on pp. 40-41, and 158 woodcuts (157 birds, 1 bat). All coloured by a contemporary hand. Late 19th-century gold-tooled parchment, each board with the coat of arms of Count of Goblet d'Alviella, probably the Belgian lawyer, senator and professor at the University of Brussels, Eugène Félicien Albert, Count Goblet d'Alviella (1846-1925), in a frame of fillets, spine with gold fillets, gilt edges. Full description

€ 65,000

First edition of one of the most important natural history books of the Renaissance

BELON, Pierre. L'Histoire de la nature des oyseaux, avec leurs descriptions, & naifs portaicts retirez du naturel: escrite en sept livres.
Paris, Guillaume Cavellat (colophon: printed by Benoit Prévost), 1555. 7 parts in 1 volume. Folio. With a woodcut portrait on the back of the title-page (apparently of the dedicatee King Henri II, though copied in other books as a portrait of the author), large woodcuts of the skeletons of a man and a bird on pp. 40-41, plus 158 woodcuts (157 birds, 1 bat) in text. Contemporary blind- and gold-tooled calf (rebacked, with the original backstrip laid down). Full description

€ 29,500

Collected works of the French children's author Berquin

BERQUIN, Arnaud. Oeuvres choisies.
Paris, Chez Dufart, An IV [1796]-An V [1797]. 16 parts in 8 volumes. 12mo. With 15 engraved frontispieces and 30 engraved plates. Contemporary marbled boards. Full description

€ 1,250

Catherine the Great's enlightened ideas on education, edited by Diderot

BETZKY (BETSKOI), Ivan Ivanovitch. Les plans et les statuts, des différents établissements ordonnés par sa Majésté Impériale Catherine II. pour l'education de la jeunesse, et l'utilité générale de son Empire.
Amsterdam, Marc-Michel Rey, 1775. 2 volumes bound as 1. 4to. With 2 engraved allegorical frontispieces, engraved allegorical plate, 3 large folding engraved plans, 4 folding tables, and 64 large engraved head-pieces, tail-pieces and allegorical engravings in text, including the coat of arms, medal and seal of Catherine the Great of Russia. Contemporary tree calf, rebacked with gold-tooled spine. Full description

€ 3,000

Large folio Bible with 6 maps and 336 illustrations
in contemporary colouring with extensive gold

[BIBLE - DUTCH]. Biblia, dat is: de gantsche H. Schrifture, vervattende alle de canonijcke boecken des Ouden en des Nieuwen Testaments.
Amsterdam, widow of Paulus Aertsz. van Ravesteyn, 1660. 3 parts in 1 volume. Large folio (47.5 x 32 cm). With an integral engraved general title-page, 6 double-page engraved maps, including a world map and a plan of Jerusalem, and 336 Bible-illustrations by Claes Jansz. Visscher (after Matthäus Merian?) on 42 numbered single-page plates. The maps and illustrations coloured by an early hand with extensive use of gold. 18th-century black so-called sharkskin over bevelled wooden boards (ca. 1770?), with 8 large silver corner-pieces and 2 large silver clasps with catchplates and anchorplates, all with matching stamped relief decoration, gilt and gauffered edges. The silver furnishings bear Amsterdam city hallmarks with year letter C and master's mark DF. Rebacked with most of the original backstrip mounted on the spine. Full description

€ 65,000

With the text printed in gold and bound by the most important Dutch bindery of the 18th century

[BIBLE - DUTCH - MINIATURE]. Kern des Bybels.
The Hague, Antony de Groot and sons, 1750. 128mo (binding 4.5 x 3.0 x 1.0 cm). With text printed in gold, title-page printed in gold, red and black with woodcut device, woodcut frontispiece, 6 full-page (3.3 x 1.6 mm!) woodcut illustrations, and headpieces built up from fleurons. The drop-titles of the five chapters and the appendix are printed in red, as is the fleuron used as a tailpiece at the end of each. Contemporary richly gold-tooled black morocco by the so-called first "stadhouderlijke" bindery, gilt edges. Full description

€ 4,750

Urdu Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, printed at Calcutta in Arabic type

[BIBLE - GOSPELS & ACTS - URDU]. The four gospels and the Acts, in Hindustání. Translated from the Greek. by the Calcutta Baptist missionaries.
Calcutta (Kolkata), The Bible Translation Society, American and Foreign Bible Society, 1849. 12mo. With the title in Hindustani (Urdu) and English, and the text in Urdu only. Contemporary textured cloth. Full description

€ 1,250

Printed memento of a noble wedding,
bound in red velvet with emblematic gold and silver embroidery

[BINDING]. [GHELARDI SCOLOPI, Orazio Antonio]. La pace tra la virtu', la gloria, ed amore. Componimento drammatico da cantarsi in occasione delle faustissime nozze del nobil uomo signor Silvestro Michele Arnolfini con la nobil donzella signora Beatrice Luisa Bernardini dedicato alla medesima.
Lucca, Giuseppe Rocchi, 1767. Small 4to (17 x 14 cm). Contemporary red velvet, embroidered with silver and gold thread and white and yellow silk (each board with an emblematic image: a crowned mirror[?] showing a hand planting a flag, perhaps intended as the groom's hand on the front and the bride's hand on the back), sewn without supports through 3 holes, brocade paper endpapers (grape vines and large flowers, white on a copper background), green silk ribbon marker. Full description

€ 15,000

Large and richly decorated early 18th-century Dutch silver binding
with crucifixion & resurrection

[BINDING - SILVER]. [Pair of embossed silver book covers, with two engraved silver clasps].
[Netherlands?, ca. 1725?]. Pair of embossed silver book covers (34 x 25 x 3 cm); each cover with a large scrollwork cartouche surrounded by extensive vine and flower decorations and with medallion portraits in each of the four corners, the front showing the crucifixion flanked by Mary and St. John (with an "INRI" scroll above, flanked by a crescent moon and a sun, and a scull and crossbones below), with portraits of four saints, each with a blank scroll (above left bearded with a regal crown; above right clean-shaven with a round-topped mitre; below left and right bare-headed and bearded), the back showing the resurrection with an angel and two astonished guards, with portraits of the four Evangelists. Full description

€ 11,500

Rudimentary one-page primer of "Gilbertese",
from the first printing office in Micronesia

[BINGHAM, Minerva Clarissa (née Brewster)]. [Kingsmill primer].
[Ponape Island (Micronesia), Mission Press, 1858]. 4to (24 x 20 cm). Set in roman type with rules dividing the page into 5 compartments. Full description

€ 2,950

Lovely commemoration of the Imperial success against the French at Acqui Terme in Piedmont,
printed in gold and in a gold-brocade wrapper

BIORCI, Guido. Applausi poetici alla vera rigenerazione del Piemonte operata nel 1799. Dalla divina provvidenza col celebre valore delle armi Austro-Russe.
Acqui Terme (between Torino and Genoua), Giovanni Francesco Arcasio, [1799?]. 4to. With woodcut arms on first leaf. Printed in gold throughout. Gold-brocade decorated paper wrappers, showing an embossed floral pattern with hunters, a wild boar, deer and dogs scattered through it, in gold, orange, yellow, lavendar and blue. In modern clamshell box. Full description

€ 4,000

Dutch adaption of Blanchard for education with hand-coloured steel-engraved plates

BLANCHARD, Pierre. De dierenwereld geschetst. Naar de achtste Fransche uitgave.
Utrecht, C. van der Post Jr., 1869. 8vo. With charming wood-engraved illustration of an opossum with her young on her back on the title-page (repeated once in text), and 8 full-page steel-engraved plates by Rouarque, with 6 to 8 illustrations of mammals, birds, fishes, reptiles and insects on each plate, most animals nicely coloured by hand. Original printed paper wrappers.
Full description

€ 275

One of the first complete French-Arabic dictionaries

BOCTHOR, Ellious and A. Caussin de PERCEVAL. Dictionnaire Français-Arabe.
Paris, Firmin Didot, 1828-1829. 2 volumnes. Large 4to. Near-contemporary sprinkled gold-tooled tanned sheepskin. Full description

€ 8,500

Bodoni imprint on the public utility of the sciences and art,
written by a friend of Goethe, Schiller and Wieland

[BODONI]. [DALBERG, Karl Theodor Anton Maria von]. De l'influence des sciences et des beaux-arts sur la tranquillité publique.
Parma, Giambattista Bodoni, 1802. 8vo. Contemporary green crushed morocco, richly gold-tooled sides and spine. Full description

€ 2,750

Six rare books of secrets and informative handbooks (1540-1686),
covering metallurgy, dying, medicine, culinary carving, paper cutting and the Amsterdam labyrinth

[BOOKS OF SECRETS]. Kunstbüchlin, gerechten gründtlichen gebrauchs aller kunstbaren Werckleut. Ertzarbeyt, in un[d] ausserhalb feurs, auss alchimistischem und natürlichem grund … Jede Farben zubereyten, erhalten, bessern und widerbringen.
Frankfurt am Main, Christian Egenolph, [ca. 1540]. With woodcut illustration on title-page, depicting about 25 tools, implements and pieces of equipment for painting, metalworking, smelting, woodworking and other arts and crafts.
With:
(2) Den sack der consten, uyt den Italiaens ende Franssoys in onse Nederlantsche tale overgheset, tot vermakinghe van alle sware gheesten, ende voor de ghene die gheerne wat nieus willen hooren.
Antwerpen, Godtgaf Verhulst, 1622. With woodcut illustration on title-page and a small woodcut illustration in text.
(3) CERVIO, Vincenzo. Il trinciante ..., ampliato, et ridotto a perfettione dal cavalier reale Fusoritto da Narni.
Including: Aggiunta fattaal trinciante.
Venice, heirs of Giovanni Varisco, (1593). 2 parts. With Varisco's woodcut device on title-page of part 1 and a more attractive larger variant on the title-page of part 2 (repeated above the colophon), 4 full-page woodcuts on 2 integral leaves and 2 (of 3) folding woodcut plates.
(4) PROCACCHI, Giaccomo. Voorlegh boeck ofte maniere om verscheyden soorten van spijse soo gesooden als gebraden, aende vorck voor te snyden ende om dienen.
Leiden, Jacob Roels, 1639. With 3 folding woodcut plates and 13 full-page woodcuts on integral leaves. The numbering of the plates omits no. 8 as usual.
(5) Konstig en vermaakelijk tyd-verdryf, der Hollandsche jufferen of onderricht der papiere sny-konst. … Het eerst deel [all published].
Amsterdam, Johannes ten Hoorn, 1686. With about two dozen woodcuts in text.
(6) Verklaringe van verscheyden kunst-rijcke wercken en hare beweginghe, door oorlogie-werck ghedreven, … Alles te sien in't Oude Doolhof tot Amsterdam.
Amsterdam, Tymon Houthaak, 1650. With an engraved illustration of a labyrinth on title-page and 4 further illustrations on integral leaves (1 full-page and blank on the verso, by P. Holsteyn after A. Vinckenbrinck; 3 in text). Lacking the folding engraved plate of David and Goliath.
6 works in 1 volume. Small 4to (19.5 x 16 cm). Half vellum (ca. 1730). Full description

€ 45,000

Fine complete alphabet of roman capitals with figures from classical Greek mythology

BOTTSCHILD, Samuel. A B C.
[Dresden and Augsburg or Nürnberg?], [Johann Christian Weigel?], engraved by Moritz Bodenehr, [1693?]. Oblong folio (unfolded 2-leaf sheets 37 x 29 cm). A series of 4 unnumbered engraved prints, with 6 images to a plate (each 52 x 52 mm), the first 23 showing an alphabet of roman capitals (A-Z without J, U or W), mostly with figures from classical Greek mythological, and the 24th showing a figure without a letter with what might be called the title: "A B C". Full description

€ 3,950

Elzevier edition of fashionable conversations, by a famous French Jesuit

[BOUHOURS, Dominique]. Les entretiens d'Ariste et d'Eugene. Dernière edition. ... Sur la copie imprimée à Paris.
Amsterdam, "Jaques le Jeune" [= Daniel Elzevier], 1671. 12mo. With an engraved frontispiece, woodcut publisher's device (armillary sphere) on title-page and 2 woodcut decorated initials. Polished gold-tooled red goatskin morocco (ca. 1840?), each board in a panel design. A pencil note on an endleaf attributes the binding to "Muller" on grounds unknown to us, but he was active from 1834, which accords well with the date of the present binding. Full description

€ 900

Lyon & Paris ed. of François Xavier in Far East, including Japan

BOUHOURS, Dominique. Vie de S. François Xavier apotre des Indes et du Japon. Nouvelle edition. Lyon, Paris, Perisse Frères, 1836. 2 volumes. 12mo. First volume with engraved portrait of Xavier as frontispiece. Contemporary sprinkled calf with gilt spine and red title-label lettered in gold, blue marbled endpapers. Full description

€ 1,250

Three volumes on attacking and defending fortifications

BOUSMARD, M. de. Essai général de fortification, et d'attaque et défense des places... nouvelle édition...
Paris, Magimel, 1814. 3 (of 5) volumes. 8vo. Contemporary half calf, gold-tooled spines. Full description

€ 200

Biography of the great Dutch naval hero Admiral Michiel de Ruyter
Large paper copy of the first edition

BRANDT, Geeraert. Het leven en bedryf van den heere Michiel de Ruiter.
Amsterdam, for Wolfgang, Waesberge, Boom, van Someren and Goethals, 1687 (engraved title-page: printed by Pieter and Joan Blaeu, 1686). Folio (34.5 x 22.5 cm). With engraved title-page, engraved portrait of De Ruyter, 7 engraved double-page plates by Sebastiaen Stoopendaal and 1 engraved plate by Joseph Mulder. Late 18th-century calf, gold-tooled spine. Full description

€ 3,750

First French edition of the biography of the great Dutch naval hero Admiral Michiel de Ruyter

BRANDT, Geeraert. La vie de Michel de Ruiter duc, chevalier, lieutenant amiral général de Hollande & de Oüest-Frise. Où est comprise l'histoire maritime des Provinces Unies, depuis l'an 1652. jusques à 1676. Traduite du hollandois ...
Amsterdam, Pieter and Joan Blaeu for Waesberge, Boom, Van Someren and Goethals, 1698. Folio. With engraved frontispiece, full-page engraved portrait, 7 double-page engraved plates by Bastiaen Stoopendaal, and 1 full-page engraved plate by J. Mulder. Early 18th-century calf, gold-tooled board edges. Full description

€ 2,500

A witty discussion of medical syrups

BRASAVOLA (BRASSAVOLA), Antonio Musa. Examen omnium syruporum, quorum publicus usus est. Omnia ab authora recognita. Cum Indice.
Lyon, Jean & François Frellon (colophon: Jean Barbou), 1540. 8vo. With a woodcut device on title-page. Contemporary limp vellum. Full description

€ 3,500

The greatest map of Paris, 240 x 316 cm, here with the 20 sheets and key map bound as an atlas
in contemporary gold-tooled morocco with the Paris city arms

BRETEZ, Louis.

Plan de Paris commencé l'année 1734. Dessiné et gravé, sous les ordres de Messire Michel Etienne Turgot, Marquis de Sousmons ... Achevé de graver en 1739.
[Paris], [1739]. Grand-Aigle folio (56 x 45.5 cm). An enormous engraved map of Paris in 20 numbered sheets plus a key map, at a scale of about 1:2000, each segment measuring 55 x 84 cm (plate size 51.5 x 80.5 cm; image 48 x 79 cm) which would give an assembled map with image size about 240 x 316 cm! The key map is slightly larger than the segments and folds out at the head. Bound as an atlas (but with segments 18 and 19, containing the cartouche, assembled to make a long fold-out) in contemporary gold-tooled red morocco, each board with as centrepiece the Paris coat of arms (a ship with chief a field of fleurs-de-lis).

Full description

€ 25,000

Colourful portrayal of late 18th-century Chinese culture
in attractive contemporary binding

BRETON DE LA MARTINIÈRE, Jean-Baptiste Joseph. La Chine en miniature, ou choix de costumes, arts et métiers de cet empire, [vols. 1-4:] représentés par 74 [recté 76] gravures [vols. 5-6: représentés par 28 gravures], la plupart d'après les originaux inédits du cabinet du feu M. Bertin.
Paris, A. Nepveu (vols. 1-4 printed by Demonville, vols. 5-6 by Le Normant), 1811-1812. 6 volumes bound as 2. 18mo (14 x 9 cm). With 4 engraved frontispieces and 104 other engraved plates (8 folding), all finely coloured by a contemporary hand. Contemporary richly gold-tooled dark green grained morocco, gold-tooled spine, boards, board edges and turn-ins, gilt edges, with the name of the binder on spine: R.P. CHILLIAT. Full description

€ 22,000

Chinese voyages to the west, based on Chinese sources, presentation copy

BRETSCHNEIDER, Emil. Notes on Chinese mediaeval travellers to the west.
Shanghai, American Presbyterian Mission Press; London, Trübner and Co., 1875. 8vo. With numerous Chinese characters and 3 wood-engraved illustrations in text. Contemporary blind- and gold-blocked cloth. Full description

€ 4,950

Standard work on Roman law by a famous French jurist and philologist

BRISSON, Barnabé. De formulis et sollemnibus populi Romani verbis, Libri VIII...
Frankfurt, Joannes Wechel and Petrus Fischer and consorts, 1592. 4to. With title-page printed in red and black, woodcut printer's device, woodcut head- & tail pieces and initials. Contemporary gold-tooled calf.
Full description

€ 1,250

Textbook for mineralogy students,with 16 engraved plates

BRONGNIART, Alexandre. Traité élémentaire de minéralogie, avec des applications aux arts; ouvrage destiné a l'einseignement dans les lycées nationaux.
Paris, Crapelet; Deterville, 1807. 2 volumes. 8vo. With 16 folding engraved plates. Contemporary half calf, gold-tooled spines. Full description

€ 350

Catalogue of the most comprehensive tobacco collection in the world

BROOKS, Jerome E. Tobacco its history illustrated by the books, manuscripts and engravings in the library of George Arents, Jr.
New York, The Rosenbach Company and the New York Public Library, 1937-1969. 15 volumes (including 10 supplements). Folio (34 x 25.5 cm). Illustrated throughout. The first 5 volumes in original red cloth and the 10 supplements in original paper wrappers. Full description

€ 950

Best edition of Brunet's legendary Manuel du Librairie et de l'amateur de livres

BRUNET, Jacques-Charles. Manuel du Librairie et de l'amateur de livres.
Paris, Firmin Didot Frères, Fild, et Cie, 1860-1880. 8 volumes (6 volumes + 2 supplement volumes). Large 8vo. Contemporary half morocoo. Full description

€ 600

Buffon for children, coloured by hand

[BUFFON, Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de]. De kleine Buffon, of natuurlijke historie der dieren, ten dienste der jeugd. Eerste [- vierde] deeltje.
Dordrecht, J. Zender, [ca. 1830]. 4 volumes. Oblong 16mo (9 x 11 cm). With engraved frontispiece in the first volume, and 32 illustrations of animals on 8 engraved plates, 2 in each volume, all coloured by hand. Original publisher's yellow printed paper wrappers. Full description

€ 1,250

782 Arabic proverbs collected before 1817, with explanatory notes

BURCKHARDT, Johann Ludwig. Arabic proverbs, or the manners and customs of the modern Egyptians, illustrated from their proverbial sayings current at Cairo, translated and explained ...
London, John Murray (colophon: printed by C. Roworth), 1830. Large 4to (28 x 22 cm). With a large folding engraved map of the Sinai, the Holy Land and parts of Egypt and Syria, showing Burckhardt's travels, and a few small woodcut illustrations in the text. Set in roman and italic type with the proverbs also in the original Arabic. Mid-19th-century half tan calf, spine with gold-tooled bands. Full description

€ 8,000

Most valuable early bibliography of the Aldine Press

[BURGASSI, Antonio Cesare and Jacopo MORELLI]. Serie dell'edizioni Aldine per ordine cronologico ed alphabetico. Seconda edizione con emendazioni e giunte.
Padua, Pietro Brandolese, 1790. 12mo. Contemporary wrappers. Full description

€ 950

An illustrated edition of Burton's Arabian Nights

[ARABIAN NIGHTS]. BURTON, Richard Francis. A plain and literal translation of the Arabian Nights' entertainments, now entituled the book of the Thousand Nights and a Night.
Including: Supplemental nights.
[London?], Richard Burton Club, [ca. 1910]. 17 volumes. Royal 8vo (24 x 16 cm). With numerous illustrations (including the series by Albert Letchford), each repeated on laid paper (the 17 frontispieces repeated in colour). Contemporary half green morocco, gold-tooled spine. Full description

€ 10,000

How to win a war with arithmetic

[BUSSCHE, Alexandre van den]. L'arithmetique militaire ... departie en deux livres. ... A la fin du second livre se trouveront plusieurs advertissemens, conseils, & sentences militaires des antiques, & modernes.
Paris, Gilles Gourbin, [1571/72]. 4to. With Gourbin's woodcut device on title-page, woodcut diagrams in the text. French maroon morocco (ca. 1900), gold-tooled spine title, gold fillets on board edges and turn-ins, signed "MISSOL". Full description

€ 4,500

8 Italian sonnets praising Napoléon Bonaparte
printed on vellum by Pierre Didot and finely bound in long-grained, gold-tooled morocco
for presentation to Napoléon

BUTTURA, Antonio. Sonetti a Bonaparte.
Paris, Pierre Didot l’aîné, An VIII [after Floréal, so 1800]. 8vo. Finely printed on vellum. Contemporary long-grained and gold-tooled red goatskin morocco, each board with a frame made from a decorated roll with palm leaves between 2 fine-line fillets, the smooth spine with the title in the 2nd of 6 fields, an acorn with leaves in each of the others, gold-tooled board edges and turn-ins, light green watered silk endleaves. Full description

€ 35,000

Seminal work of Protestant theology

CALVIN, Jean. Institutio Christianae religionis, ... Quae ad superiores edtiones hâc postremâ, omnium emendatissima locuplettisimáque, recèns addita sunt, statim post ipsius authoris epistolam ad regem Christianiss. Subiecta ad lectorem admonitio breviter indicat.
Geneva, Johannes le Preux, 1592. Folio. With woodcut printer's device on title-page. Contemporary vellum, with large blind-tooled centre piece. Full description

€ 2,500

Important biography of one of the leading figures of the Protestant Reformation

CAMERARIUS, Joachim. De Philippi Melanchthonis ortu, totius vitae curriculo et morte, implicata rerum memorabilium temporis illius hominumque mentione atque indicio, cum expositionis serie cohaerentium.
Leipzig, (colophon: Ernst Voegelin, 1566). Large 8vo (19.5 x 12 cm). With woodcut printer's device on title-page. Contemporary pigskin, richly blind-tooled in a panel design, monogrammed and dated "I.V.S | 1566", by the Swabian bookbinder Wolfconrad Schwickart. Full description

€ 3,500

Rare Italian translation of an originally Spanish chivalric novel

[CAMILLI, Camillo (translator)]. Historia del nobile, et valoroso Cavalier. Felice Magno, figliuolo del Re Falangrè della Gran Brettagna, & della Reina Clarinta, nella quale si raccontano i suoi grandi, & maravigliosi fatti tradotta con somma diligenza di Spagnuolo in lingua Italiana.
Verona, Sebastiano dalle Donne for Francesco de Franceschi Senese, 1587. 8vo. Contemporary limp sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 7,500

Spanish translation of Campe's Robinson der Jüngere

CAMPE, Joachim Heinrich. El nuevo Robinson. Historia moral reducida a dialogos para instruccion y entretenimiento de ninos y jovenes de ambos sexos. Traducaida al Castellano con varias correcciones por D. Tomas de Iriarte.
Paris, Garnier Hermanos, 1858. 8vo. With wood-engraved frontispiece, 13 full-page wood-engraved plates. Original richly blind-stamped and coloured cloth, gilt edges. Full description

€ 350

Famous Dutch anatomist on the conflicting demands of family life, academic career and scientific pursuits

CAMPER, Petrus. [Autograph letter, signed, to Reinier Arrenberg].
Groningen, 2 February 1773. 4to. Brown ink on laid paper, addressed on the outside and with an armorial red wax seal.
With: (2) [PORTRAIT]. [PUJOS, André]. P. Camper, …
[Paris, André Pujos, 1786]. 4to. Mezzotint portrait on laid paper. Full description

€ 4,750

Attractive Bodoni first edition of Italian poetry

CASSOLI, Francesco. Versi.
Parma, Giambattista Bodoni, 1802. 8vo. Mid-19th-century gold-tooled red morocco, both sides with a gilt border consisting of double fillets, circles and asterisks and a dotted line, and the cypher monogram of Alexine Boucaumont de Montfaud (AM under a laurel wreath with 10 stars in centre), gilt edges. Full description

€ 3,500

The life of Catharine the Great

[CASTÉRA, Jean Henri]. Het leven van Catharina II, keizerin van Rusland.
Amsterdam, Johannes Allart, 1798. 8vo. 3 volumes. With 6 engraved portraits by Reinier Vinkeles. Contemporary marbled boards. Full description

€ 1,250

The most extensive Arabic catechism, with more than 1800 pages

[CATECHISM - ARABIC - ROMAN RITE]. Catechismus Romanus: ex decreto Concilii Tridentini iussu S. Pii V editus.
[Rome], Propaganda Fide, 1786 [= 1787]-1787. 2 volumes. 8vo. With an Arabic title-page on the second page of each volume. Set in 2 sizes of nashk Arabic type, with some preliminary pages set in roman and italic type. Early 19th-century half sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 4,500

First edition of Jacob Cats's complete works,
in richly gold-tooled morocco by the star bindery, The Hague

CATS, Jacob. Alle de wercken, so ouden als nieuwe.
Amsterdam, Jan Jacobsz. Schipper, 1655. Folio. With an engraved frontispiece incorporating a portrait of the author, a full-page engraved portrait of the author, 2 double-page engraved plates, hundreds of engravings in text (including 1 full-page and 1 integral double-page) by J. Swelinck, W.H. Hondius, C. van Dalen and others. Gold-tooled grey-black morocco (ca. 1758), richly gold-tooled spine, boards and board edges, gilt edges; by the so-called "star bindery" in The Hague. Full description

€ 4,850

10 etched plates after drawings by a pupil of Rembrandt

CAYLUS, Anne Claude Philippe Comte de. Histoire de Joseph, accompagnée de dix figures, rélatives aux principaux evenemens de la fils de ce fils du patriarche Jacob, et gravées sur les modèles du fameux Reimbrandt.
Amsterdam, Jean Neaulme, 1757. Folio. With title-page printed in red and black, and 10 full-page etched plates. Contemporary boards. Full description

€ 3,950

Bibliography of Italian, Latin and Greek books on hunting and fishing

CERESOLI, Adriano. Bibliografia delle opere Italiane, Latine e Greche su la caccia, la pesca e la cinologia. Con aggiunte di mammologia, ornitologia, ittiologia ed erpetologia.
Bologna, Forni editore, 1969. 4to (34 x 24.5 cm). With 6 illustrations on 36 plates. Publisher's illustrated wrappers. Full description

€ 175

The most complete Renaissance treatise on culinary carving
With 3 woodcut plates

CERVIO, Vincenzo. Il trinciante . . ., ampliato, et ridotto a perfettione dal cavallier reale Fusoritto da Narni.
Venice, heirs of Francesco Tramezini, 1581. 4to. With woodcut printer's device on title-page and 3 woodcut plates (1 folding), showing carving knives, forks and a carving iron, and fowl ready for carving, with parts labelled. Modern dark brown, gold- and blind-tooled reversed calf. Full description

€ 15,000

Spanish handbook of chronography, with numerous woodcut illustrations

CHAVES, Jérôme de. Chronographia o reportorio de tiempos, el mas copioso y precisso, que hasta ahora ha salido a luz.
Sevilla, Fernando Diaz, Faustino de Magarino (colophon: printed by Fernando Diaz), 1584. 4to. With title printed in red and black with woodcut portrait of the author, Diaz's woodcut printer's device below the colophon on the last page, 2 full- or nearly full-page woodcuts, 19 half-page woodcuts, 7 half-page round woodcuts, and 43 small round woodcuts of phases of the moon. Many letterpress tables of the positions of the sun and moon, calendars, movable feasts, etc. Sheepskin parchment by Domingo V. Folch of the national bindery in Valencia (2nd half of 19th century), gold-tooled spine. Full description

€ 12,500

Lavishly & finely engraved and pierced silver binding (ca. 1700?) on a 1759 Cicero manuscript

CICERO, Marcus Tullius. Consolatio liber, quo se ipsum de filiae morte consolatus est.
[copy imprint:] Paris, Nicolas Chesneau, 1583 ([Netherlands?], manuscript dated 1759 at end, binding probably ca.1700). Small 16mo (8.5 x 5.5 x 4 cm). The binding contains a Latin manuscript in dark brown ink on paper, written in a Latin hand. A very richly engraved and pierced silver binding (ca. 1700?), each board with 4 putti, 4 squirrels and about 30 very detailed flowers, all surrounding an oval cartouche, that on the front with an unidentified (imaginary?) coat of arms, that on the back left blank; the spine with 2 putti and about 22 very detailed flowers. The arms show: below, a square-rigged 3-masted ship in full sail (possibly alluding to the VOC or the Amsterdam city seal) and above, a hooded jacket, the whole with a king's helmet crested with a bare-chested man issuing. Two clasps with engraved flower decorations are hinged to the front plate and catch on the back plate. The bookblock is loosely inserted in the silver binding. Full description

€ 25,000

Catechism of navigation

CLEEFF, Jacob van. Catechismus der zeevaartkunde, of vragen en oefeningen over het beschouwende en werkdadige der stuurmanskunst; ...
Groningen, J. Oomkens, 1840. 8vo. Original publisher's printed paper wrappers, with at the back an advertisement for 6 other works by Van Cleeff. Full description

€ 1,250

The principles of navigation

CLEEFF, Jacob van. Catechismus der zeevaartkunde, of vragen en oefeningen over het beschouwende en werkdadige der stuurmanskunst; ... Tweede verbeterde en met antwoorden vermeerderde uitgaaf.
Groningen, M. Smit, 1846. 8vo. With woodcut vignette on title-page. Original publisher's stiff printed paper wrappers, with at the back an advertisement for 6 other works by Van Cleeff. Full description

€ 950

Paris manual for priests, by the Bishop of Condom
with Clichtove’s work on the priesthood, inaugurating Parisian Renaissance typography:
two Paris first editions (1519) bound for a relative of Clichtove’s editor

CLICHTOVE, Josse (Judocus CLICHTOVEUS). De vita et moribus sacerdotum, opusculum: singularem eoru[m] dignitatem oste[n]dens, & quibus ornati esse debea[n]t virtutibus: explanans.
Paris, Henri Estienne I, 1519 (colophon: 4 August). With woodcut title-page with the letterpress title and imprint in the central opening; further with about 21 woodcut initials (4 series, mostly criblé) plus about 4 repeats.
With: (2) MARRE, Jean. Enchiridio[n] sacerdotale concinnatu[m] ad salutarem eruditionem Christifideliu[m] ab lo[n]ge revere[n]do in Christo patre d[omi]no Ioanne Mare Co[n]domien[sis]. episcopo. In quo haec sunt capita. ...
[Paris], (colophon: Jodocus Badius Ascensius, 25 November 1519). With numerous woodcut decorated initials (4 series, the largest 45-47 mm. criblé initials). 2 works in 1 volume. 4to (20 x 14 cm). 16th-century blind- and gold-tooled calf, each board in a panel design, with the owner's name "D. Ioa[n]mes[!] Lassere" on the front and motto "memento mortis" on the back, the motto and fleurs-de-lis on the back in gold. Full description

€ 7,500

1500-page Turkish dictionary
that helped make Leipzig Europe’s leading centre of oriental studies

CLODIUS, Johann Christian. Compendiosum lexicon Latino-Turcico-Germanicum … accessit triplex index, ac Grammatica Turcica, ...
Leipzig, Wolfgang Deer (printed by Andreas Zeidler), 1730. 8vo. With an engraved frontispiece showing 6 turbaned figures in the interior of an Ottoman library. Set in roman, italic, Arabic and fraktur types with incidental Greek and Hebrew. Modern half calf, gold-tooled spine. Full description

€ 2,500

Rare 17th-century edition of standard arithmetic schoolbook: second copy located

COCK, David. De cyfer-konst, noyt voor desen den leerlingen grondiger, noch ook duydelijcker, voorgestelt. ... Den vijfde druck, van alle mis-druck gesuyvert, verbetert, ende merckelijck vermeerdert, door Dirck de Hollander...
Amsterdam, widow of Gysbert de Groot, 1696. Small 8vo (15 x 9.5 cm). 19th-century(?) sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 3,250

Early New Zealand printing in the Maori language

[COLENSO, William]. He kupu wakatupato, ...
[Paiha (New Zealand), Mission Press], 1842. 8vo. Never sewn, stitched or bound. Full description

€ 850

One of the earliest herbals with etched plates

COLONNA, Fabio. [In Greek: Phytobasanos] sive plantarum aliquot historia in qua describuntur diversi generis plantae veriores, ac magis facie, viribúsque respondentes antiquorum Theophrasti, Dioscoridis Plinii, Galeni, aliorúmque delineationibus, ab aliis hucusque non animadversae. ... etiam piscium aliquot, plantarúmque novarum historia eodem auctore.
Naples, Horatio Salviani, Jacobus Carlino and Antonius Pace, 1592. 4to. With Salviani's woodcut device on title-page, 37 full-page etched botanical and ichthyological illustrations on integral leaves (8 x 13 cm), 33 of plants & 4 of fish and other marine species, each in a border built up from cast fleurons and rules, dozens of woodcut decorated initials (4 series) and further decorations built up from cast fleurons. Set in roman types with the preliminaries in italic and several passages in Greek. Gold-tooled brown calf (ca. 1700?), sprinkled edges. Full description

€ 14,500

Very rare first edition of a Latin and Dutch adaptation
of a revolutionary method for learning Latin

COMENIUS, Johannes Amos. Vestibulum novissimum lingua Latina rerum & linguae cardines exhibens; sed nunc ab Henrico Schoof Belgicè redditum, . . . Dat is, . . . Jongste portael van de Latijnsche tale vertonende de gronden der dinghen ende spraeck; maer nu van H.S. in 't Nederduytsch vertaelt, . . .
Amsterdam, Zacharias Webber [printed by Tymon Houthaeck?], 1651. 12mo. With the Latin on the versos and the Dutch translations on the facing rectos. Contemporary vellum. Full description

€ 7,500

Extensively illustrated guide to seamanship

COMTE, Pieter le. Praktikale zeevaartkunde en theoretische kennis, voor handel en scheepvaart.
Amsterdam, widow of Gerard Hulst van Keulen, 1842. 2 parts in 1 volume. Large 4to (27 x 25 cm). With numerous tables in text and 121 engraved plates (numbered I-CXX plus LIII A), showing 684 numbered illustrations (1 coloured by hand) all engraved by D. Veelwaard after drawings by Le Comte. Modern brown morocco. Full description

€ 1,500

Chromolithographed Art Nouveau prayer book
in a high relief hallmarked silver binding

CONDIO, Luigi. Preghiere. Miniature di Vittorio Vulten.
Torino, Carlo de Martini (printed by Stab. Litografico Giovanni Fraschini & C., Milan), 1902. 18mo (13.5 x 7.5 x 1.5 cm). A wholly chromolithographed Art Nouveau prayer book, printed in numerous pastel colours plus gold, with (mostly floral) decoration on every page and numerous additional illustrations. In a silver binding (hallmarked "800" at the foot of the otherwise blank back cover), with "Our Lady of the Rosary" from the shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary in Pompei depicted on the front cover in high relief (madonna and child presenting rosaries to Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine) flanked by two irises, above "Ave Maria" and a panel with "SS. Vergine di Pompei", endpapers lithographed in pastel colours plus gold, in a repeating pattern of abstracted flowers, crosses, anchors, hearts and initials "VD" or "DV", gilt edges. Full description

€ 8,500

Sea salts not whale sperm

CORDUS, Valerius. De halosantho seu spermate ceti vulgo dicto, liber nunc primum in lucem abditus.
Zürich, [Jacob Gessner], 1566. 8vo. With woodcut printer's device on title-page and a woodcut initial. Modern paper boards, early marbled edges. Full description

€ 1,500

An influential monograph on education

CROUSAZ, Jean-Pierre de. Traité de l'education des enfans.
The Hague, Isaac & Paul Vaillant, Nicolas Prevost, 1722. 2 volumes. 12mo. With 2 title-pages in red and black, each with the same engraved vignette by Bernard Picart (ship in pictorial border with mermaid and merman), woodcut decorated initials. Contemporary polished tan calf, gold-tooled spine with, blind-tooled board edges, red sprinkled edges. Full description

€ 2,500

Third copy located of an extremely rare ethnographic photo album

DAMMANN, Carl Victor and Friedrich Wilhelm. Ethnologischer Atlas sämmtlicher Menschen-Racen in Photographien, . . .
Hamburg, Otto Meissner, [1876]. With letterpress title-leaf and 179 albumen prints mounted on 25 paperboard leaves (31.5×46.5 cm), each leaf with a short general description in German, and all photos with irregularly numbered captions. Loose in a modern black half cloth clamshell box, with the original printed title-wrapper mounted on front. Full description

€ 18,000

Important dictionary giving a glimpse of classical Tahitian culture

DAVIES, John. A Tahitian and English dictionary, with introductory remarks on the Polynesian language, and a short grammar of the Tahitian dialect.
Tahiti, The London Missionary Society’s Press, 1851. 8vo. Contemporary half cloth, rebacked with new endpapers. Full description

€ 3,950

"The best of the eighteenth-century rare book bibliographies"

DE BURE, Guillaume. Bibliographie instructive: ou traité de la connoissance des livres rares et singuliers.
Paris, 1763-1769. 9 volumes. 8vo. Contemporary mottled calf, richly gold-tooled spines. Supplement volumes (vol. 8-9) in slighty different mottled calf with gold-tooled spines. Full description

€ 1,950

The first academic handbook of mining science,
with 24 folding plates in crisp impressions

DELIUS, Christoph Traugott. Anleitung zu der Bergbaukunst nach ihrer Theorie und Ausübung, nebst einer Abhandlung von den Grundsätzen der Bergwerks-Kammeralwissenschaft für die k.k. Schemnitzer - Bergwerksakademie. Zweyte Auflage.
Vienna, Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1806. 3 volumes (2 text and 1 plates). 8vo. With 24 large folding engraved plates. Text volumes in later half calf and the plates unbound in a matching half calf box. Full description

€ 2,250

With early forged(?) Is[aac?] Newton owner’s inscriptions, signatures and notes

DESCARTES, René. Epistolae, partim ab auctore Latino sermone conscriptae, partim ex Gallico translatae.
Amsterdam, Daniel Elzevier, 1668. 2 volumes bound as 1. 4to. With about 180 woodcut diagrams and other illustrations in the text. 18th-century(?) sprinkled calf. Full description

€ 4,950

The 7500-page works of one of the most creative and influential minds of the Enlightenment

DIDEROT, Denis. Oeuvres de Denis Diderot, publiées, sur les manuscrits de l'auteur, par Jacques-André Naigeon, de l'Institut National des Sciences, etc. Tome premier[-quinzième].
Paris, Desray, Deterville (back of half-title, vol. I: printed by [Charles] Crapelet), an VI [=] 1798. 15 volumes. With a frontispiece portrait of the author engraved by Charles Étienne Gaucher after a 1766 drawing by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, 16 engraved plates and a folding letterpress table of all kinds of human knowledge for the Encyclopédie (52 x 37.5 cm). Contemporary, uniform half sprinkled calf, richly gold-tooled spines. Full description

€ 6,500

Scholarly medical botany for a broad public
Plantin edition with a new chapter

DODOENS (DODONAEUS), Rembert. Medicinalium observationum exempla rara. Accessere & alia quaedam, quorum elenchum pagina post praefationem exhibet.
Leiden, Christoffel Plantin, 1585. Small 8vo (16 x 10 cm). With Plantin's woodcut compasses device on the title-page. Contemporary reversed parchment (made from the lower part of a leaf from a 16th-century legal document in German, with a reference to Basel). Full description

€ 5,500

First edition of 127 lectures on medicine delivered at Leiden University in 1583 and 1584

DODOENS (DODONAEUS), Rembert. Praxis medica.
Amsterdam, Hendrick Laurensz. [printed by Jasper Tournay in Gouda], 1616.
With: (2) DODOENS (DODONAEUS), Rembert. Medicinalium observationum exempla rara. ....
Harderwijk, widow of Thomas Henricksz.; Amsterdam, Hendrik Laurensz., "M.D.XXI" [with a C added in manuscript to correct it to 1621]. 8vo. 2 editions in 1 volume. Contemporary vellum. Full description

€ 3,850

Presented by the author to another Calvinist dissident

DONELLUS (DONEAU), Hugo. Commentarius ad titulum institutionum de actionibus.
Leiden, Christophe Plantin, 1584. Large 8vo (19 x 11.5 cm). With Plantin's woodcut compasses device. Contemporary vellum. Full description

€ 3,500

40 years of correspondence between two leading orientalists in Russia, often concerning Georgian matters

DORN, Bernard. [21 autograph letters, signed, to Marie-Félicité Brosset].
Saint Petersburg, ca. 1840-1879. 8vo (letters, mostly 21 x 13.5 cm) and folio (list of publications). Letters in French with an occasional (Persian?) word in Arabic script, written in black ink on paper, some with the address on the outside and one with Dorn's (Persian?) red wax seal in Arabic script.
With: (2) [Manuscript chronological numbered list of 34 publications by Dorn, 1843-1865].
[Saint Petersburg, ca. 1865]. Full description

€ 7,500

Eye-witness account of Istanbul in 1597,
with Turkish in Arabic type and displaying Greek inscriptions

DOUSA, Georgius (Joris van der DOES). De itinere suo Constantinopolitano, epistola.
Leiden, Officina Plantiniana (Christophorus Raphelengius), 1599. Small 8vo (17 x 11 cm). With the Officina Plantiniana's woodcut compasses device on the title-page. Set in roman, italic and Greek types, with occasional words and lines in Arabic type. Mid 19th-century mottled, tanned sheepskin (cat's paw pattern), richly gold-tooled spine. Full description

€ 8,750

Francis Drake’s failed attempt to depose the King of Spain and Portugal

DRAKE, Francis (subject). Brevis & fida narratio, et continuatio rerum omnium a Drako et Norreysio (post ex Occidentalibus Insulis, reditum) in sua expeditione Portugallensi singulis diebus gestarum.
Frankfurt am Main, Paul Brachfeldt, 1590. 4to. With the woodcut arms on the title-page, the upper related to that of Queen Elizabeth of England and the lower that of King Philip I of Portugal (Philip II of Spain), each supported by putti, a full-page woodcut standing soldier with sword and spear, perhaps intended as Francis Drake. Gold-tooled green morocco (2nd half of 19th century). Full description

€ 18,000

First Italian translation of "La Sepmaine" by the prince of French poets

[DU BARTAS, Guillaume de Salluste]. La divina settimana: tradotta di rima Francese in verso sciolto Italiano.
Tours, Giametto Metaieri (Jamet Mettayer), 1592. 12mo. With the title with in a border, built up from cast fleurons, and some woodcut initials and headpieces. Contemporary limp sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 7,500

Rare second French edition of an influential pharmacopoeia

DUBOIS, Jacques (Jacobus SYLVIUS), translated by André CAILLE. La pharmacopee. Qui est la maniere de bien choisir & preparer les simples, & de bien faires les compositions: despartie en trois livres ...
Lyon, Louis Cloquemin, 1580. 16mo (12.5 x 8 cm). With Cloquemin's woodcut device on the title-page. Recased in contemporary(?) sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 3,750

Extremely rare first edition of a novel advocating the emancipation of women:
author’s dedication copy, bound for presentation to Anna Pavlovna of Russia, Queen of the Netherlands

DUFFEYTE-DILHAN, Joseph. Les mémoires d'un ange, ou Les femmes vengées, roman historique, philosophique et moral, ... Tome I.er[-II.].
[Bordeaux], Edmond Ramadié, [1839-1840, with the author’s 1843 printed dedication to the Dutch Queen Anna Pavlovna of Russia]. 2 volumes. 8vo. With 2 copies of the 4-page 1843 dedication to Queen Anna Pavlovna printed on heavy wove paper, signed by the author in brown ink on the first and last page and tipped onto the title-page in each volume. Contemporary finely diced (in horizontal lozenges) and gold-tooled red morocco for presentation to the Queen, (each board with a crown above flowers as centrepiece, and a decorative frame built up from separate tools; the spine with the title and volume number in the middle with decorations above and below), gold-tooled board edges, gilt edges. Full description

€ 7,500

Splendidly bound dedication copy of a wholly engraved music guide

[DUMAS, Antoine-Joseph]. L'art de la musique enseigné et pratiqué par la nouvelle methode du bureau typographique.
Paris, Sr. Auguste [for the author], [1753]. Large oblong 4to (26 x 33.5 cm). Wholly engraved, including an engraved title-page, two-page engraved dedication, a double-page folding engraved musical table ("Elémens de la musique. Plan général du bureau typographique musical") and 427 engraved text pages by Mademoiselle Vandôme. Contemporary gold-tooled dark green (goatskin) morocco, richly gold-tooled spine with red morocco title label, gold-tooled boards with the coat of arms of Louis-Philippe d'Orléans (1725-1785) on both sides, gold-tooled board edges and turn-ins, pink silk endleaves, gilt edges (attributed to Jean-Charles-Henri Lemonnier). Full description

€ 37,000

Sumptuous coloured lithographs of Mayan antiquities bound for Czar Alexander II

DUPAIX, Guillermo, Alexandre LENOIR, David Bailie WARDEN, et al. Antiquités Mexicaines. Relation des trois expéditions du Capitaine Dupaix, ordonnées en 1805, 1806, et 1807, pour la recherche des antiquités du pays, notamment celles de Mitla et de Palenque.
Paris, Jules Didot l'ainé, 1834. 3 parts in 2 volumes. Large folio (55.5 x 36 cm). With lithographed frontispiece and 161 (numbered as 166) lithographed plates (1 double-page and 160 full-page), nearly half beautifully hand-coloured and most of the rest tinted or double-tinted. Lacking (as usual) the map mentioned on the title-page. Gold-tooled red morocco (1855?), with the arms of Czar Alexander II of Russia on the boards. Full description

€ 98,500

Annual report of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce, luxuriously bound for presentation

[DUTCH EAST INDIES]. Verslag over het jaar 1867, zamengesteld door de kamer van koophandel en nijverheid te Batavia.
Batavia, Bruining & Wijt, 1868. 8vo. With 3 folding tables. Contemporary richly gold-blocked red sheepskin, front board with the dedication: "Aan Zijne Excellentie den Gouverneur Generaal van Nederlandsch Indië", gilt edges; rebacked with the original backstrip laid down; new endpapers. Full description

€ 1,250

Rare school book on zoology with numerous wood-engraved illustrations

[DUTCH SOCIETY OF ARTS]. Klein natuurkundig museum. De dieren. Vogelen en insecten. Visschen en plantdieren.
The Hague, Nederlandsche Maatschappij van Schoone Kunsten, J.J. van Ryckevorsel, 1841. 4 parts in 1 volume. Small 4to. With numerous wood-engraved illustrations of animals in text, several full-page. Original half purple morocco. Full description

€ 650

One of the earliest and best collections of poetry by a leading Flemish poet,
printed entirely on vellum and finely bound (rare early dated binding by Hippolyte Duru, 1847)

DUYSE, Prudens van.

Godfried, of de godsdienst op 't veld, in vyf zangen.
Ghent, C. Annoot-Braeckman, 1842. 8vo. Printed entirely on vellum. Near-contemporary (1847) red morocco by Hippolyte Duru ("DURU 1847") blind-tooled double fillets on the boards and spine, black morocco doublures with a richly gold-tooled frame, gold-tooled turn-ins, gold fillets on board edges, gilt edges.

Full description

€ 5,950

Unpublished calendar of historical events, especially the birth and death dates of Dutch artists
in richly gold-tooled morocco by the so-called Rocaille-and-flower bindery

DYLIUS, Joannes, compiler. Dagwyzer der geschiedenissen, kortelyk behelzende, een' aanteekening van verscheidene gedenkwaardige zaaken, op elken dag van 't jaar, door de geheele waereld; bijzonder in de Nederlanden voorgevallen. Benevens de geboorte, en sterfdagen, van hooge, en laage stands persoonen, zo geestelijke als waereldlijke: beroemde helden, geleerde mannen, en kunstenaaren.
[Amsterdam], [frontispiece: 1778]. Narrow 8vo (16.5 x 9.5 cm). Manuscript in brown ink on laid paper, written in Dutch in a neat and clear but minute Latin hand, forming a calendar of historical events from 17 AD to 28 November 1777, with a grey ink and ink-wash allegorical frontispiece title, dated 1778 but signed by the artist "A:C. 1777.", and a title-page in 8 styles of plain and decorated Latin and gothic lettering (signed "Dr. Waller.|scripsit."). Contemporary richly gold-tooled red goatskin morocco, each board with a centrepiece and frame, both built up from separate (mostly floral) stamps, the whole surrounded by a sawtooth roll, the spine with a green morocco label in the 2nd of 6 compartments and each of the others with a central floral stamp and 4 cornerpieces (further with some fillets and rolls), gold-tooled turn-ins and board edges (with a floral roll), altogether 83 or 87 impressions of 7 or 8 stamps, plus 3 rolls and the fillets. It appears to come from what Storm van Leeuwen calls the "Rocaille-and-flower bindery", active ca. 1775-ca. 1812. Full description

€ 4,950

Comprehensive Luyken bibliography

EEGHEN, P. van and J. Ph van der KELLEN. Het werk van Jan en Caspar Luyken … met 56 platen. Deel I[-II].
Amsterdam, Frederik Muller & Co., 1905. 2 volumes. With 56 plates. Contemporary half morocco, gold-tooled spine. Full description

€ 300

Basics of miniature drawing and painting

EELKEMA, Eelke Jelles and André Léon LARUE (MANSION). Grondig onderrigt in de teeken- en schilderkunst, inzonderheid in miniatuur, ten nutte van jonge kunstoefenaren. Naar het Fransch van Mansion.
Leeuwarden, Lambertus Schierbeek, 1830. 12mo (15.5 x 9 cm). With folding lithographed frontispiece, coloured by hand, showing a palette of colours. Contemporay purple half morocco, gold- and blind-tooled spine. Full description

€ 500

2000-page pharmaceutical dictionary

ELZEVIER, Kornelis. Lexicon galeno-chymico-pharmaceuticum, of apothekers woordenboek.
Amsterdam, Gerrit de Groot and the widow of Salomon Schouten and sons, 1755. 2 volumes. Large 4to (27 x 21 cm). With engraved frontispiece and an engraving in text. 19th-century red calf. Full description

€ 1,250

Erasmus on the Latin language: two foundationalworks in a very attractive contemporary binding

ERASMUS, Desiderius. De duplici copia verborum ac rerum commentarii duo.
(Colophon: Mainz, Johannes Schoeffer, August 1521). With title in woodcut architectural border; 6 large, beautiful woodcut initials. With 1 initial coloured by hand.
With: (2) ERASMUS, Desiderius. Parabolae sive similia.
(Colophon: Basle, Johannes Froben, July 1521). With title in an elaborate woodcut border, first page of the dedicatory letter by Erasmus to Petrus Aegidius on back of title-page with a border made of woodcut strips, Froben's large woodcut device on the last page, and 2 decorative woodcut initials. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. German contemporary richly blind-tooled calf, in a panel design. The central panel on each board is filled with dozens of impressions of 3 floral stamps, 1 on the front board and 2 on the back. Full description

€ 12,000

One of the earliest editions of Erasmus’s entertaining & extremely popular collection
of more than 2000 aphorisms and anecdotes,
in richly blind-tooled 16th-century calf

ERASMUS, Desiderius. Apophthegmatum libri octo cum primis frugiferi, denuò vigilanter ab ipos recogniti autore, non sine lucro novae accessionis.
Cologne, Johann Gymnich I, 1538. 8vo (16 x 11 x 4.5 cm). With Gymnich's woodcut device, 9 woodcut initials (2 series) plus 1 repeat, and a vine-leaf ornament. Set in an Aldine-style italic with incidental roman and Greek. Near contemporary blind-tooled calf (the owner's stamp ca. 1564?, added later than the rest of the tooling) over wooden boards, each board in a panel design, the front board with the large oval armorial panel-stamp (72 x 55 mm) of Simon Cluver of Gedansk (ca. 1540-1598); the back board with 2 rolls showing Christian imagery. With 1 of 2 brass catchplates but further with only remnants of the fastenings. Full description

€ 3,950

First edition of the Pentateuch in Arabic

ERPENIUS, Thomas (editor). Turat Musa al-Nabi alayhi al-salam id est Pentateuchus Mosis Arabicè.
Leiden, Thomas Erpenius for Johannes Maire, 1622. 4to. With the title in a woodcut architectural frame. Contemporary vellum. Full description

€ 14,000

Erpenius's excellent Arabic grammar

ERPENIUS (VAN ERPE), Thomas. Rudimenta linguae Arabicae.
Leiden, Boneventura and Abraham Elzevier, 1628. Small 8vo (15 x 9.5 cm). With title-page printed in red and black. 19th-century green sheepskin. Full description

€ 2,800

Epic poem celebrating the history of navigation,
from the library of Tsar Alexander I

ESMÉNARD, Joseph-Alphonse. La navigation, poëme.
Paris, Giguet and Michaud, 1806. 8vo. With an engraved frontispiece and an engraved plate showing the wreck of La Perouse. Contemporary richly gold-tooled red morocco, with the arms of Tsar Alexander I on the front and back boards, including his imperial monogram, gold-tooled spine, boards edges and turn-ins, gilt edges. Full description

€ 4,500

Introduction to Hebrew, showing alphabets of Estienne's best meruba and rabbinical types

ESTIENNE, Robert. Alphabetu[m] Hebraicum. Cum privilegio regis.
Paris, Robert Estienne, 1550. 8vo. With Estienne's woodcut tree device on title-page. Set in Hebrew (meruba and rabbinical), roman and Greek types. Early sheepskin parchment wrappers. Full description

€ 7,500

1st Antwerp edition of Seyssel's French Eusebius, the contemporary binding with an unusual Flemish panel stamp

EUSEBIUS. L[']histoire ecclesiastique ..., translatee de Latin en Fra[n]coys, par Messire Claude de Seyssel, Evesque lors de Marseille, & depuis Archevesque de Thurin.
Antwerp, Maarten de Keyser, 1533 (colophon: 17 April). 8vo. With a woodcut border on the title-page, assembled from 4 blocks (that at the foot with De Keyser's printer's device), about 10 woodcut decorated initials plus about 10 repeats (2 gothic series and 2 roman series). Set in three sizes of bastarda type with textura initials. Contemporary Flemish blind panel-stamped calf, each board with the same panel and double and single fillets, a triple fillet in the panel stamp separating the inner and outer panel. The inner is an acorn cresting panel with 4 1/2 acorns on each side and the flowers not attached to the acorns, remnants of leather ties. Full description

€ 7,500

“almost the only comprehensive source of information for pirate activities in the seventeenth century”, bound by America’s finest bindery

EXQUEMELIN, Alexandre Olivier. Historie der boecaniers, of vrybuyters van America.
Amsterdam, Nicolaas ten Hoorn, 1700. 3 parts (paginated as 2) in 1 volume. 4to. With an engraved title-page, a folding engraved map of South and Central America, and 7 engraved plates (1 folding). Red (goatskin) morocco (ca. 1920), with richly gold tooled turn-ins, double fillets on board edges, gilt edges, by the French Binders of Garden City, N.Y., the fourth incarnation of Robert Hoe's famous Club Bindery, which almost single-handedly pioneered fine binding in America. Full description

€ 5,000

Important and luxurious edition of Faerno’s 100 fables,
with frontispiece and 99 illustrations

FAERNO, Gabriello. Cent fables en Latin et en François, choisies des anciens auteurs, mises en vers Latins ..., et traduites par Mr. Perrault, ... Avec de nouvelles figures en taille-douce. Nouvelle edition.
London, C. Marsh & T. Payne, H. Slater, S. Baker, F. Noble, W. Bathoe, J. Palairet, 1744. 4to (26.5 x 20.5 cm). With richly designed, engraved frontispiece by Claude Du Bosc, and 99 (of 100) fine engraved illustrations to the fables on integral leaves (plate size about 9.5 x 10.5 cm). Early 19th-century half calf, for the Signet Library in Edinburgh, each board with the gold-tooled British Royal arms. Restored and with later 19th-century endpapers, but with the early 19th-century printed label with the shelf-mark transferred to the front paste-down. Full description

€ 2,950

The 58-volume "Encyclopédie d'Yverdon", Protestant Switzerland's answer to Diderot

FÉLICE, Fortuné-Barthélemy de. Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire universel raisonné des connoissances humaines.
Yverdon, Fortuné-Barthélemy de Félice, 1770-1780. 58 volumes (42 text, 6 supplement and 10 plates volumes). 4to. With 1264 engraved plates (numbered "1410" by the publisher). Contemporary uniform sprinkled tanned sheepskin, spine with gold fillets. Full description

€ 28,500

"Few books had greater influence on the subsequent teaching of elementary mathematics"

FELICIANO, Francesco Libro di arithmetica & geometria speculativa & praticale ... intitulato Scala Grimaldelli: novamente stampato
(Colophon: Venice, Francesco de Leno), 1563. 4to. With the title in a 5-piece woodcut border with an allusive woodcut illustration (ladder and key), and with numerous woodcut diagrams, geometric figures and other illustrations printed in the large fore-edge margin. Contemporary sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 2,750

Three editions of humanist works, two from Antwerp known only from 1 other copy each
in contemporary Flemish panel-stamped calf with 6 animals in foliage plus an unusually detailed peacock

[FIOCCO, Andrea Domenico] under the name of Lucius FENESTELLA. De magistratibus, sacerdotiisq[ue] Romanorum libellus, iam primum nitori restitutus. Pomponii Laeti itidem de magistratibus & sacerdotiis, & praeterea de diversis legibus Rom[anorum]. Item Valerii Probi grammatici de literis antiquis opusculum.
Including: POMPONIO LETO, Giulio. De Ro[manorum]. magistratibus, ...
Basel, (colophon: Valentino Curio, May 1523). With the general title in a woodcut border, Curio's large architectural woodcut device on the otherwise blank final page.
With:
(2) LUCIANUS OF SAMOSATA. Complures ... dialogi à Desiderio Erasmo Roterodamo ... in Latinum conversi, & à Nicolao Buscoducensi illustrati, additis Fabularum & difficilium vocabulorum explanationibus.
(Colophon: Antwerp, Michael Hillen van Hoochstraten, 1524).
(3) MOSELLANUS, Petrus (Peter SCHADE). Paedologia ..., in puerorum usum conscripta & aucta. Dialogi XXXVII. Dialogi pueriles Christophori Hegendorphini. XII. ...
Including: HEGENDORF, Christoph. Dialogi pueriles ... XII. ...
(Colophon: Antwerp, Michael Hillen van Hoochstraten, 1523).
3 editions in 1 volume. 8vo (16 x 10.5 cm). Contemporary panel-stamped calf, each board with the same 3 panel stamps: 2 virtually identical panels with 6 animals in 2 grape vines (the animals from head to foot in the left vine: a monkey, dog and wyvern; and in the right vine: a squirrel, hare and lion) in a border of a diaper of quatrefoils in lozenges, the two separated by a small panel stamp sith a peacock, paste-downs made from a leaf from an Aristotle manuscript on vellum. Full description

€ 12,000

A rare 16th-century Dutch devotional work printed in Antwerp

[FLORIS VAN HAARLEM]. Den wech des levens. Een gheestelijc boecxken leerende hoe dat ee[n] goet kerste[n] mensch moet beginne[n] en[de] voortgaen in duechden, met veel devote ghebede[n] en[de] gheestelike corte vermaninghe[n] om tot een warachtich gheestelijc leven te comen.
[Antwerp, Heyndrick Peetersen van Middelburg, 1547?]. 8vo. With title printed in black and red, within woodcut borders. Contemporary slightly overlapping parchment, remnants of ties. Full description

€ 7,500

Deluxe set of the standard reference work on Hawaii

FORBES, David. Hawaiian national bibliography 1780-1900.
Honolulu, University of Hawai'i Press; Sydney, Hordern House, 1999-2003. 4 volumes. 4to. Original publisher's red half morocco, gold-tooled spines. Full description

€ 2,500

Entomologists in the network of freemasons between American and the French Revolutions

FORSTER, Johann Reinhold. [Letter to an unnamed fellow freemason in Braunschweig, probably Ferdinand, Herzog von Braunschweig-Lünenburg or someone in his inner circle].
Halle (Saale), 9 August 1781. 4to. Autograph letter in German, signed, written in brown ink on laid paper in a clear German hand, with foreign words and names in a Latin hand. Full description

€ 12,500

Biographies of two Franciscan Saints, second copy located

[FRANCISCAN SAINTS]. Extrait des vies de Saint Jacques de la Marche, et de Saint François Solan, religieux de la reguliere observance de Saint François.
Bordeaux, widow and son of Pierre Brun and Étienne Labottière, 1728. 2 parts in 1 volume. 12mo. Contemporary calf, gold-tooled spine and board edges. Full description

€ 4,500

On the abuse of alcohol, by a great German chronicler and popular historiographer of the 16th century

FRANCK, Sebastian. Von dem greüwlichen Laster der Trunckenhayt ...
[Augsburg, Heinrich Steiner, 1533?]. 4to. With large and unusually detailed woodcut (10 x 12 cm) on title-page showing an elaborate banquet and a vomitting man, by H. Weiditz (the Petrarca master), decorated woodcut initials. Set in schwabacher types with incidental fraktur. Early 19th-century shell-marbled boards. Full description

€ 4,500

Splendid manuscript on the state, condition and organization of the
French Royal navy in 1732, from the library of Henri Beraldi

[MANUSCRIPT - MILITARY - FRENCH ROYAL]. [Binding title:] Abregé de la marine du Roy 1732.
[Paris?, 1732]. 13.5×19 cm. Manuscript in brown-black, red and blue ink on vellum, some of the lettering and borders gilt. With a beautiful frontispiece painting in coloured gouaches (14×9.5 cm) pasted on the page facing the opening of the text, showing a small warship at a shipyard in a small harbour being repaired by workmen. Contemporary red morocco, gold-tooled spine, gold-tooled fillets on boards and board edges, richly gold-tooled frame, gilt edges. Full description

€ 95,000

Famous Arabic-Latin dictionary, succeeding Golius's

FREYTAG, Georg Wilhelm. Lexicon Arabico-Latinum praesertim ex djeuharii firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum …
Including: BINDSEIL, Heinrich Ernst. Index vocum latinarum.
Halle, C.A. Schwetschke and son, 1830-1837. 4 text volumes + index volume (bound in 2 volumes). 4to. Contemporary dark green half sheepskin, gold-tooled spines. Full description

€ 3,500

Atlas of Brabant & Holland for Officers in the War of the Austrian Succession

FRICX, Eugène Henri. Nouveau theatre de la guerre aux Pays Bas, ou Cartes tres detaillées du Duché de Brabant et partie de la Hollande ... apres ... Covens et Mortier. ... en 25 petites cartes dont une générale divisée en 24 quarreaux est numerotée ...
Lille, Bachelet; Ghent, P. de Goesin; Brussels, George Fricx & Jean Leonard; Antwerp, Martin Verdussen; Liege, S.F. Bourguignon; Cologne, Rodrigue; Berlin, S. Paul; Nürnberg, Homann heirs; Strasbourg, M. Schatz; Paris, [Roch-Joseph Julien (& Guillaume Dheulland?)], [1747]. Agenda 8vo (26 x 11 cm) With 25 folding engraved maps, consisting of 1 overview map and 24 numbered detail maps (each detail map 22 x 30 cm at a scale of 1:180.000). Contemporary mottled calf, gold-tooled spine. Full description

€ 1,950

The rarest treatise on Falconry

FRIEDRICH II von Hohenstaufen. Reliqua librorum Friderici II. Imperatoris, de arte venandi cum avibus, cum Manfredi Regis additionibus. Ex membranis vetustis nun primum edita. Albertus Magnus de falconibus, asturibus, & accipitribus.
Augsburg, Johannes Praetorius (Hans Schultes), 1596. 8vo. With magnificent double-page woodcut illustration and woodcut printer's device on title page (repeated on recto of final leaf). 17th century mottled calf, spine gilt. Full description

€ 25,000

Eulogies of four famous scientists

FRISI, Paolo. Elogio del cavaliere Isacco Newton.
[Milan, Guiseppe Galeazzi, 1778].
With:
(2) FRISI, Paolo. Elogio del signor D'Alembert.
Milan, Guiseppe Galeazzi, 1786.
(3) FRISI, Paolo. Elogi di Galileo Galilei e di Bonaventura Cavalieri.
Milan, Guiseppe Galeazzi, 1778. 3 works in 1 volume. 8vo. Contemporary half sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 1,250

"A work intended to help students to appreciate the works of Hippocrates and Galen"

FUCHS, Leonhart. Methodus seu ratio compendiaria perueniendi ad ueram solidamque medicinam, mirifice ad Galeni libros recte intelligendos utilis, nunc recens in lucem aedita ...
Basel, Michael Isengrin, 1541. 8vo. With woodcut initials. Contemporary calf, panel-stamped with two medallion portraits on each board. Full description

€ 2,500

Very rare educational work in a fine armorial dedication binding from the Bourbon restoration ,
for Marie Thérèse, Duchess of Angoulême, the only direct heir of Louis XVI to survive the Revolution

GALLAND, P.J. Cours pratique d'éducation à l'usage des jeunes demoiselles, et convenable aux jeunes gens qui ne sont pas à porté de suivre les études de collège, ou qui les ont suivies sans succès; contenant la grammaire, précédée de principes de lecture servant d'introduction; la rhétorique, l'arithmétique, la cosmographie, la géographie, l'histoire et la mythologie, traitée séparément pour l'enfance et pour l'adolescence, par demandes et par réponses. Dédié à Son Altesse Royale Madame, Duchesse d'Angoulême.
Paris, Librairie d'Éducation d'Alexis Eymerie, and the author (on back of title-page: printed by J.-B. Imbert), 1816 (vol. 3!)-1817 (vols. 1-2). 3 volumes. Large 12mo (17.5 x 10.5 cm). With a large folding engraved map of France, 3 astronomical and cosmographical figures on 3 engraved plates, a large folding hierarchical "tableau synoptique" of French grammar, and numerous numerical tables and mathematical equations in the text. Contemporary richly gold-tooled, grained green morocco, each board with the large arms of the dedicatee, Marie Thérèse de France, Duchesse d'Angoulême, daughter of King Louis XVI: a crowned double coat- of-arms (each in an oval) in a wide border of fleurs-de-lis and tulip-like flowers, the dexter arms (of her husband) that normally used by the Duc de Berry, but also by the seconde maison Capétienne d'Artois and the sinister arms (of her father Louis XVI) matching that of the Kings of France, pink silk endleaves, gilt edges. Full description

€ 25,000

Textbook on architecture and perspective,
by a well-known Italian architect and stage designer

GALLI BIBIENA, Ferdinando. Direzioni a' giovani studenti nel disegno dell' architettura civile, nell' accademia clementina dell' instituto delle scienze, ...With: Direzioni della prospettiva teorica corrispondenti a quelle dell' architettura instruzione a' giovani studenti di pitture; e architettura ...
Bologna, Lelio dalla Volpa, 1731-1732. 2 volumes. 12mo. With 75 engraved plates (including several folding) in the first volume and 58 engraved plates (including several folding) in the second volume. Contemporary vellum. Full description

€ 1,750

Costume game comprising 20 original watercolour and gouache drawings

[GAMES - COSTUMES]. [Game of costumes for titles and professions].
[London?, ca. 1814]. 16mo? (13 x 10.5 cm). Series of 20 finely designed and executed original gouache and watercolour drawings (the drawn images about 9 x 8 cm), 1 mounted on paperboard showing a bust portrait of a young man with his head turned in profile, in a multi-line frame drawn in grey ink, and 19 others showing richly coloured costumes for noblemen, gentlemen, military men and commoners of various titles and professions with their associated hats or crowns, each cut out as designed, to be overlaid on the portrait to transform the portrait into any of the 19 costume figures. Full description

€ 15,000

On the art of the rebus, including 65 woodcut rebuses

[GAMES - PASTIMES]. Nouvelle clef des rébus, ouvrage propre à faciliter la lecture des petits symboles, ou figures parlantes qui accompagnent, dans les festins, les bonbons offerts pour l'amusement des convives. Suivi de la règle du jeu des rébus.
Paris, Delarue (colophon: Lille, Imprimerie de Blocquel), [ca. 1820]. 16mo. With a woodcut rebus as frontispiece, a woodcut dictionary of rebus-pictures 65 woodcut rebus plates, and some small woodcut rebus-pictures in the "rules of the game of rebus". Original publisher's printed paper wrappers. Full description

€ 950

Games and activities for young boys and girls

[GAMES & PASTIMES]. De onvermoeide speelmakker, of volledige verzameling van nuttige en aangename spelen, uitspanningen, ligchaamsoefeningen en andere bezigheden, zoowel in huis, als in de open lucht voor jongens en meisjes. Versierd en opgehelderd door eene menigte fraaije houtsneêfiguren.
Gouda, G.B. van Goor, [1853]. 8vo. With numerous wood engraved illustrations in text. Contemporary gold-tooled blue-green morocco. Full description

€ 1,250

One of the earliest separate works devoted entirely to ice-skating,
printed by a typefounder praised in Balzac's "Illusions perdues"

GARCIN, Jean. Le vrai patineur, ou principes sur l'art de patiner avec grace, précédé de réflexions et de remarques critiques sur la manière de quelques patineurs inélégans, ainsi que sur les différens formes de patins, le choix quel'on doit en faire, et les variations dont cette chaussure est susceptible.
Paris, Delespinasse, Delaunaux, Nepveu, the author (printed by Joseph-Gaspard Gillé fils), 1813. 12mo (18 x 10.5 cm). With 8 numbered engraved plates, namely a frontispiece view of a skating rink with many skaters, engraved by Ambroise Tardieu, and 7 images of individual skaters, each in a different pose. Set in roman and italic types, with a few lines in a "ronde" script type. Later blue paper wrappers. Preserved in modern half morocco slipcase. Full description

€ 5,500

First edition of one of the most widely used pathology textbooks

GAUB (GAUBIUS), Hieronymus David. Institutiones pathologiae medicinalis.
Leiden, Samuel and Johannes Luchtmans, 1758. 8vo. Contemporary sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 500

First editions of John Gay's fables, with 67 engraved illustrations

GAY, John. Fables.
London, printed for J. Tonson and J. Watts, 1727 (volume 1); printed for J. and P. Knapton, and T. Cox, 1738 (volume 2). 2 volumes. 4to. Volume 1 with an engraved illustration on the title-page, and 51 further engraved illustrations. Volume 2 with an engraved frontispiece, showing Gay's memorial monument, a small engraved author's portrait on title-page, and 16 engraved plates. Green morocco (ca. 1900), richly gold-tooled spine and turn-ins, gold fillets on boards and board-edges (Riviere & son). Full description

€ 5,000

Elaborately calligraphic testimonial for a journeyman at the Imperial gardens,
with 4 botanical illustrations and the arms of the Erbschatzmeister

[GARDENING]. GEISSNER, Johan Georg. [Testimonial letter for Michel Bauman, journeyman to the master Imperial gardener Johan Georg Geißner, incipit:] Des hoch und wohll gebohrnen Herrn Herrn Phillibbuß Ludwiguß deß heiligen römll: reichs Erb-Schotz Maister Graff von Sintzendarff ...
Laxenburg (near Vienna), 1735. Illustrated baroque testimonial letter in black and brown ink on parchment (34 x 60 cm plus a 4.5 cm flap at the foot), with the Sintzendorf coat of arms above centre (12 x 12 cm), illustrations of 4 exotic potted plants, flanking the text, and the text in richly decorated German gothic calligraphy and handwriting. With the crown above the coat of arms highlighted with gold. With slits through the foot to attach the seal, but lacking the seal itself. Full description

€ 3,500

Seminal history of Britain and the foundation of the Arthurian legend

GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH. Britannie[a] utriusq[ue] regu[m] et principum Origo & gesta insignia ... ex antiquissimis Britannici sermonis monumentis in Latinum traducta: & ab Ascensio rursus maiore accuratione impressa.
(Colophon: [Paris], Josse Badius Ascensius, 13 September 1517). Small 4to. With Badius's large woodcut device on the title-page, large woodcut arms of the editor Yves Cavellat at the end of the preliminaries, and numerous woodcut white-on-black "Lombardic" criblé initials. 19th-century sprinkled calf. Full description

€ 3,750

Rare 2nd edition of Gesner on distilling and its use in pharmacology

GESNER (GESSNER), Conrad. Euonymus, sive De remediis secretis: nunc denuò studio & diligentia Caspari Wolphii, ... illustratus, & in lucem editus. Adiecimus in pharmacopolarum gratiam plurimas fornacum figuras, ... Pars secunda.
Lyon, Barthèlemy Vincent (colophon: Jean Marcorelle), 1573 [altered from 1574] (colophon: 1572). 16mo (12 x 8 cm). With Vincent's woodcut device on the title-page and about 50 woodcut illustrations in the text. Recased in contemporary limp sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 2,500

Fashions among society folk of Augsburg: one of the very few copies printed in red

GÖZ (GOEZ), Joseph Franz von. Exércices d'imagination de differens charactéres[!] et formes humaines inventés peints et dessinés par ... Suite 1e [all published].
Augsburg, Academie Imperiale d'Empire, [1785]. Royal 4to (31.5 x 24 cm). A series of 100 numbered engraved prints including the title-print, all printed in red or reddish brown, some with 2 different shades to make a duotone. Early 19th-century half calf, gold-tooled spine, shell-marbled sides, rebacked with the original backstrip laid down. Full description

€ 7,000

Golius's epoch-making Arabic dictionary

GOLIUS, Jacob. Lexicon Arabico-Latinum, contextum ex probatioribus orientis lexicographis. Accedit index Latinus copiosissimus, qui lexici Latino-Arabici vicem explere possit.
Leiden, printed by Bonaventura and Abraham Elzevier, also sold by Johannes van Ravesteyn [and others], Amsterdam, 1653. Folio. Recased in 17th-century vellum, with 19th-century spine-label and modern endpapers. Full description

€ 4,500

"one of the most influential early books on China to be published in Europe"
including a curious description of the New World

[GONZÁLEZ DE MENDOZA, Juan]. Nova et succincta vera tamen historia de amplissimo potentissimoque, nostro quidem orbi hactenus incognito, sed perpaucis abhinc annis explorato Regno China.
Frankfurt am Main, [Sigmund Feyerabend(?), 1589]. 8vo. With two early woodcut Chinese characters on p. 200 and p. 202. Contemporary blind-tooled vellum. Full description

€ 5,000

Graesse's monumental general bibliography

GRAESSE, Jean George Théodore. Trésor de livres rares et précieux ou nouveau dictionnaire bibliographique
Milan, G.G. Görlich, 1950. 8 volumes, incl. supplement. Folio. Cloth. Full description

€ 450

An early treatise on chess, by a famous Calabrian chess player

GRECO, Giocchino. Le jeu des eschets. Traduit de l'Italien.
Paris, Denis Mouchet, 1714. 12mo. With a woodcut decoration on title-page and a woodcut headpiece in text. Contemporary mottled calf, richly gold-tooled spine. Full description

€ 1,100

Richly gold-tooled red morocco binding by the Amsterdam "Bird's Head Bindery"

GUARINI, Giovanni Battista. Il pastor fido, tragicommedia pastorale ... Editione nuova, arricchita di curiose, ed utili annotazioni, e riveduta, e corretta da A.P.D.A.
Amsterdam, Franco Soudaan, 1732. 4to. Contemporary richly gold-tooled red morocco, with an elaborate arabesque central ornament in a triple panel design, crowned ornaments, flowers, acorns and stars, richly gold-tooled turn-ins, dark green title label, marbled endpapers, gilt edges (so-called "Bird's Head Bindery", Amsterdam). Full description

€ 1,750

Rare issue of Guevara's famous guide on royal lifestyle, in contemporary gold-tooled calf

GUEVARA, Antonio de. L'orloge des Princes, oeuvre de tresexcellente & admirable doctrine, pour les graves sentences, & rares hystoires, qui y sont contenues.
Paris, Jean Longis, 1550. 8vo. With publisher's woodcut device on title-page and numerous fine criblé woodcut initials in text. All text in red lines drawn by hand. Contemporary gold-tooled calf, with the letters L V B and with gold-tooled legend "OBER RATH" on front board. Full description

€ 1,500

Biography and (fake) letters of Marcus Aurelius

GUEVARA, Antonio de. T'gulden boeck, van het leven ende seynd brieven van den welsprekenden orateur ende keyser Marcus Aurelius.
Franeker, Rombertus Doyema, 1615. 8vo. With woodcut imperial coat of arms on title-page. Contemporary sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 1,250

Rare issue of a detailed account Dieppe's defeat of the Flemish in an important 1555 sea battle

[GUILLAS, Denis]. Historie de la bataille navalle faite par les Dieppois & Flamans: qui est l'une des plus furieuses & soudaines expeditions de mer, qui ayt esté entreprise de nostre temps sur les ennemis du Roy.
Paris, Estienne Denise, [1557?]. Small 8vo (15 x 10 cm). With 2 woodcut decorated initials and one cast fleuron (Vervliet, Vine leaf ornaments 173). Set in roman type with incidental italic. Finely executed late 19th-century(?) French red morocco by René Aussour, gold-tooled turn-ins, title, place of publication and date 1555 in gold in 2nd and 3rd of 6 spine compartments, gilt edges. Full description

€ 7,500

The best Syriac New Testament, with the Lexicon and extensive notes made to accompany it

GUTBIER, Aegidius. Novum Testamentum Syriacè, cum omnibus vocalibus, & versione latinâ Matthaei ita adornatâ, ut unico hoc evangelistâ intellecto, reliqui totius operis libri, sine interprete, facilè intelligi possint.
Hamburg, Aegidius Gutbier, 1664 (engraved title-page “1663”). With engraved title-page.
With:
(2) GUTBIER, Aegidius. Lexicon Syriacum, continens omnes N.T. Syriaci dictiones et particulas, cum spicilegio vocum quarundam peregrinarum, & in quibusdam tandum novit. codicibus occurrentium, & appendice, quae exhibed diversas punctationes ...Hamburg, Aegidius Gutbier, 1667. (3) GUTBIER, Aegidius. Notae criticae in Novum Testamentum Syriacum ... Hamburg, Aegidius Gutbier, 1667. 3 works in 1 volume. 8vo. Contemporary vellum. Full description

€ 2,500

Illustrated natural history textbook

HAARST, Willem van. Beschouwingen van het dierenrijk, voor jonge lieden, ter veredeling van verstand en hart.
Leeuwarden, Johannes Proost, [1828]. 3 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. With a lithographed title-page with a small illustration by D. Sluijter after H.P. Oosterhuis, and 6 folding lithographed plates, each depicting several different species of mammals, birds, fishes, insects and snakes. Original publisher's purple cloth, gold-tooled spine and blind-tooled sides. Full description

€ 500

First edition of a devotional emblem book
with an engraved title-page drawn by Rubens,
splendidly bound for the Abbot of Kremsmünster Abbey

HAEFTEN, Benedictus van. Regia via crucis.
Antwerp, Balthasar Moretus (Officina Plantiniana), 1635. 8vo (18 x 11.5 x 4 cm). With engraved title-page showing Christ, Saint Teresa of Avila and 2 unidentified men and 38 full-page emblematic engravings. Richly gold-tooled calf (ca. 1665), each board with the arms of (apparently) Abbot Placidus Buechauer (1611-1669) of Kremsmünster, gilt and elaborately gauffered edges. Full description

€ 3,950

Complete set of the Bibliotheca Belgica

HAEGHEN, Ferdinand van der and Marie-Thérèse LENGER (editor). Bibliotheca Belgica, bibliographie générale des Pays-Bas.
Bruxelles, 1964-1975. 7 volumes (including index vol.). Large 4to (28 x 21 cm). With numerous black and white illustrations. Uniform red cloth. Full description

€ 875

Attractively bound copy of the biography of a Dutch admiral in the service of Catherine the Great

HALL, Maurits Cornelis van. Het leven en karakter van den admiraal jhr. Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen.
Amsterdam, Johannes Müller, 1841. 8vo. With steel-engraved portrait of Van Kinsbergen as frontispiece and 7 plates with facsimiles of numerous signatures. Contemporary green morocco,, richly gold-tooled spine, gold-tooled boards, board edges and turn-ins, gilt edges. Bound by the Dutch court bookbinder Abraham van Rossum (active in Amsterdam 1812-1854), one of the "major binders" (Storm van Leeuwen) of that period, with his letterpress ticket on paste-down ("A.V. ROSSUM, Hof-Boekbinder"). Full description

€ 950

Bound for King Louis XV

HAMILTON, Hugh. De sectionibus conicis. Tractatus geometricus. In quo, ex natura ipsius coni, sectionum affectioens [!] facillime deducuntur. Methodo nova.
London, William Johnston, 1758. 4to. With numerous illustrations on 17 folding engraved plates. Contemporary French gold-tooled red goatskin morocco, with the arms of the French King Louis XV in the centre of each board and his crowned monogram in each compartment (except that with the title) of the spine. Full description

€ 13,000

Arabic, Persian and Turkish texts on Russia

HAMMER-PURGSTALL, Joseph von. Sur les origines Russes. Extraits de manuscrits orientaux adressés à Mgr. le Comte N. de Romanzoff, chancelier de l'Empire de Russie, dans une suite de lettres depuis l'an 1816 jusqu'à l'an 1825.
St. Petersburg, Imprimerie de l’Académie impériale des Sciences, 1827. 4to. With engraved title-page with coat-of-arms (dated 1825) and passages in Arabic type. Contemporary green half sheepskin, gold-tooled spine. Full description

€ 3,500

Rare dissertation printed on silk, in a red velvet binding

HANSWYK, Nicolaas Johannes van. Dissertatio juridica inauguralis de substitutione vulgari.
Leiden, Gerard Corts, 1764. 4to. With the title printed in red and black within an attractive engraved ornamental border by Noach van der Meer. Contemporary red velvet binding, blue silk endpapers. Full description

€ 3,400

First edition of educational Latin dialogues by the rector of the Deventer Illustre School,
a leading humanist and teacher of Erasmus and Pope Adrian VI

HEGIUS (VAN DEN HECK), Alexander. Dialogi. De scientia et eo q[uo]d co[n]tra Academicos. De tribus anim[a]e generibus. De incarnationis misterio dialogi duo quib[us] ... Dialogus physicus. De sensu et sensili. De arte et inertia. De rhetorica. De moralibus. Eiusde[m] Farrago cui addita invectiva eius in modos significandi ... Epistola una et altera eius ceteris apud suos latentibus.
(Colophon: Deventer, Richard Pafraet, 1503). Small 4to (21 x 14.5 cm). With spaces left for 3- to 5-line manuscript initials (most with printed guide letters). Set in a rotunda gothic type with the title, colophon, running heads, etc. in a larger textura gothic and the author's name in a still larger rotunda, with occasional words in Greek. With one blue "Lombardic" initial filled in in manuscript, capitals and paragraph marks rubricated throughout. Half tan sheepskin (ca. 1860?). Full description

€ 7,500

In defence of purely utilitarian ethics: a key work of the Radical Enlightenment

HELVETIUS, Claude Adrien. De L'homme, de ses facultés intellectuelles et de son éducation. Ouvrage posthume.
London [= France?], La Société Typographique, 1773. 2 volumes bound as 1. 8vo. Contemporary mottled calf, gold-tooled spine. Full description

€ 1,500

Philosophy as basis for all science

HERBART, Johann Friedrich. Ueber philosophisches studium.
Göttingen, Heinrich Dieterich, 1807. 8vo. Contemporary half calf, richly gold-tooled spine and gold-tooled crowned monogram in centre on front board. Full description

€ 750

Arabic grammar with an essay on Arabic calligraphy,
illustrated with a frontispiece and 16 fine plates

HERBIN, Auguste François Julien. Développemens des principes de la langue arabe moderne, suivis d'un recueil de phrases, de traductions interlinéaires, de proverbes arabes, et d'un essai de calligraphie orientale, avec onze planches.
Paris, Françoise-Jean Baudouin, 1803. Large 4to (30.5 x 23 cm). With 10 numbered engraved plates (5 folding) plus the engraved calligraphic Arabic title-page serving as frontispiece, and 16 folding letterpress tables. Modern tanned sheepskin. Untrimmed. Full description

€ 3,500

Catalogue of a famous auction

HEREDIA, Ricardo M. Catalogue de la bibliothèque de m. Ricardo Heredia.
Paris, 1891. 4 parts in 2 volumes. 4to. Modern half cloth. Full description

€ 750

PMM 41: "Father of History" in elegant & famous first Greek edition by Aldus Manutius, from the Arenberg library

HERODOTUS. [Historiarum] libri novem. Quibus musarum indita sunt nomina.
(Colophon: Venice), Aldus Manutius, (colophon: September 1502). Folio (29.5 x 20 cm). With Aldus's anchor and dolphin device on title-page and the verso of the last leaf. Late 19th-century blind-tooled, polished tan calf, the central panel with the arms of the Dukes of Arenberg. Full description

€ 69,500

5 rare polemical works: 3 epistles by a leading French Counter-Reformationist,
a Protestant reply and the defence against the reply

HERVET, Gentian. Epistre ou advertissement au peuple fidele de l'Eglise Catholique, touchant les differens qui sont aujourd'huy en la religion Chrestienne.
Paris, Nicolas Chesneau, 1561.
With:
(2) HERVET, Gentian. Deux epistres, aux ministres, predicans et supposts de la congregation & nouvelle eglise de ceux qui s'appellent fideles, & croyans à la parolle: ...
Paris, Nicolas Chesneau, 1562.
Including: (3) HERVET, Gentian. Seconde epistre aux ministres, predicans & suppostz de le nouvelle eglise, de ceux qui s'appellent fideles, & croyans à la parole.
Paris, Nicolas Chesneau, 1561.
(4) [TOUSSAIN, Daniel?]. Response a une certaine epistre envoyee par M. Gentian Hervet, curé de Crevant, aux fideles de l'eglise reformee d'Orleans.
[Paris?], [publisher unknown], 1561.
(5) HERVET, Gential. Apologie ou defense, contre une response des Ministres de la nouvelle eglise d'Orleans, escripte en leur nom, par Je ne sçay qui, se nommant, L'un pour tous.
Paris, Nicolas Chesneau, 1561. 5 works in 1 volume. 8vo. 18th-century(?) sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 7,500

Post-incunable edition of the travels of "the Dutch Sir John Mandeville"
visiting Egypt and the lands of Prester John

HESE (HESSE), Johannes Witte de. Itinerarius Joannis de Hese presbyteri a Hierusalem describens dispotiones terra[rum] insular[um] montiu[m] et aquar[um]. Ac etiam queda[m] mirabilia et p[er]icula per diversas p[ar]tes mu[n]di continge[n]tia lucidissime enarrans.
(Colophon: Deventer, Jacobus de Breda, 1504). Small 4to (20.5 x 14.5 cm). Rubricated throughout with the blank spaces for initials left open. Including the last blank leaf. Modern calf in period style. Full description

€ 45,000

16th-century Cologne imprints in a 1540 Breslau binding,
its tooling very well preserved

HEYNLIN DE LAPIDE, Johannes. Resolutioru[m] dubioru[m] circa celebatione[m] missarum occurrentium.
(Colophon: Cologne, Johann Landen, 1506). With a woodcut illustration of the madonna and child on the recto of the last blank and repeated on the verso of the same leaf.
With: (2) AUGUSTINUS OF LEONISSA. Sermones pulcherrimi sup[er] D[omi]nica[m] or[ati]o[n]em Pater noster et Angelicam salutat[i]o[n]em Ave Maria ...
(Colophon: Cologne, [heirs of] Heinrich Quentel, 1505). With a couple decorated woodcut initials. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. Richly blind-tooled calf in panel design, signed ("HB") and dated ("1540"), both sides with in the centre a roll of showing the crucifixion, instruments of the Passion and the resurrection of Christ, surrounded by a roll with portraits of the 4 Evangelists and the front board with the title "Resolutorium" and "XLIII". Further with 5 brass bosses on each side, brass clasps, catch plates and corner pieces (lacking 2 corner pieces on the back). Full description

€ 4,000

Introduction to reading the Bible, intended for young people

HOFFMANN, Gottfried. Außerlesene Kern-Sprüche Heiliger Schrifft, durch kurtze Fragen deutlich erkläret und nützlich angewendet, nebst einer ausführlichen Einleitung zum Bibel-Lesen ...
Leipzig, Friedrich Lankisch, 1705. 8vo. With an engraved frontispiece, title-page printed in red and black, a folding letterpress table and occasional lines in Greek and Hebrew type. Contemporary vellum, manuscript title on spine. Full description

€ 950

Honeyman’s private collection of trade catalogues

[HONEYMAN, Robert B.]. [174 trade catalogues from the collection of Robert Honeyman].
1910-1961. 37 volumes (numbered on spine in manuscript: 1-15, 20-32, 34-36, 38-40 plus three volumes unnumbered). Mostly 8vo. Collection of 174 trade catalogues plus 5 duplicates. Red cloth. Full description

€ 2,750

1472 incunable encyclopaedia of the world,
containing references to Arabia, Syria, Palestine and the Saracens

HONORIUS AUGUSTODUNENSIS (HONORIUS OF AUTUN). [Incipit:] … de ymagine mundi.
[Nuremberg, Anton Koberger, 1472(?)]. Folio (31 x 22 cm).Rubricated throughout and about half of the spaces left for initials filled in by hand in red ink. 19th-century red sheepskin. Full description

€ 45,000

Superb Humanist "Sammelband"

HORACE. [Opera] cum quattor commentarijs.
Venice, printed by Philippus Pincius for Benedictus Fontana, 1495-1496. With large woodcut printer's device on last leaf, and numerous woodcut initials.
With:
(2) PERSIUS. [Opera] cum tribus commentariis.
Venice, Giovanni Tacuino de Tridino, 4 November 1499. With woodcut printer's device on verso of penultimate leaf, and fine woodcut on title-page.
(3) JUVENALIS. [Opera] cum commento Ioannus Britannici.
Reggio Emilia, Francesco de Mazalibus, 1503. With fine woodcut at the head of text, and some woodcut initials. 3 works in 1 volume. Folio. Contemporary blind-tooled vellum over wooden boards with 2 brass clasps. Full description

€ 25,000

Late 18th-century horn-book

[HORN-BOOK]. [incipit: ABC. . .].
[The Netherlands or England?, ca. 1790?]. With oak backing (1.5×16×9 cm including the handle, face alone 11×9 cm), an italic capital alphabet (omitting J but with W and both U and V), italic lowercase vowels and a stylized flower, all printed from a woodblock(?) on laid paper (9×7 cm), mounted under a horn plate fastened by lead-strips with iron nails. Full description

€ 8,500

Two illustrated standard works on Dutch painters,
annotated by the Belgian art connoisseur
Francois-Jean-Joseph Mols

HOUBRAKEN, Arnold. De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen. ... Den tweeden druk.
The Hague, Johannes Swart, Cornelis Bouquet, Mattheus Gaillard, 1753. With engraved frontispiece, engraved author's portrait and 47 engraved plates bound in a separate plates volume.
With: (2) GOOL, Johan van. De nieuwe schouburg der Nederlantsche kunstschilders en schilderessen: …
The Hague, for the author, 1750-1751. With engraved author's portrait and 22 engraved plates (1 folding). Lacking engraved frontispiece. 2 works (in 3 and 2 parts), bound in 11 text volumes (8vo interleaved with 4to, 25.5 x 20 cm) and 2 plate volumes (8vo interleaved with small folio, 28 x 20.5 cm). Uniform late 18th-century half sheepskin parchment (ad 1) and half vellum (ad 2). Full description

€ 12,500

Famous poem with moral lessons for maidens, married women and widows

HOUWAERT, Jean Baptista. Pegasides pleyn. Ofte den lust-hof der maechden.
Volume 1: Delft, Adriaen Gerritsen, 1615 (colophon: 1614); volume 2: Leiden, Jan Paets Jacobszoon, 1611. 8vo. Volume 1 with an engraved title-page by Jan Wiericx and 8 full-page engravings by Jan Wiericx; volume 2 with the main text set in civilité type. Matching contemporary vellum. Full description

€ 3,950

Dutch edition of an influential geographical work

HÜBNER, Johann. Kort begrip der oude en nieuwe staatkundige geographie. Behelzende eene beschrijving der heerschappyen, inwelken de aarde verdeeld is: haare gelegenheid, grootte, luchts- en grondsgesteldheid, voortbrengselen, rivieren, regeeringsstaat, aart en godsdienst der inwooners,...
Amsterdam and Utrecht, Covens and Mortier and Jan Jakob van Poolsum, 1758. 8vo. Contemporary vellum. Full description

€ 2,500

Second enlarged edition of a numismatic-biographical work

HULSIUS, Levinus. Romanorum numismatum series. à C. Iulio Caesaro ad Rudolphum II. Add. est breviter ipsorum vita, aversa pars numismorum & eorundem explicatio.
Frankfurt, for the author, 1603. 8vo. With large allegorical engraving with portrait of Romulus on title-page, full-page allegorical armorial engraved plate on verso of title-page and 150 engravings of both sides of ancient coins in text. Contemporary red morocco, richly gold-tooled spine. Full description

€ 1,500

Catalogue of van Hulthem’s enormous library

HULTHEM, Charles van (A. VOISIN, cataloguer). Bibliotheca Hulthemiana ou Catalogue méthodique de la riche et précieuse collection de livres et des manuscrits.
Ghent, J. Poelman, 1836-1837. 6 volumes. 8vo. With lithographed portrait of Charles van Hulthem as frontispiece. Contemporary half goatskin. Full description

€ 2,500

Western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library

HUNT, Richard W., Falconer MADAN, P.D. RECORD et al. A summary catalogue of Western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford.
Oxford, Clarendon press, 1895-1953. 7 volumes bound as 8. 8vo. Matching blue publisher's cloth. Full description

€ 400

231 splendid large nature prints of Indian plants, printed by an experimental process

[HUNZIKER, John James]. Nature's selfprinting[:] a series of useful and ornamental plants of the South Indian flora[.] Taken from fresh specimens in facsimile colours.
Mangalore, "Botanographed and published by J. Hunziker, Basel Mission Press", 1862 (binding label: printed and published for V. P. Coelho esquire, etc.). Imperial 4to (42 x 33 cm). With 3 colour-printed preliminary leaves, and 231 nature-printed plates in several colours, printed by an experimental process transferring the image to a litho stone. Publisher's original gold-tooled green half morocco. Full description

€ 48,500

Antipapal dialogues (1520), with a lovely woodcut of Fortuna

HUTTEN, Ulrich von. Dialogi. Fortuna. Febris prima. Febris secunda. Trias Romana. Inspicientes.
Colophon: Mainz, Johann Schöffer, April 1520. Small 4to (19.5 x 14 cm). With a lovely woodcut of the blindfolded Fortuna on title-page (by Hans Weiditz?), a large woodcut initial Q (repeated twice) and several vine leaf ornaments. Printed in roman type. 19th-century half vellum. Full description

€ 3,750

Belgian view of notary's profession

HUYGENS, Jan Baptista Josephus. Notarius Belgicus oft ampt der notarissen, verdeelt in theorie ende practyque. Tweeden druck vernieuwt ende verbetert.
Brussels, Guillelmus Fricx, 1712. 8vo. With fine engraved frontispiece by Karrewijn, title-page in red and black, and a full-page engraved coat of arms of Albert de Gyspere. Contemporary calf. Full description

€ 450

Transcription and translation of a botanical text by Ibn al-Wardi

IBN AL-WARDI and Carl AURIVILLIUS. Ex opere cosmographico Ibn Alvardi particulam, ...
Uppsala, Laur. Magnus Höjer, 1752. 4to. With a large part of the text in Arabic with parallel Latin, and some Hebrew and Greek passages. Modern boards. Full description

€ 3,500

First Arabic edition of an important eyewitness account of the life of Tamerlane

IBN ARABSHAH, Ahmad ibn Muhammad. [Kitab 'Aja'ib al-maqdur fi aghbar Timur] | ... Vitae & rerum gestarum Timuri, qui vulgo Tamerlanes dicitur, historia.
Leiden, Bonaventura & Abraham Elsevier, 1636. 4to. With half-title printed in dark blue and red, title-page printed in red and black with a woodcut architectural border containing the letterpress title and (in a heart-shaped cartouche) imprint, and leaf *3 printed in red, dark blue and black. Later stiff paper wrappers. Full description

€ 25,000

First publication of the poetical masterpiece “Maqsurah”

IBN DURAID (DURAYD), Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Hasan. Poemation.
Harderwijk, Johannes Mooijen, 1768. 4to. With text in Arabic type and with Scheidius's manuscript signature at the back of the title-page. Modern bordeaux red cloth. Full description

€ 5,000

First edition of a 13th-century classic of Arabic grammar,
in 1003 verse couplets

IBN MALIK (Silvestre de SACY, ed.). Alfiyya ou La quintessence de la grammaire Arabe, ... publié en original, avec un commentaire, ...
Paris, printed by the Imprimerie Royale; London, Oriental Translation Fund (sold by Parbury, Allen & Co.), 1833. 8vo. The French title-page with steel-engraved device. Set in roman and Arabic types with incidental italic. Modern half calf in early 19th-century style, gold-tooled spine (Period Bookbinders, Bath). Full description

€ 2,500

10 Mediaeval works on health, medicine, food and wine in a rare early edition,
including notes by Ibn Sina

IBN SINA (AVICENNA), Maynus de MAYNIS, Arnaldus de VILLANOVA, [Roger BACON] et al. Regimen sanitatis Magnini Mediolanensis ... Insuper opusculu[m] De flebothomia editum ... Reginaldo de Villa Nova. Additur quoq[ue] Astronomia Hippocratis ... de variis egritudinibus et morbis. Item Secreta Hippogratis. Item Averrois De venenis. Ite[m] Quid pro quo apothecariorum ... Nicolaum ... Cum no[n]nullis insuper Avicenne: ...
[Lyon, Barthélemy Trot] (colophon: Lyon, printed by Jacques Myt, 6 February 1517). Small 4to (19 x 14 cm). With title-page in red and black with Trot's woodcut publisher's device, 12 decorated woodcut initials plus 3 repeats. 17th-century(?) calf, gold-tooled spine; rebacked with the original backstrip laid down. Full description

€ 25,000

Gheraert Leeu's first illustrated book: no copy in the Netherlands, in the tradition of Arabian Nights.

[INCUNABLE - GOUDA]. Historia septem sapientiu[m] Rom[a]e.
[Gouda, Gheraert Leeu, before 3 June 1480]. 4to (20.5 x 14 cm). With 4 full-page woodcuts plus 14 repeats. The first initial is supplied in manuscript, in a rich ornamental uncial style in red and blue with brown penwork. All other initials are supplied by hand in simple red uncials. The text is rubricated throughout. Most of the plates are lightly highlighted in yellow and red, by a contemporary hand. Contemporary limp sheepskin parchment without a spine, so that the sewing is completely visible. Kept in a modern brown half morocco clamshell box. Full description

€ 250,000

The library of the Dutch Royal zoological society

[JANSE, Gillis]. Catalogus der bibliotheek van het Koninklijk zoölogisch genootschap Natura Artis Magistra te Amsterdam.
Amsterdam, Scheltema & Holkema (back of the title-page: printed by Roeloffzen & Hübner), 1881. Large 8vo (26 x 17 cm). Publisher's original illustrated boards, cloth spine. Full description

€ 175

Calligraphic copybook by a 14-year-old Dutch boy in 1761

JONG, Jacobus de. Geschriften.
Noordwijk-Binnen, 1761. Oblong folio (21 x 33 cm). Manuscript calligraphic copybook in brown ink on paper, with a calligraphic title-page followed by sample texts (mostly from the Old and New Testament) in Dutch in a roundhand script with decorative flourishes, and verses by Jacob Cats on the outside of the first and last leaves, the last illustrated with a penwork father, son and a large fish eating a small fish. Side-stitched, with the first leaf and last leaf serving as wrappers. Full description

€ 1,750

Most important work of the mysterious and controversial Anabaptist David Joris

JORIS, David. T'Wonder-boeck: waer in dat van der wereldt aen versloten gheopenbaert is.
[Vianen, printed by Dirck Mullem and distributed via a merchant in Emden, 1584]. 4 parts in 1 volume. Folio. With a half-page engraving of the Lamb of God in part 1, a spectacular full-page engraving of the nude bride of Christ in part 3 (by Hieronymus Wierix) and an engraved landscape with the way to eternal life in the sky in part 3. Blind-tooled calf over wooden boards (ca. 1645), each board in a panel design with three ornamental rolls, 2 brass clasps and catchplates with engraved decoration. Full description

€ 12,500

Dutch Anabaptist heretic burned in Basel three years after his death

JORIS, David (subject). David Georgen ausz Holand deß Ertzkätzers warhafftige Histori, seines Lebens, unnd verfürischen Leer, . . .
Basel, (colophon: printed by Hieronymus Curio, September 1559), 1559. Small 4to. With 2 large woodcut gothic decorated initials (56 mm). Set in schwabacher types with incidental fraktur and the year of publication in Roman numerals. Disbound. Full description

€ 3,500

An Orangist-Prussian account of the patriot revolution (quashed 1787),
in the form of a satire for children in biblical language

JOSSEL, Rabbi. Kronik der Kinder der Preussen und der Kinder der Holländer. Beschrieben in biblischer Sprache.
"Utrecht" [= Altona?], 1788. 8vo. With engraved frontispiece, titled: "Es lebe Oranien", woodcut vignette on title-page and at the end, and a woodcut headpiece. Contemporary paper wrappers. Full description

€ 650

First collected edition of three classical writers,
set in an Aldine-style italic

JUSTINUS, Marcus Junianus. Trogi Pompei externae historiae in compendium ab Justino redactae.
Including:
PROBUS, Aemylius [recté NEPOS, Cornelius]. De vita excellentium imperatorum liber.
VELLEIUS PATERCULUS, Caius. Historiae Romanae duo volumina, ...
(Colophon: Florence, Philippo Giunta, 1525). 3 works published as 1. 8vo. With Giunta's woodcut device on the title-page and a nearly identical one on the verso of the otherwise blank last leaf. Set in an Aldine-style italic, with numerous spaces with guide letters where manuscript initials could be filled in (left blank in the present copy). Dark green gold-tooled morocco (ca. 1833?), the with AAR-monogram of Antoine Augustin Renouard, gold-tooled board edges and turn-ins, pink watered-silk endleaves, matching ribbon marker, gilt edges. Attributed to the Bradel family in Paris, probably Antoine Louis François Bradel. Full description

€ 5,000

Artist's book on trees, the sixth publication of the Kaldewey Press

KALDEWEY, Gunnar A. Trees.
(colophon: Poestenkill, New York, Kaldewey press), 1988. Oblong folio (48 x 61 cm). With 17 linecut-monoprint illustrations on hand-coloured backgrounds. Spine of Brazilian rosewood. Kept in a wooden box with two ties and a paper label on the front. Full description

€ 1,950

Rare first edition of Thomas à Kempis in Arabic

KEMPIS, Thomas à. De imitatione Christi libri quatuor, de Latino in Arabicum versi a P.F. Coelestino à S. Liduina [= Petrus Golius]. ...
Rome, Propaganda Fide, 1663. 8vo. With the title in Arabic and Latin in a frame built up from cast fleurons, woodcut Propaganda Fide device on the back of the title-page. With the main text set in Arabic type and the preliminaries also in roman and italic. Gold-tooled red morocco (1838?), each board with a large and elaborately decorated cross in the centre, blue watered silk endleaves, gilt edges. Full description

€ 25,000

300 models for weaving cloth in various patterns and colours,
printed from the plates of the 1771 first edition

KIRSCHBAUM, Johann Michael. Neues Weberbild- und Musterbuch, ... zur Beförderung der edlen Leinen- und Bildweberkunst, und zum Nutzen und Vergnügen angehender Meister und Gesellen, auch anderer Liebhaber der Weberkunst, auf 74 Kupfertafeln ... Fünfte Original-Ausgabe.
Heilbronn, Classische Buchhandlung, 1836. Oblong folio (21 x 32 cm). With 74 numbered engraved plates showing about 300 patterns for weaving. Contemporary half tanned sheepskin, tiger marbled sides. Full description

€ 3,500

The education of a prince

KOLBE VON WARTENBERG, Johann Casimir. Väterliche Instruction an seine Kinder, nummehr zum dritten mahl auffgeleget,...
Berlin, Johann Michael Rüdiger, 1704. With richly engraved allegorical frontispiece by I.W. Heckemaur, title-page printed in red and black, full-page engraved portrait of the author, and woodcut vignette on separate title for the genealogy of the House of Kolbe von Wartenberg.
With: (2) WAGENSEIL, Johann Christoph. Erziehung eines jungen Prinzen, der vor allen studieren einen Abscheu hat, dass er dennoch gelehrt und geschickt werde. Leipzig, Johann Heinichens Wittwe, 1705. With title-page printed in red and black and fine engraved headpiece to the text. 2 works in 1 volume. 4to. Contemporary vellum. Full description

€ 2,250

Botanical almanac for women and girls,
with illustrated title-page and 14 flower plates, all hand-coloured

[KRAUSS, Johan Carl]. Almanach der kruid-kunde voor het Jaar 1800. Tot onderrichting en vermaak voor het schoone geslacht, als ook voor die genen die de eerste beginselen der kruidkunde beöefenen.
Amsterdam, Jan Barend Elwe, [1799]. 12mo. With engraved title-page and 14 botanical flower and herb plates, all hand-coloured. Contemporary stiff, yellow paper wrappers. Full description

€ 950

Botany for women and girls
with 2 illustrated title-pages and 36 flower plates, all hand-coloured

[KRAUSS, Johan Carl]. Eerste beginselen der kruid-kunde IIde[-IIIde] deel. Tot onderrichting en vermaak voor het schoone geslacht, als ook voor die genen die de eerste beginselen der kruidkunde beöefenen.
Amsterdam, Jan Barend Elwe, 1810. 2 (of 3) volumes. 12mo. With 2 engraved title-pages, and 36 botanical flower and herb plates: 4 in volume 2 and 32 in volume 3. Contemporary boards covered with the original publisher's engraved paper. Full description

€ 950

On Ibn Khaldun's cultural history

KREMER, Alfred von. Ibn Chaldun und seine Culturgeschichte der Islamischen Reiche.
Vienna, Karl Gerold's son (back of title-page: Adolf Holzhausen), 1879. 8vo. With 4 leaves with Arabic text. Contemporary paper wrappers. Full description

€ 1,750

A geographical description of Java

KUSSENDRAGER, Reinder Jan Lambertus. Natuur- en aardrijkskundige beschrijving van het eiland Java.
Groningen, J. Oomkens, 1841. 8vo. With a lithographed title-page. Original publisher's green lithographed boards. Full description

€ 500

Popular school book on astronomy

LACAILLE (LA CAILLE), Nicolas Louis de. Lectiones elementares astronomiae, geometriae, et physicae, ex editione Parisina anni 1755 in Latinum traductae a C.S(chefer) e S.J. Including: Appendix, complectens Praecipuas Mutationes, quas Auctor in Ultima Editione Parisina anno 1761 fecit, et in Latinum convertit C.S(chefer) e S.J.
Vienna, Prague, Johann Thomas Trattner, 1757-1762. 2 parts in 1 volume. 4to. With woodcut vignette on 2 title-pages, 10 folding engraved plates in text. Contemporary vellum. Full description

€ 1,950

Colour-printed mezzotint of human intestinal wall: pioneering work of 4-colour printing

[LADMIRAL, Jan] and Bernard Siegfried ALBINUS. Dissertatio de arteriis et venis intestinorum hominis.
Leiden, Dirk Haak; Amsterdam, Jacob Graal, Hendrik de Leth, 1736. 4to. With woodcut vignette on title-page and colour mezzotint printed from 4 plates (3 colours plus black, ca. 17 x 12.5 cm) by Jan Ladmiral pasted on inside of back wrapper, with green margin and gilt border. Later stiff brown paper wrappers. Full description

€ 9,500

Colour-printed mezzotints of the brain of an unborn child: pioneering work of 4-colour printing

LADMIRAL, Jan and Frederik RUYSCH. Icon durae matris in concavâ superficie visae, ex capite foetus humani ... desumtae.
With: (2) LADMIRAL, Jan and Frederik RUYSCH. Icon durae matris in convexâ superficie visae, ex capite foetus humani ... desumtae.
Leiden, Dirk Haak; Amsterdam, Jacob Graal, Hendrik de Leth, 1738. 2 volumes. 4to. With 2 title-pages, each with the same engraved illustration by l'Admiral (a seated skeleton left, facing a putto on a table with specimens in jars of fixative right, the sun at the putto's hand), and each with a different colour-printed mezzotint, each printed from 4 plates (3 colours plus black, ca. 17 x 12.5 cm) by Jan Ladmiral after Frederik Ruysch, pasted on inside of back wrapper, with green background and gilt border. Later stiff paper wrappers. Full description

€ 12,500

Manual on the art of drawing, including the famous series of plates by Crispijn de Passe

LAIRESSE, Gerard de and Crispijn de PASSE. Les principes du dessein; ou methode courte et facile pour aprendre cet art en peu de tems.
Amsterdam, Leipzig, Arkstée & Merkus, 1746. Large folio (43.5 x 27 cm). Title-page with an allegorical engraving by C. Huyberts after Lairesse's design, with 120 numbered engraved plates by various artists and engravers and 11 half-page engravings by Lairesse in the text. Contemporary half calf. Full description

€ 15,000

Gerard de Lairesse's famous drawing manual, with 8 engraved plates

LAIRESSE, Gerard de. Grondlegginge der teeken-konst, zynde een korte en zeekere weg om door middel van de geometrie of meetkunde, de teeken-konst volkomen te leeren. ... Tweede druk.Including: SEGNER, Johann Andreas. Beschryving van twee verscheide zeer bekwame en zuinige als mede het gezicht bewarende lampen, ...
Amsterdam, Gerrit Tielenburg, 1766. 4to. With a engraved illustration on title-page, 8 engraved plates (including one mezzotint) and 6 engravings in text, mostly after designs by the author, and ad 2 with 3 folding engraved plates. Contemporary richly gold-tooled calf, gilt edges. Full description

€ 1,500

Rare French manual to learn Russian

LANGUEN, Jacques. Petit manuel Russe à l'usage des étrangers.
St. Petersburg, Senat for N. Worobieuffl, 1819. 8vo. Bound in a later green buckram, original orange painted wrappers preserved. Full description

€ 1,750

Important obstetrical work by a famous French midwife,
with 26 colour-printed engravings

LE BOURSIER DU COUDRAY, Angélique Marguerite. Abbrégé de l'art des accouchemens, dans lequel on donne les préceptes nécessaires pour le mettre heureusement en pratique. On y a joint plusieurs observations intéressantes sur des cas singuliers. Ouvrage très-utile aux jeunes sages-femmes, & généralement à tous les élèves en cet art, qui desirent de s'y rendre habiles.
Saintes, Pierre Toussaints, 1769. 8vo. With an engraved author's portrait by J. Robert and 26 engraved plates printed in 3 colours (black, red and beige) by J. Robert and P. Chapparre. Contemporary gold-tooled calf. Full description

€ 4,000

On arithmetics and clocks

LECHNER, Johann Baptista. Facillima artis arithmeticae methodus, das ist: sehr leichter Unterricht und Lehr-Art, der höchst-nothwendigen und nutzbaristen Rechen-Kunst ... zum neunten mal in den Druck gegeben.
Augsburg and Innsbruck, Joseph Wolff, 1752. 8vo. Contemporary calf. Full description

€ 500

Rare revised and enlarged edition of an important practical handbook for notaries

LEEUWEN, Simon van. Notarius publicus, dat is: de practycke ende oeffeninge der notarissen.
Including: Woorden-boeck, waer inne allerhande konst- ende bastaert-woorden, tot de pracktijcque des notarischaps en andere rechts-oeffeninge behoorende, uyt Hugo de Groot, Hooft, Huygens, Vondel, ende andere, soo oude als nieuwe tael-schriften, op 't nauwkeurighste werden vertaelt, ...
Dordrecht, Abraham Andriesz (colophon: Dordrecht, printed by Nicolaes de Vries, 1658). Small 8vo (14.5 x 9.5 cm). With engraved frontispiece showing two gentlemen visiting a notary's office. Contemporary vellum. Full description

€ 1,750

Revived Mediaeval prophesies supposedly predicting
the fall of the Ottoman Empire

LEO VI (the Wise) of Byzantium and Antonius SEVERUS of Rome (attributed). Vaticinium Severi, et Leonis Imperatorum, in quo videtur finis Turcarum in praesenti eorum imperatore, una cum aliis nonnullis in hac re Vaticiniis ...
Brescia, Pietro Maria Marchetti, 1596. Small 8vo (14.5 x 10 cm). With 16 numbered engraved emblematic illustrations. Contemporary limp sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 4,500

Revived Mediaeval prophesies supposedly predicting the fall of the Ottoman Empire

LEO VI (the Wise) of Byzantium and Antonius SEVERUS of Rome (attributed). Vaticinium Severi, et Leonis Imperatorum, in quo videtur finis Turcarum in praesenti eorum imperatore, una cum aliis nonnullis in hac re Vaticiniis. | Profetia di Severo, et Leone Imperatori, nella quale si vede il fine de Turchi nel presente loro Imperatore, con alcune altre profetie in questo proposito.
Brescia, Pietro Maria Marchetti, 1596. Small 8vo (15 x 10 cm). With Marchetti's woodcut anchor and dolphin device (imitating Aldus's) on the title-page and 16 numbered engraved emblematic illustrations (plate size 8.5 x 6.5 cm). Early 18th-century gold-tooled calf. Full description

€ 4,500

In an embossed binding designed by the author, turning the boards into sundials

LE ROYER, Jacques. Oeuvres . . . [with a note above the title: "Dico opera mea Regi."].
Including: LE ROYER, Jacques. Traité des influences divisé en deux parties. Premiere . . . Des influences des cieux, & des astres . . . Deuxie'me . . . Des influences, & vertus occultes des estres terrestres.
Paris, R.J.B. de la Caille (printed [by Nicolas Motays] in Avranches), 1678. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. With engraved device on title-page, a full-page engraved astrological sundial, 14 woodcuts in the text, depicting apparatus set up for laboratory experiments, astrological diagrams, etc. Contemporary tanned sheepskin over boards, designed by the author. The front board, back board and spine have been embossed with three different engraved plates sundials, emblems and extensive lettering. The plate for the spine includes emblems for Louis XIV (sun), the Dauphin (dolphin) and others. In a modern red morocco box. Full description

€ 60,000

A rare Czech translation of a Turkish chronicle

LEUNCLAVIUS, Joannes. Kronyka Nowa O Narodu Tureckem, na dwa Djili rozdelena.
Prague, Daniel Adam, 1594. 2 volumes bound as 1. Small 4to (19.5 x 15.5 cm). With the title-page of volume 1 printed in red and black, and the colophon with large woodcut printer's device; the 2nd volume with woodcut ornament on the title-page, and the colophon with a woodcut vignette. Contemporary blind-tooled vellum, with 2 leather straps with brass clasps (later). Full description

€ 6,500

Collection of various texts concerning Japan,
by the chief official of Dejima

LEVYSSOHN, Joseph Henry. Bladen over Japan, ... (Met eene afbeelding van Decima).
The Hague, Belinfante brothers, 1852. 8vo. With a large lithographed folding bird's eye view of Dejima (32.5 x 46), with the Dutch flag coloured by hand, inserted in a pocket on the front paste-down, lithographed by Elias Spanier, the Hague, after J. Lobatto. Rebacked in black half sheepskin, modern endpapers. Full description

€ 5,000

Catalogue of the impressive Bibliotheca Lindesiana

[LINDSAY, James]. Bibliotheca Lindesiana. Catalogue of the printed books preserved at Haigh Hall, Wigan Co. Pal. Lancast.
Abdereen, Aberdeen University Press, 1910. 4 volumes. Folio. Original publisher's cloth, tops gilt. Full description

€ 875

12 of Lipsius's most important works: on ancient Rome, his “Mirror of Princes” and his letters,
all published during his lifetime by Plantin’s son-in-law and successor

LIPSIUS, Justus. [Collection of 12 important works, mostly on ancient Rome].
Antwerp, Officina Plantiniana/Jan Moretus, 1596-1605. 12 editions (many in multiple parts) in 3 volumes. Large 4to (27.5 x 19.5 cm). Uniform blind-tooled pigskin (ca. 1610) over bevelled beechwood(?) boards, each board in a panel design with three decorative borders, showing 4 biblical scenes, 4 biblical portraits and 4 profile heads in roundels alternating with 4 shields. Each volume with 2 brass fastenings. Full description

€ 6,500

Drawing of a scene on the Coromandel Coast
for an engraving in a book by Johann Georg Jacobi

LIPS, Johann Heinrich. Die Küste Coromandel.
[Zürich, 1803]. Pen drawing (10.3 x 6.3 cm) in grey ink with washes on paper (12.5 x 8.5 cm), signed by the artist in the lower right corner of the illustration and with the title in pencil in the lower margin. The whole mounted on a larger paper leaf (with notes: "dessin no 522" and "Lips f." in ink), with a passepartout and in a gilt wooden frame. Full description

€ 6,500

German psalms, hymns and catechism, in a splendid, contemporary richly gold-tooled Amsterdam red morocco binding

LOBWASSER, Ambrosius. Die psalmen Davids, nach französischer Melodey in teutsche Reymen gebracht ... Auch andere Psalmen und geistliche Lieder, wie solche in den evangelischen Kirchen gebrauchet werden. Samt dem Chur-Pfalz. Catechismo und Kirchengebeten.
Including: LUTHER, Martin and Johannes HABERMANN. Psalmen Davids samt den Kirchen-Gesängen und geistlichen Liederen ...
Amsterdam, Henricus Weststein, 1698. 3 parts in 1 volume. Narrow 12mo (13.5 x 7 cm). With an engraved frontispiece and letterpress music notes. Contemporary Dutch richly gold-tooled red morocco, sewn on 4 cords, richly gold-tooled sides, spine and board edges, gilt and gauffered edges and marbled endpapers. Full description

€ 1,750

With 18 coloured plates of poisonous plants

LÖRCHER, Christian F.E. Die wichtigsten Giftpflanzen Deutschlands in illuminirten Abbildungen mit erläuterndem Texte, nebst Angabe ihrer Wirkung und geeigneter Mittel in Vergiftungsfällen, für Schule und Haus. Dritte Auflage.
Ulm, F. Ebner (back of title-page in text volume: printed by G. Sellmer), 1857. 2 volumes. 8vo (text) and 4to (plates). With 18 hand-coloured, folded lithographed plates (36.5 x 23.5 cm) of poisonous plants (17) and fungi (1). Text volume sewn, the spine covered with green paper; plates loosely inserted in pulpboard folder covered with the original publisher's printed paper wrappers. Full description

€ 425

Second copy located of 1524 edition of Erasmus's translation of Lucianus's Dialogues

LUCIANUS Samosatensis. Complures Lucani dialogi à Desiderio Erasmo Roterodamo utriusq[ue] linguae doctissimo in latinum conversi, & à Nicolao Buscoducensi illustrati, additis Fabularum & difficilium vocabulorum explanationibus. cum tabula. Distichon ab Hadriano Barlando lusum Graecia me genuit, nuper facundus Erasmus trastulit in latium, munere plaude puer. Levini Linii Endecasyllabon ad pueru[m] emptore[m].
(Colophon: Antwerp, Michiel Hillen van Hoochstraten, 1524). Small 8vo (15 x 10.5 cm). With the main text set in an Aldine-style italic, the long commentary following each dialogue in a "Basel"-style roman and 2 words in Greek. 18th-century half vellum. Full description

€ 5,950

17th-century engraved book on mathematics & fortification

LUDERS, Theodoric. Traicté mathematique contenant les principales definitions, problemes et theoremes d'Euclide. l'Arithmetique decimale. . . . La fortification Hollandoise. Francoise. Italienne. Et Espagnolle.
Paris, [Jean Jombert], 1680. With engraved title-page, engraved table, and 34 numbered engraved plates (11 double-page).
With: (2) LUDERS, Theodoric. Traité d'arithmetique contenant les reigles necessaires aux marchands, banquiers, changeurs, &. financiers: . . .
Paris, [Jean Jombert], 1680. 2 works in 1 volume. Large folio (50×34.5 cm). Contemporary mottled calf, richly gold-tooled spine (rebacked with original backstrip laid down). Full description

€ 9,500

Attractive zoological atlas

LUMNITZER, Johann Georg. Naturhistorische Tafeln des Thierreichs nebst systematischem Namensverzeichnisse der darauf enthaltenen Gegenstände in lateinischer, deutscher, französischer, italienischer, ungarischer, polnischer und englischer Sprache ... Nach der Natur und den besten Hilfsmitteln entworfen und gezeichnet von ... Lumnitzer.
Vienna, Heinrich Friedrich Müller, 1825. Oblong folio (37 x 53 cm). With 7 hand-coloured engraved plates with almost 1,000 figures, mammals (77), birds (138), amphibians and reptiles (60), fishes (72), insects (507), and shells and other invertebrates (255). Contemporary half calf. Full description

€ 3,750

One of the earliest books printed in the Middle East

LUQMAN.

Fables de Loqman, surnommé Le Sage. Edition arabe, accompagnée d'une traduction française, et précédée d'une notice sur ce célèbre fabuliste.
Cairo, Imprimerie Nationale, an VIII [1799]. Small 4to (20.5 x 14 cm). 19th-century half cloth.

Full description

€ 18,500

A great compendium of canon law, finely printed in Antwerp for the English market

LYNDWOOD, William. Provinciale seu constitutiones Anglie: cum summarijs, atque justis annotationibus, politissimis caracteribus, summaque accuratione rursum reuise, atque impresse.
Including: BADIUS, Jodocus (Josse BADE). Tabula indices.
London, Franciscus Bryckman (colophon: Antwerp, printed by Christoffel van Ruremund, 20 December 1525). 2 parts in 1 volume. Folio. With two title-pages, each in a woodcut border. The first shows above heaven with the holy trinity surrounded by the heavenly population, and below the world with the pope and the king kneeling before the church, surrounded by the clergy; on the second title-page the coat of arms of England, a Tudor rose with the “IHS” and Saint George and the dragon. Printed in black and red throughout. Contemporary calf in modern slipcase. Full description

€ 7,000

Educational work on materials and products,with 34 hand-coloured lithographed plates

MAASKAMP, Evert. Museum voor de jeugd, met gekleurde afbeeldingen.
Amsterdam, Evert Maaskamp, 1806. 2 volumes. With a lithographed frontispiece in the first volume and 33 lithographed plates (numbered I-XXXIII), all coloured by a contemporary hand. Contemporary reddish-brown boards. Full description

€ 1,250

Three very rare 16th-century humanist school books

MACROPEDIUS, Georgius. Adamus Macropedii fabula Christianae pietatis plaena. In qua "koozikoos" oste[n]ditur, quo pacto lapsus homo post multas multorum saeculorum calamitates et miserias per Christum ab initio promissum, tandem[ue] mundo exhibitum, saluti restituitur.
Utrecht, Herman van Borculo, 1552.
With:
(2) Sententiae singulis versibus contentae, ex diversorum poëtarum sententiis Graecis, Latinae redditae.
[Colophon:] Antwerp, Johannes Loeus, 1544.
(3) ERASMUS, Desiderius. [Drop title:] Christiani hominis institutum.
Including: ISOCRATES. [Drop title:] Ad demonicum paraenesis.
[Antwerp, Jan Verwithagen?, 1551?]. With a large woodcut device on the last page. The Erasmus is a complete work extracted from an edition also containing other works and therefore lacks the general title-page and begins with quire G. 3 works in 1 volume. Small 8vo (13.5 x 9 cm). 18th-century gold-tooled calf. Full description

€ 4,500

Two leading 16th-century textbooks on letter writing, published together

MACROPEDIUS, Georgius. Methodus de conscribendis epistolis, ... secundum veram artis rationem tradita ...
Cologne, heirs of Arnold Birckmann, 1570. Small 8vo (15.5 x 10.5 cm). Contemporary limp sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 1,950

One of the very rare stock lists of Maggi, an Italian publisher and trader of maps

MAGGI, Giovanni Battista. Catalogo di alcune fra le migliori e piu' recenti carte geografiche e topografiche.
Turin and Florence, Giovanni Battista Maggi (colophon: Turin, Tipografia Moretti), [ca. 1862]. 8vo. With the title-page printed on the front wrapper and included in the page count (21, [1] pp.). Original printed title-wrappers. Full description

€ 850

Extensively illustrated do-it-yourself guide to plane and solid geometry

MALCONETI, Jacobi. Selbst-lehrende Geometrie, oder neue und kurtze institutiones mechanicae, stereometriae, et geodaesiae.
Frankfurt am Main, Johan Adolph & Philipp Wilhelm Stock, 1700. 4to. With engraved frontispiece by Joseph a Montalegre, title-page in red and black with woodcut publisher's device, with 1 engraved illustration plate, 24 woodcut plates containing 26 illustrations (on folding leaves, full-page leaves and smaller slips) and about 275 woodcut illustrations in the text. Contemporary sheepskin parchment. Full description

€ 2,750

14th-century tales of travels in Turkey, the Middle East, Near East, India and the East Indies
illustrated with about 60 woodblocks

MANDEVILLE, John [= Jehan d'OUTREMEUSE]. The voyages & travels of Sir John Mandevile, Knight, … to the Holy Land, and to Hierusalem: as also to the lands of the Great Caan, and of Prestor John: to Inde, and divers other countries: ...
London, Richard Chiswell, Benjamin Walford, Matthew Wotton, George Conyers, 1696. 4to. With a woodcut ship on the title-page and about 60 woodcut illustrations in the text (mostly about 5.5 x 8 cm) plus about 10 repeats. Gold-tooled, red goatskin morocco by Robert Riviere in London (ca. 1875/80), one of England's best binders. Full description

€ 22,500


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Book History, Education, Learning & Printing