Book History, Education, Learning & Printing / Greek & Non-Western Types

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. 158, [2] pp. Full description

AL-ZAMAKHSHARI and Jens Peter BROCH. Al-Mufassal, opus de re grammatica Arabicum.
Oslo, W.C. Fabritius, 1859. 8vo. Near contemporary cloth with title in gold on spine, covered with protective plastic. 229, [5] pp. Full description

[ARABIC-SCRIPT PRINTER’S WOODBLOCK]. Hand-cut woodblock bearing the text "Safr Nishd al-nishad li-Süleyman ..." (Book of the Song of songs of Solomon) in naskh Arabic script.
[Probably Ottoman provinces, mid-18th century (ca. 1750)]. A single hand-cut woodblock (17 x 9 x 2.2 cm, with protrusions to the left and right making it wider - 11 cm - near the head to accommodate the wider 2nd line) intended for use as printing block, with 6 lines of text, together with an inked impression on 18th century paper (16.5 x 10.5 cm). Full description

[BELIGATTI, Giovanni (Cassiono Da MACERATA)]. Alphabetum Tangutanum sive Tibetanum.
Rome, Propaganda Fide, 1773. 8vo. With a folding table, printer's device on title-page and an elaborate woodcut tailpiece after the preliminaries. Modern vellum, green title label. XVI, 138, [2] pp. Full description

BELLARMINO, Roberto. Dottrina Cristiana composta dall...
Rome, Propaganda Fide, 1786. Large 4to. With 4 woodcuts on 3 plates, 1 full-page woodcut on the back of the title-page, and a few woodcut initials, factotums and decorations, as well as frames, factotums and decorations built up from arabesque and rococo typographic ornaments. Set in three columns in Ethiopic, roman and Arabic type. Contemporary vellum, gold-tooled spine title, red sprinkled edges. 97, [1] pp. Full description

[BIBLE - NEW TESTAMENT - GREEK]. ESTIENNE, Robert, editor. Tῆò Káéíῆò ÄéáèÞêçò ἅπáíôá [Tes Kaines Diathekes Apanta] = Novum Jesu Christi D.N. Testamentum Ex Bibliotheca Regia.
Paris, Robert Estienne, King's printer, 1550. Folio (35 x 24 cm). With a Greek and Latin title-page including Estiennes woodcut basilisk device as Kings printer (and 1 repeat), his woodcut olive tree device on the otherwise blank last page (N6v), 3 single-piece decorated architectural frames with putti, etc. (plus 3 repeats) for the tables of the Eusebian canons for the Gospels, 9 woodcut headpieces and 21 decorated woodcut initial letters (plus numerous repeats). Set almost entirely in the three sizes of Claude Garamonts famous Greek printing types, known as the Grecs du Roi, and the first use of the largest size. The present copy has been richly decorated, probably around the time it was bound, not just by colouring Estiennes woodcut devices (the basilisk in gold), decorative frames, headpieces and initials, but also by adding extensive decorations in rococo style, the whole using a large number of mostly bright colours plus gold and silver. Gold-tooled black sheepskin, the gold-tooled spine with the title, publisher and date in the 2nd and 6th of 7 compartments in roman capitals, gold-tooled board edges and turn-ins, gilt and richly gauffered edges, Dutch combed and curled endpapers. [32], “272” [= 268], 202, [2] pp. Full description

[BIBLE - PSALMBOOK]. PSALTERION Prophetou kai Basileoos tou David [in Greek type] - Davidis Regis ac Prophetae Psalmorum Liber. Ad exemplar Complutense.
Antwerp, Christopher Plantin, 1584. 16mo (11,8 x 8 cm). With woodcut printer's device on the title-page, text is partially printed in Greek. Late seventeenth-century dark brown calf, with gold-stamped coat of arms of Pierre-Daniel Huet on both covers and gold-tooled dubbel-lined borders on covers and spine, (remnants of) red speckled edges. 267, [13] pp. Full description

CSOMA DE KORÖS, Alexander (Sándor KORÖSI CSOMA). A grammar of Tibetan language in English. Prepared, under the patronage of the government and the auspices of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
Calcutta, the Baptist Mission Press, 1834. Small folio (27 x 20 cm). Printed in Tibetan and English, complete with a 40-page syllabic schema of the Tibetan language and the Tibetan alphabet in Bámyik, Bruts'ha and Lánts'ha characters. 20th-century red cloth, title in gold on spine. XII, 204, [1 blank], 40, [1 blank] pp. Full description

[AUTOGRAPHS]. 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]. 20 letters [4] pp. each (some including blanks); 1 letter [1, 1 blank] pp.; list of publications [4] pp. Full description

[EAST INDIA COMPANY]. [TIPU SULTAN, Zaman Shah DURRANI, NAPOLEON BONAPARTE and others]. Official documents, relative to the negotiations carried on by Tippoo Sultaun, with the French Nation, and other foreign states, for purposes hostile to the British nation; to which is added, proceedings of a Jacobin club, formed at Seringapatam, by the French soldiers in the corps commanded by M. Dompart, with a translation ... Printed by order of the ... Governor General ...
Calcutta, Honorable Companys Press, 1799. Super Royal 4to (33.5 x 25 cm). Never bound, but side stitched through 3 holes. XX, [2], 195, [1] pp. Full description

ERPENIUS, Thomas. Grammatica Arabica; cum varia praxios materia, cujus elenchum versa dabit pagella.
Leiden, Johannes Maire, 1656. 2 parts in 1 volume. 4to. Mid 19th-century half tan calf, gold- and blind-tooled spine. [12], 172, “282” [= 284] pp. Full description

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. [80] ll. Full description

FRANK, Othmar Chrestomathia Sanskrita, quam ex codicibus manuscriptis, adhuc ineditis, Londini exscripsit, atque in usum Tironum versione, expositione, tabulis grammaticis etc. illustratam edidit ...
Munich, typographice ac lithographice opera et sumtibus propriis, 1820-1821. 2 parts in 1 volume. Large 4to (22 x 25,5 cm). With 6 lithographed plates (4 folding). Original temporary grey boards as issued. XII, 194, [2]; [4], 147, [3] pp. Full description

GONZALES DE MENDOÇA, Juan. Historia de las cosas mas notables, ritos y costumbres del Gran Reyno de la China, sabidas assi por los libros de los mesmos Chinas, como por relacion de religiosos y otras personas que an estado en eldicho reyno.
Antwerp, Pierre Bellère I, 1596. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. With a woodcut printer's device and some woodcut initials. With a few (woodcut?) Chinese characters in the text. Contemporary mottled calf. [24], 380, [1], [1 blank] pp. Full description

[GREAT BRITAIN - ARABIC]. Civil service commission pamphlet containing the question papers of the preliminary and interpretership tests in Arabic used at an examination held in June 1938 of officers of the Army and Air Force. Crown copyright reserved.
London, printed and published at Her Majesty's Stationary Office, 1938. Folio. Printed in English and Arabic. Original publisher's printed paper wrappers, in later blue paper wrappers. 10 pp. Full description

[BIBLE - NEW TESTAMENT - SYRIAC]. GUTBIER, Aegidius. Novum Testamentum Syriacè...
Hamburg, Aegidius Gutbier, 1664 (engraved title-page "1663").
With:
(2) GUTBIER, Aegidius. Lexicon Syriacum, continens omnes N.T. Syriaci dictiones et particulas...
Hamburg, Aegidius Gutbier, 1667.(3) GUTBIER, Aegidius. Notae criticae in Novum Testamentum Syriacum... Hamburg, Aegidius Gutbier, 1667.
3 works in 1 volume. 8vo. With an architectural title-page, a woodcut vase of flowers on the letterpress title-page and decorations built up from typographic ornaments. With woodcut decorated initials and other decorations built up from typographic ornaments throughout the volume. Set in roman, italic and Syriac types, with incidental Greek and Hebrew. Contemporary vellum, manuscript title on spine. [32], “606” [= 604]; [16], 146, [50]; 55, [1] pp. Full description

[HUSSEIN BIN ALI, Sharif of Mecca and Frederick Stanley MAUDE]. The king of Hedjaz and Arab independence ... together with the proclamation issued at Baghdad by Lieut.- General Sir Stanley Maude, after the occupation of that city by the British forces.
London, Hayman, Christy and Lilly Ltd., 1917. 8vo. With a photographic portrait of Hussein bin Ali for frontispiece and a folding facsimile proclamation (38 x 28 cm). Original stapled wrappers with red lettering on front wrapper. 14, [1], [1 blank] pp. Full description

IGNATIUS of ANTIOCHIA. [In Greek:] Toi en agiois ieromartiros ignatioi archiepiskopioi antiocheias, epistolai. (In Greek).- Antiochiae, & martyris epistolae, prosus apostolicae. (In Latin).
Antwerp, Christoffel Plantin (ad 1 colophon: 8 August), 1566. Small 8vo. With Plantins woodcut compasses device on each title-page and a couple decorated woodcut initials. Set in italic and Greek type.
With: IDEM. Antiochiae, & martyris epistolae, prorsus apostolicae.
Antwerp, Christoffel Plantin, 1566. Contemporary calf. 69, [1 blank]; 78 pp. Full description

[LECTIONARY - SYRIAC]. [JOSEPH DAVID, Clemens]. Lectionarium Syriacum seu collectio orationum et lectionum quae in horis canonicis per totum anni decursum excepto jejunio quadragesimali ab ecclesiae Syriacae clero adhiberi solent.
Mosul, typis Fratrum Praedicatorum (= Dominican printing office), 1879. Folio. With a Latin title-page set in roman type and a Syriac title-page set in Syriac type, both within a red and blue ornamental frame. Preliminary leaves also set within a red ornamental frame. Text set in Syriac type and printed in black and red. With a few religious illustrations throughout the text. Contemporary half blue sheepskin, blue cloth sides, gold-tooled spine lettered (in Syriac) in gold, marbled endpapers. 648 pp. Full description

KÁLIDÁSA. Vikramorvasi; or Vikrama and Urvasi: a drama. ... With a commentary, explanatory of the Prákrit passages.
Calcutta, printed at the Education Press, Circular Road, 1830. Large 8vo. Except for the title-page, the book is entirely in the Prákrit language and set in a single size of Devanagari type. Contemporary half calf. [4], 122 pp. (numbered in Prákrit). Full description

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. 62, [2 blank] pp. Full description

LUQMAN al-Hakim (notes by Thomas ERPENIUS). Fabulae et selecta quaedam Arabum adagia. Cum interpretatione latina & notis Thomae Erpenii.
Leiden, Joannes Maire (colophon: "excudebat" Willem Christiaens van der Boxe, "typis" Johannes Janssonius), 1636. 4to. With Maire's woodcut device on the title-page and Van der Boxe's woodcut device above the colophon. Early 19th-century boards covered with blue brocade paper. 60, [2] pp. Full description

MOLÉ, Joseph. Épreuves de caractères Arabes, gravés et fondus par Molé Jeune, sous la direction de M. L. Langlès.
Paris, (back of title-page: Imprimerie d'Éverat), 1823. 4to. Modern boards. 14 ll. Full description

MUHAMMAD ALI UTAY. [Egyptian ABC book].
[Cairo, ca. 1925]. 8vo. Illustrated throughout with numerous black and white illustrations in the text. The title-page with a frame of foliage (oval inside, rectangular outside) and part of its text printed from a woodblock. Further with a portrait of King Fuad I of Egypt and illustrations of animals, etc. Original publishers printed-paper wrappers, matching the title-page but with the frame in green and the text in red. 46, [2 blank] pp. Full description

NICANDER of Colophon and Jean de GORRIS. Alexipharmaca. Io. Gorraeo Parisiensi medico interprete.
Paris, Michel de Vascosan, 1549. 8vo. Contemporary sheepskin parchment. 70, [1] ll. Full description

NORBURY, Paul Fitzgerald. An abridged Arabic grammar with one hundred and fifty simple conversational scentences and a vocabulary of two thousand five hundred words.
Aden, printed at the Aden Special Prison Press, [1917]. Square 8vo. Printed in English and Arabic type. With a tipped-in paper slip on the title-page: "Since the issue of the first edition it has been possible to test this grammar in regard to its utility in Mesopotamia. The result has been to confirm the correctness of the claim made in para four of the preface". Original publisher's printed hard board covers with red cloth spine. IV, 68 pp. Full description

OLIVEIRA, Custodio José de. Diagnosis typografica dos caracteres gregos, hebraicos, e arabigos, addiccionada com algumas notas sobre a divisão orthografica da linguage latina, e outras da Europa, ...
Lisbon, Impressão Regia, 1804. 4to. Text set in roman, Hebrew, Greek and Arabic type. With a small Portuguese woodcut coat of arms on the title-page and 4 engraved plates on 2 leaves bound at the end of the book. Later blue paper wrappers. 72, [14], VIII pp. plus [2] ll. with engravings. Full description

OTHO, Georg. Palaestra linguarum orientalium, hoc est: quatuor primorum capitum Geneseos, I. Textus originalis tam ex Judaeorum quàm Samaritanorum traditionibus. II. Targumim seu paraphrases orientales praecipuae, nempe I. Chaldaicae, (Onkelosi, Jonathanis et Hierosolymitana) II. Syriaca, III. Samaritana, IV. Arabica, V. Aethiopica, VI. Persica. Omnia cum versione Latinâ ...
Including: OTHO, Andreas. Glossarium linguarum orientalium octuplex: Hebraicum, Chaldaicum, Syriacum, Samaritanum, Arabicum, Aethiopicum, Persicum et Rabbinicum ...
Frankfurt am Main, published by Friedrich Knoch, printed by Martin Jacquet, 1702. 4to. With one woodcut initial. Set in roman, Arabic, Hebrew, Samaritan and Ethiopic types. 2 parts in 1 volume. Nineteenth-century half calf with marbled sides. [18] 140, 147, [3] pp. Full description

[QURAN - ARABIC & LATIN]. MARRACCI, Ludovico, ed. Alcorani textus universus ex correctioribus Arabum exemplaribus summa fide, ... Eadem fide, ... in Latinum translatus; appositis unicuique capiti notis, atque refutatione: ...
[vol. 2 title:] Refutatio Alcorani, in qua ad Mahumetanicae superstitionis radicem securis apponitur; ...
Padova, Typographia Seminaria, 1698. 2 volumes bound as 1. Folio (35.5 x 25 cm). Blind-tooled vellum (ca. 1800?), reusing and retooling vellum from a slightly earlier blind-tooled binding. [5], [1 blank], 45, [2], [1 blank], 46, [2], 81, [3], 94, [10], 126, [3] [1 blank] [13], [1 blank]; [8], 17, [3], “838” [= 836], [11], [1 blank] pp. Full description

ROORDA, Taco. Grammatica Arabica, breviter in usum scholarum academicarum conscripta ... Adiuncta est brevis chrestomathia, edita et lexico explanata a P. Cool.
Leiden, Samuel and Johannes Luchtmans, 1835. 8vo. Text set in Roman and Arabic type. Contemporary quarter brown cloth, marbled paper sides, a paper label with the name of the author and the title printed in black on the spine. VIII, 298, [32] pp. Full description

SCALIGER, Joseph Justus and Thomas ERPENIUS. [Kitab al-Amthal] seu proverbiorum Arabicorum centuriae duae.
Leiden, Frans van Ravelingen, 1614. 4to (16 × 20 cm). Ad 1 with a woodcut printers device on the title-page, woodcut initials and tailpieces. Ad 2 with a woodcut printers device on the title-page, woodcut tailpieces and woodcut ornamental frames around typographic Arabic initials. With:
(2) Cogitata nova de [kari] Psalm XXII, 17 & Jes. XXXIIX, 13 censurae philologorum committet ho elachistos ton philologounton.
[ca. 1615?].
(3) [BIBLE - NEW TESTAMENT - ARABIC]. ERPENIUS, Thomas (editor). [Risalat Bulus al-rasul ila ahl Rumija]. Pauli apostoli ad Romanos epistola, arabice.
Leiden, Typographia Erpeniana, 1615. Contemporary marbled calf. [8], 126, [2 blank]; [8]; [48] pp. Full description

SCALIGER, Joseph Justus. Opus de emendatione temporum: hac postrema ed., ex auctoris ipsius ms., emend., magnáque acces. auctius. Add. veterum Graecorum fragmenta selecta.
Including: Computus Arabicus ecclesiae Antiochenae.
Geneva, Pierre de la Rovière, 1629. Folio. With title-page printed in red and black and with woodcut printer's device and several woodcut initials. Set in roman and italic types with long passages set in Greek, Arabic and Hebrew and shorter passages in Syriac. The long passages in Samaritan and Ethiopic, printed from meticulous woodblocks. Contemporary blind-tooled vellum. [1], [1 blank], [1], [1 blank], [9], [1 blank], LII, [4], 784, [46], [2 blank], 59, [1 blank] pp. Full description

SCHNURRER, Christian Friedrich von. Bibliotheca Arabica.
Halle, I.C. Hendel, 1811. 8vo. Set in roman types, with occasional passages in Arabic, Hebrew, Syriac and Greek. Contemporary calf, gold-tooled spine. XXI, [3], 518, [515]-529, [1] pp. Full description

SCHULTENS, Albert. Institutiones ad fundamenta linguæ Hebrææ.
Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár, Klausenburg), Sándor (Alexander) Szathmári Pap, 1743. 4to. Set in roman and italic types with extensive Hebrew, incidental fraktur, Greek (2 sizes) and Arabic, and one 3-letter word in Samaritan. Contemporary gold-tooled sprinkled tanned sheepskin, each board with the Diesbach Belleroche coat of arms, probably a son of Nicolas de Diesbach Belleroche (1668-1735) in Switzerland. [30], 501, [84], [1 blank] pp. Full description

SIKE (SIECKE), Heinrich (editor). Evangelium infantiae. Vel liber apocryphus de infantia servatoris. Ex manuscripto edidit, ac latina versione & notis illustravit ...
Utrecht, François Halma, Willem vande Water, 1697. 8vo. With the main text in Arabic with a parallel Latin translation on the facing pages. Contemporary vellum. [22], 161, [7], 93, [1], [2 blank] pp. Full description

SIMPLICIUS of Cilicia. Commentarius in Enchiridion Epicteti, ex libris veteribus emendatus. Cum versione Hieronymi Wolfii, et Cl. Salmasii animadversionibus, et notis quibus Philosophia Stoica passim explicatur & illustratur.
Leiden, Johannes Maire, 1640. 4 parts in 1 volume. 4to. With three title-pages. Set in roman, Greek and Arabic types. Contemporary French pointillé binding in the style of "Le Gascon", richly gold-tooled in concentric panels on both covers, and in the six compartments of the spine, the second with the title. [20], 332, [12]; [1], [1 blank], 329, [23]; [34], 88, 15 pp. Full description

SOMMERHAUSSEN, Hartog. Hebreeuwsch spel- en lees-boekje voor eerstbeginnenden.
Amsterdam, Belinfante & Comp., J. van Embden & son, S.A. Proops, 5570 [=] 1810. 2 parts in 1 volume. Small 8vo (15.5 x 9.5 cm). With the authenticating oval stamp at the foot of the last page of the main text in part 2. Set in roman and italic type with 3 sizes of (sephardic) meruba Hebrew plus alphabets of rabbinical (semi-cursive), Yiddisch and script Hebrew types, and printed on Dutch wove paper. Publisher's original yellow, printed paper wrappers over thin boards. 24, [1], [1 blank]; 28, [1], [1 blank] pp. Full description

[STEWART, Charles]. An introduction to the study of the Hindostany language as spoken in the Carnatic. Compiled for the use of the company of gentlemen cadets on the Madras Establishment at New Town Cuddalore.
[Cuddalore], Government Press, 1808. 4to. With a small woodcut tailpiece. Modern half calf, marbled sides, red spine label. New endpapers. [IV], 193, [1] pp. Full description

TAGORE, Sourindro Mohun (Saurindra Mohana THAKURA). A few specimens of Indian songs.
Calcutta (Kolkata), published by the author, printed by I.C. Bose & Co. (The Stanhope Press), 1879. Royal 8vo (23.5 x 15 cm). Set in Devanagari (for Sanskrit and Hindi), Bengali (for Bengali) and roman types with incidental italic and textura gothic. The present copy has the dedication leaf for Lord Robert Bulwer-Lytton, Viceroy and Governor-General of India, printed in blue with an elaborate red border built up from typographic ornaments. Contemporary gold-tooled green sheepskin, made in Calcutta for the author, probably for presentation, each board with a decorative roll outer border, a thick-thin inner border with 4 large waterlily cornerpieces, the front board with the author's family crest and motto, the back board with an ornamental centrepiece, title in the 2nd of 5 fields on the spine, the others with decorations, gold-tooled board edges and turn-ins, gilt edges. [1], [1 blank], [1], [1 blank], 113, [1 blank] pp. Full description

THEOCRITUS, HESIOD, and others. [Indication of contents in Greek followed by Latin:] Haec insunt in hoc libro. Theocriti Eclogae triginta. Genus Theocriti & De inventione bucolicorum. Catonis Romani sententiae paraeneticae Distichi. Sententiae septem sapientum. De invidia. Theognidis megarensis siculi sententiae Elegiacae. Sententiae monostichi per capita ex variis poetis. Aurea carmina Pythagorae. Phocylidae Poema admonitorium. Carmina Sibyllae erythraeae De Christo Jesu domino n[ost]ro. Differentia vocis. Hesiodi Theogonia. Eiusdem Scutum Herculis. Eiusdem Georgicon libri duo.
Venice, Aldus Manutius, February "1495" [=1496]. Folio. With 8 fine woodcut headpieces (2 by the famous Poliphilus master) plus 29 repeats, and 23 woodcut outline interlaced initials (3 series: 3-line, 5-line and 7-line) plus 16 repeats. Modern red morocco, gold- and blind-blocked. [140] ll. Full description

ULLAMUDEIAN (translator), Visvanatha SASTRIYAR (compiler) and Henry Richard HOISINGTON (editor and translator). [Sothi Sastra]. The Oriental astronomer: being a complete system of Hindu astronomy, accompanied with a translation and numerous explanatory notes. With an appendix.
Jaffna, Ceylon [= now Sri Lanka], American Mission Press, 1848. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. Printed in both Tamil and English, with numerous scientific, astronomical tables in the text. Including: [IDEM]. A complete system of Hindu astronomy, being a translation of the foregoing work.
Jaffna, American Mission Press, 1848.
Contemporary half red morocco and marbled paper sides, with a gold-lettered black morocco title label on the spine and blue sprinkled edges. [1], [1 blank], [1], [1 blank], 177, [3 blank]; [1], [1 blank], 145, [1 blank], [1], [1 blank] pp. Full description

ULPIANUS of Emesa and Valerius HARPOCRATION. Commentarioli in olynthiacas, philippicasque Demosthenis orationes. Enarrationes saneque necessariae in tredecim orationes Demosthenis. ...Dictionarium decem Rhetorum. [preceded by the titles in Greek].
(Colophon: Venice, heirs of Aldus Manutius, and his father-in-law Andrea Torresano dAsola [& sons], June) 1527. Folio (31 x 21 cm). With Aldus's famous woodcut dolphin device on the title-page and an older but very similar version on the verso of the otherwise blank last leaf. Set in Greek type (the Upianus in 1 column; the Harpokation in 2 columns) with incidental roman. Recased in 18th-century vellum over flexible boards. 119, [1] ll. Full description

VASIF EFENDI, Ahmed. Mahasin ül-âsâr ve hakayik ül-ahbar.
Bulaq, Bulak matbaasi, 1246 AH [= 1830 CE]. 2 volumes bound as 1. 4to. Contemporary calf with later paper label; later marbled paper on the spine. In Turkish, with the main text set in a naskh Arabic type, with a woodcut decoration and decorations built up from typographic ornaments at the opening of the main text (incorporating a woodcut heading in Arabic script). 14, 210, [1 blank], 7, 190 pp. Full description

VESDIN (VEZDIN), Filip (PAULINUS A SANCTO BARTHOLOMAEO). Viaggio alle Indie Orientali umiliato alla Santita di N. S. Papa Pio Sesto pontefice massimo ...
Rome, Antonio Fulgoni, 1796. 4to. With 12 engraved illustration plates (6 with 2 illustrations each to make 18 in total), engraved roundel portraits of Pope Pius VI (on the title-page) and the author (above the opening of the main text) and some small woodcut illustrations of "Indian hieroglyphs". Set in roman and italic types with occasional words in Greek, Arabic, East Syriac, Devanagari and more extensive texts in Malayalam, plus a Malabar song with a double staff made with built-up round-head music notes. 19th-century maroon half sheepskin. XX, 404 pp. Full description

VOGÜÉ, Melchior de. Syrie centrale. Inscriptions sémitiques publiées avec traduction et commentaire.
Paris, J. Baudry, 1868. Folio With 16 plates reproducing inscriptions, plates 1-4, 6, 7, 12, 14 and 15 are engravings and plates 5, 8-11, 13 and 16 are lithographs. All are after drawings by Melchior de Vogüé and all except no. 12 were engraved or lithographed by E. Roussaux and printed by J. Grandjean in Paris. Plate no. 12 was engraved by L. Dardel and printed by Lamoureux in Paris. With additional illustrations in the text and parts of the text in Hebrew, Arabic, and Greek type. Modern half calf, marbled boards, silver lettering on spine. [4], II, [2], 132 pp. Full description