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The greatest fencing manual of all time, with 45 enormous double-page illustration plates, beautifully coloured in 1629 by the painter David Bailly, associated with the author and the Elzeviers

THIBAULT, Gerard. Academie de l'espée ... ou se demonstrent par reigles mathematiques sur le fondement d'un cercle mysterieux la theorie et pratique des vrais et jusqu'a present incognus secrets du maniement des armes a pied et a cheval.
[Amsterdam?, Thibault heirs?, printed in Leiden by Bonaventura and Abraham Elzevier, sold in Frankfurt by Lucas Jennis], "1628" [= 1629]. 2 parts in 1 volume. Royal 1mo (53.5 x 41 cm). With an elaborate engraved title page with; engraved portrait of the author (drawn by David Bailly after his own painting); 9 full-page engraved armorial plates, 1 full-page and 45 double-page numbered illustration plates, and hundreds of large woodcut arabesque initial letters, headpieces, tailpieces and factotums, at least most of them specially made for this book. With 2 text leaves in a meticulously pen-drawn, 18th-century(?) facsimile. With all plates beautifully coloured by the painter David Bailly with highlights in gold and silver. Contemporary(?) vellum over boards (modified in the 18th century), with the velvet covering and metal bosses and fastenings removed, dark blue edges. With tissues guards loosely inserted before the coloured plates. With a dedicatory inscription on the front free endleaf to Henri de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, by the colourist David Bailly, signed from Antwerp, 17 March 1629. Also with a carefully hand-lettered contemporary note to the reader at the foot of the dedication page. [4], [222]; [54], pp. + engraved title page and other plates. Full description
€ 675,000
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First edition of one of the very few travelogues on Japan from the 18th century

THUNBERG, Carl Peter. Resa uti Europa, Africa, Asia, förrättad åren 1770-1779.
Uppsala, tryckt hos directeur. Joh. Edman, 1788-1793. 4 volumes. 8vo. With 11 engraved plates (1 folding, 9 full page, and 1 in the text). Contemporary or slightly later gold-tooled quarter brown calf, with a beige morocco title label on the spine, lettered in gold, a volume number lettered in gold underneath, sprinkled paper sides, blue sprinkled edges. [26], 389, [1]; [32], 384; [14], "414" [= 402]; [36], "341" [= 339], [1 blank] pp. Full description
€ 2,250
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Thunberg's renowned account of his voyage to the Cape of Good Hope and Japan

THUNBERG, Carl Peter. Travels in Europe, Africa and Asia, made between the years 1770 and 1779.
London, printer for F. and C. Rivington, and sold by W. Richardson, 1795. 4 volumes. 8vo. With an engraved frontispiece, and 10 engraved plates (1 folding, 9 full page). Contemporary gold-tooled tree-marbled brown calf, with a red morocco title label on the spine, lettered in gold, a volume number lettered in gold underneath, gold-tooled board edges, blue sprinkled edges. [2], xii, 317, [3 blank], [18]; xiv, [2], 316, [15], [1 blank]; xiii, [3], 285, [1 blank], xv, [1 blank], 31, [1 blank]; xix, [1 blank], [4], 293, [1], [17], [1 blank] pp. Full description
€ 1,250
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Harlequin with a black head: 34 prints in 2 series, coloured by a contemporary hand

XAVERY, Gerard Joseph. Het nieuw geopend Italiaans tóneel, vertonende de wonderlijke ziekte bezwangerheid en baring van Arlequin: benevens de opvoeding van des zelfs jongen zoon.
With: (2) XAVERY, Gerard Joseph. Het Italjaansch tooneel voortreffelijk in 16 verbeeldingen uytgevoert ..., verrijkt met Nederduytsche en Fransche vaarzen door Florentius H. J. van Halen.
Amsterdam, Petrus Schenk II, [1728?] & [1735?]. Royal 4to (30.5 x 26 cm). With 2 engraved title prints, each followed by 16 numbered prints (pictorial images ca. 15 x 19 cm; plate size ca. 23.5 x 21 cm), with verses engraved in the feet of the plates. With all 34 engravings coloured by a contemporary hand and varnished, probably for the publisher. Contemporary vellum. [1], 16; [1], 16 engraved ll. Full description
€ 25,000
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