Dante AlighieriMareMagnum
2006La Divina Commedia di Alfonso d'Aragona (Divine Comedy of Alfonso of Aragon). Londra, British Library, Ms. Yates Thompson 36. Sontuoso manoscritto miniato della Divina Commedia di Dante Alighieri. Realizzato a cavallo del XV secolo, nel nord Italia, da due maestri miniatori: Priamo della Quercia e Giovanni de Paolo. Illustrato con 110 miniature inquadriate nei margini inferiori, tre grandi iniziali istoriate con cornici floreali all’inizio dei tre canti, numerose iniziali foliate e tutte le iniziali delle strofe minori delimitate con colori intensi e dorature splendenti. Legatura in velluto di seta con borchie e medaglione centrale e bindelle di chiusura. Formato 26x37 cm. Pagine 380 (190 fogli). Commentario, in due volumi (formato 25x32 cm. 340 pagine totali), a cura di Milvia Bollati. Pregiato cofanetto di custodia. Tiratura limitata e numerata a 750 copie. Condizioni ottime.
2002Il Virgilio Riccardiano (Ms. Ricc. 492). Vergilius Publius Maro: Bucolicon, Georgicon, Aeneis Biblioteca Riccardiana, Firenze. ArtCodex, Modena, 2002. Riproduzione in facsimile delle Bucoliche, Georgiche, Eneide di Virgilio con miniature che rappresentano il viaggio di Enea ambientato città di Firenze al tempo di Lorenzo il Magnifico. Legatura in pelle con cornici di filetto impresse a secco sui piatti. Formato 20x31 cm. Pagine 512. Commentario (21x31 cm. pagine 173) in italiano. Cofanetto in legno pregiato, formato 34x44x13 cm. Tiratura limitata e numerata di 999 copie. Condizioni ottime.
ref. 679Istanbul: Ertuğ & Kocabıyık Publications 2000. New. Hardcover. Cloth bdg. Hand-bound by experienced craftsmen in Switzerland. 24x38 cm. In Ottoman Turkish facsimile Turkish transcription and English. 3 volumes set: 352 p. facsimile; 308 2 p. Turkish transcription; 51 2 p. English. Colour ills. First edition. Limited edition. This is a limited edition of 1500 copies handbound in distinctive Japanese cloth embossed with patterns selected from imperial Ottoman textiles and printed on acid free paper. This volume is number 1362. In publisher's special slip case. A miniature-illustrated manuscript of an 18th Century Festival in Ottoman Istanbul The original of this outstanding work which is in the library of the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul contains 137 brilliantly-colored miniatures by Levni the renowned painter of the court of Ahmed III 1703-1740. The miniatures illustrate a fifteen-day festival held on the occasion of the circumcision of four of the Sultan's sons in 1720. Surname-i Vehbi follows in the longstanding Ottoman tradition of preparing specially written and illustrated books to commemorate festivities that took place on special occasions such as royal births weddings and the like. These celebrations were marked by activities that included parades musical performances circus acts and fireworks displays all of which were brilliantly captured and executed by Levni in his miniatures. With one exception the miniatures in this striking volume cover two pages. The text for the book was composed by Vehbi a famed court poet and appears in full in this facsimile edition. A transcription of the original Ottoman text by Dr. Mertol Tulum and a translation into English by Robert Bragner are provided in a separate volume.Introduction essays by two Turkish scholars; Dr. Kuban and Dr. Yerasimos provide the reader a deeper understanding of the Ottoman society. For the facsimile edition a specially produced paper was used to duplicate the appearance and texture of the original volume. State-of-the-art reproduction and printing techniques were employed to ensure that this facsimile edition is a faithful copy of this distinguished work. Hand-bound by experienced craftsmen this is a limited edition of only 1500 copies. Ertuğ & Kocabıyık Publications hardcover
ref. 124219India probably Delhi circa 1870. . 9 miniature paintings on ivory ink and gouache depicting the historical landmarks of India 8 small oval shapes c. 35 x 45 mm around a slightly larger oval of the Taj Mahal c. 50 x 60 mm; each individually under glass glazing to one miniature cracked in silver mounts inlaid onto bespoke carved ebony frame total c. 275 x 310 mm. A lovely group of magnificently painted views of the important landmarks in Delhi and the Punjab including views of the Taj Mahal Qutub Minar and the Red Fort likely produced for export in Delhi around 1870 AD. India, probably Delhi, circa 1870. unknown
1500Pergamena miniata cm 26 x 39 originariamente appartenente a rilegatura raffigurante al piatto anteriore l'immagine di una figura chimerica, poggiante sul verde di un prato con fondo rosso, compresa in una bordura a filetto in rosso, e al piatto posteriore una decorazione in rosso e blu, presumibilmente ottenuta a mezzo di stampino compresa in doppio filetto rosso e blu. Un altro filetto in rosso degna lo spazio del dorso compreso tra i due piatti. La pergamena, che originariamente avrebbe potuto ricoprire un registro (con buona probabilita' l'animale fantastico potrebbe essere simbolo di un'impresa araldica), fu riutilizzata nel XVII secolo, sfruttando la parte al verso come copertura di un volume a stampa. Questa pergamena dovrebbe rientrare, in particolare per quanto riguarda la decorazione al piatto posteriore, tra i rari esempi di 'legatura a stampo' veneziana, in uso appunto in questa citta' gia' nel XVI secolo. Questa tipologia ornamentale, abbandonata per quasi due secoli, verra' ripresa nella meta' del XVIII secolo, in particolare dai Remondini di Bassano, per la realizzazione delle loro celebri carte xilografiche. Una simile legatura, seppur datata come produzione del XVIII secolo, risulta documentata in: G. Bologna, Legature, Milano, 1998, p. 137.
1490ref. ST20853France ca. 1490. 144 x 99 mm. 5 5/8 x 3 3/4". Single column recto with 14 lines in a gothic book hand. Attractively matted and framed. Rubrics in red two two-line initials one painted pink on blue ground with flowers the other painted blue and inhabited by a rampant lion on pink and gold ground recto with a panel border featuring long-stemmed flowers and owls on a pink ground verso WITH A HALF-PAGE ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURE DEPICTING PENTECOST WITH A FULL BORDER featuring a plethora of different flowers berries greenery songbirds an owl and a butterfly all ON A RICHLY PAINTED GOLD GROUND. Trimmed close on one side and just grazing a border on the opposite side very minor chipping to faces trivial signs of rubbing or wear otherwise a fine leaf--colorful bright and very pleasing to the eye. This leaf contains the customary Pentecost miniature associated with the Hours of the Holy Spirit but with several attributes that set it apart from other examples we have encountered. The miniature here depicts a densely crowded scene with the Virgin at the center surrounded by the apostles each of whom wears a burnished gold halo. Packed tightly together they gaze up at a white dove who emanates small red tongues of fire above their heads. According to biblical tradition this visitation by the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove enabled Christ's disciples to start preaching marking the beginning of the Christian Church. The artist favors an unusual pastel palette choosing pale pink for the walls and eggshell blue for some of the floor tiles as well as bright yellow muted lilac rose and lime green for the robes of the apostles. Looking more closely at the figures we see that each face is carefully individualized each with its own features and expressions. Although most crane their necks to get a view of the miracle unfolding one of the apostles looks directly out at the viewer as if surprised by our presence. Moving outside the miniature we note that the leaf features a particularly exuberant border with tangles of flowers fruit acanthus leaves and several birds including an owl in one corner. There is additional interest on the verso with another bright border painted an intense pink and filled with more flowers and owls. unknown books
1490ref. ST20853France ca. 1490. 144 x 99 mm. 5 5/8 x 3 3/4". Single column recto with 14 lines in a gothic book hand. Attractively matted and framed. Rubrics in red two two-line initials one painted pink on blue ground with flowers the other painted blue and inhabited by a rampant lion on pink and gold ground recto with a panel border featuring long-stemmed flowers and owls on a pink ground verso WITH A HALF-PAGE ARCH-TOPPED MINIATURE DEPICTING PENTECOST WITH A FULL BORDER featuring a plethora of different flowers berries greenery songbirds an owl and a butterfly all ON A RICHLY PAINTED GOLD GROUND. Trimmed close on one side and just grazing a border on the opposite side very minor chipping to faces trivial signs of rubbing or wear otherwise a fine leaf--colorful bright and very pleasing to the eye. This leaf contains the customary Pentecost miniature associated with the Hours of the Holy Spirit but with several attributes that set it apart from other examples we have encountered. The miniature here depicts a densely crowded scene with the Virgin at the center surrounded by the apostles each of whom wears a burnished gold halo. Packed tightly together they gaze up at a white dove who emanates small red tongues of fire above their heads. According to biblical tradition this visitation by the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove enabled Christ's disciples to start preaching marking the beginning of the Christian Church. The artist favors an unusual pastel palette choosing pale pink for the walls and eggshell blue for some of the floor tiles as well as bright yellow muted lilac rose and lime green for the robes of the apostles. Looking more closely at the figures we see that each face is carefully individualized each with its own features and expressions. Although most crane their necks to get a view of the miracle unfolding one of the apostles looks directly out at the viewer as if surprised by our presence. Moving outside the miniature we note that the leaf features a particularly exuberant border with tangles of flowers fruit acanthus leaves and several birds including an owl in one corner. There is additional interest on the verso with another bright border painted an intense pink and filled with more flowers and owls. unknown
ref. 112941India probably Bundi circa 1780 AD. . Single leaf illuminated manuscript on paper in Sanskrit with illuminated miniature in the text lightly rubbed overall bright and attractive unexamined out of frame 205 x 115 mm; mounted and framed Germany gallery label to verso. An attractive manuscript leaf from a dispersed eighteenth-century manuscript of the Gita containing the heading for the seventh chapter of the text reading 'Gyan-Vigyan Yoga Namm Seventh Chapter'. The miniature set on a beautiful outdoor terrace next to a running stream shows a dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjun. India, probably Bundi, circa 1780 AD. unknown
ref. 124136India probably Delhi circa 1870. . 9 miniature paintings on ivory ink and gouache depicting the historical landmarks of India 8 small oval shapes c. 30 x 40 mm around a slightly larger oval of the Taj Mahal c. 45 x 65 mm; each individually under glass in silver mounts inlaid onto bespoke carved ebony frame brass stand to reverse total c. 180 x 240 mm. A lovely group of magnificently painted views of the important landmarks in Delhi and the Punjab including views of the Taj Mahal the Tomb of I'tmad ud-Douala Akbar's Tomb Agra Fort Safdarjung's Tomb Humayun's Tomb Qutub Minar Darbar Sahib likely produced for export in Delhi around 1870 AD. India, probably Delhi, circa 1870. unknown
1520ref. 82NHM8O8K9DUFlanders Bruges or Nürnberg 1520. Miniature painted on vellum 7.8 x 5.6 cm in numerous colours highlighted with gold and in a gold border probably from a book of hours but with no text. A finely rendered miniature showing great detail in bright colours highlighted with gold depicting the Arrest of Christ most likely from a diminutive book of hours. Surrounded by a bustling throng of Roman soldiers carrying spears and wearing halberds Christ appears calm just at the moment when a soldier takes him captive. An elder of the Jewish Temple stands directly behind him dressed in red. To the right stands Simon Peter sword raised having cut off the ear of the High Priest's servant Malchus who sits nursing his bleeding ear in the lower left corner of the composition. An earlier episode Christ's Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane when he learns that one of his disciples will betray him appears in the background at left. A genre scene with men working the fields and crossing a river on a narrow plank bridge occupies the middle ground to the left of the main scene and the towers of a castle or city the middle ground to the right.The general style recalls the art of the last generation of Ghent-Bruges painters especially that of the famed Simon Bening. Though the anonymous artist owes much of his style to Bening's model he was most likely German. The acidic palette bright yellow juxtaposed with blue and lime green and the facial types remarkably expressive even at this tiny scale recall Nürnberg painters in the circle of Glockendon. It is worth remembering that Bening himself collaborated with several Nürnberg painters whose presence in Flanders is thus confirmed.With some fine superficial cracks and an occasional tiny abrasion mostly near the edges but generally in good condition. A lovely miniature of Christ's arrest rendered in remarkably fine detail.l For the general style: U. Merkl Buchmalerei in Bayern in der ersten Hälfte des 16. Jahrhunderts 1999. hardcover
1824Seconda edizione. Testo Italiano e Latino. Roma, 1824; ril. in tela, pp. 48, 62 tavv. b/n, cm 40x53. italiano A ril.
ref. ST17060VFrance probably Besançon 3rd quarter of 15th century. 239 x 165 mm. 9 3/8 x 6 1/2". Single column 15 lines in an elegant gothic book hand. Rubrics in dark pink line-enders in dark pink and blue with a gilt bezant several one-line initials in burnished gold on dark pink and blue ground with white tracery one three-line initial in blue with white tracery filled with flowers painted pink or blue all on a gold ground verso with panel border of delicate hairline vines terminating in gilt bezants and ivy and with a spray of blue flowers and a red bud recto with A FULLY-REALIZED HALF-PAGE MINIATURE OF A BURIAL in an arch-topped gilt frame with two laymen lowering a shrouded corpse into the ground a small group of hooded monks to the left and two ecclesiastical figures reading from a book to the right all in front of a gothic church painted pink with a blue roof SURROUNDED BY A FULL BORDER consisting of hairline vines terminating in gold bezants and ivy colorful acanthus strawberries and blue flowers the text below the miniature further framed with a thin "U"-shaped line extending the full height of the miniature. A very few trivial imperfections quite minor wear to paint on clothing a little insignificant smudging one small light stain in the blank margin of verso but these defects not the least distracting and overall the miniature in fine condition with rich well-preserved color. This is a splendid miniature from a particularly large Book of Hours showing a detailed rendering of a scene from contemporary Medieval life--that of a burial in a churchyard involving clergy mourners and laymen. Apart from those relatively few copies with illustrated calendars the miniatures found in Books of Hours are almost entirely devoted to retrospective Bible scenes that are obviously outside the experience of the illuminator; it is only in the present kind of scene at the beginning of the Office of the Dead that we can see a contemporaneous image that would have come directly from the Medieval experience. While our painting is fairly typical in subject matter and design it offers a number of interesting details about the Medieval rites and rituals surrounding death. The present scene represents the final stage preceded by the funeral procession Requiem Mass prayers Absolution and the procession into the graveyard in which the body is actually laid to rest in the ground. Though the corpse would have been encased in a coffin during the aforementioned rites and processions it was customary to bury the dead in only a shroud in the present example the artist has even thought to show the stitching along the length of the shroud. Three groups of people each serving a different function appear in this miniature: in the foreground are two laborers lowering the body into an earthen grave a small group of mourners in black cloaks stand off to the left and a duo of clergy members stand to the right. The latter have tonsured heads and each wears a black cope donned prior to administering Absolution to the deceased; together they hold a manuscript containing the Rites for Burial. The background is composed of a grand church or cathedral containing a number of fine architectural details including several windows including a clerestory level an arched entrance a dome and decorative touches. Stylistically this leaf can be localized to the Franche-Comté region in eastern France and is closely related if not directly attributable to an atelier specializing in Books of Hours made for the Use of Besançon and most likely situated in that city see Avril and Reynaud p. 197. The similarities are especially apparent in the figures' faces which are slightly puffy in appearance and have distinct slit-like eyes. As noted by Avril and Reynaud the unnamed master of this atelier was deeply indebted to the Master of Morgan 293 a talented Burgundian illuminator active in the second quarter of the 15th century whose name derives from a particularly lovely Book of Hours made for the Use of Besançon. Whoever the artist responsible for the present miniature this work is an excellent representation of a distinct regional style extremely attractive and replete with interesting details that connect us to the Medieval experience. unknown books
ref. ST17060VFrance probably Besançon 3rd quarter of 15th century. 239 x 165 mm. 9 3/8 x 6 1/2". Single column 15 lines in an elegant gothic book hand. Rubrics in dark pink line-enders in dark pink and blue with a gilt bezant several one-line initials in burnished gold on dark pink and blue ground with white tracery one three-line initial in blue with white tracery filled with flowers painted pink or blue all on a gold ground verso with panel border of delicate hairline vines terminating in gilt bezants and ivy and with a spray of blue flowers and a red bud recto with A FULLY-REALIZED HALF-PAGE MINIATURE OF A BURIAL in an arch-topped gilt frame with two laymen lowering a shrouded corpse into the ground a small group of hooded monks to the left and two ecclesiastical figures reading from a book to the right all in front of a gothic church painted pink with a blue roof SURROUNDED BY A FULL BORDER consisting of hairline vines terminating in gold bezants and ivy colorful acanthus strawberries and blue flowers the text below the miniature further framed with a thin "U"-shaped line extending the full height of the miniature. A very few trivial imperfections quite minor wear to paint on clothing a little insignificant smudging one small light stain in the blank margin of verso but these defects not the least distracting and overall the miniature in fine condition with rich well-preserved color. This is a splendid miniature from a particularly large Book of Hours showing a detailed rendering of a scene from contemporary Medieval life--that of a burial in a churchyard involving clergy mourners and laymen. Apart from those relatively few copies with illustrated calendars the miniatures found in Books of Hours are almost entirely devoted to retrospective Bible scenes that are obviously outside the experience of the illuminator; it is only in the present kind of scene at the beginning of the Office of the Dead that we can see a contemporaneous image that would have come directly from the Medieval experience. While our painting is fairly typical in subject matter and design it offers a number of interesting details about the Medieval rites and rituals surrounding death. The present scene represents the final stage preceded by the funeral procession Requiem Mass prayers Absolution and the procession into the graveyard in which the body is actually laid to rest in the ground. Though the corpse would have been encased in a coffin during the aforementioned rites and processions it was customary to bury the dead in only a shroud in the present example the artist has even thought to show the stitching along the length of the shroud. Three groups of people each serving a different function appear in this miniature: in the foreground are two laborers lowering the body into an earthen grave a small group of mourners in black cloaks stand off to the left and a duo of clergy members stand to the right. The latter have tonsured heads and each wears a black cope donned prior to administering Absolution to the deceased; together they hold a manuscript containing the Rites for Burial. The background is composed of a grand church or cathedral containing a number of fine architectural details including several windows including a clerestory level an arched entrance a dome and decorative touches. Stylistically this leaf can be localized to the Franche-Comté region in eastern France and is closely related if not directly attributable to an atelier specializing in Books of Hours made for the Use of Besançon and most likely situated in that city see Avril and Reynaud p. 197. The similarities are especially apparent in the figures' faces which are slightly puffy in appearance and have distinct slit-like eyes. As noted by Avril and Reynaud the unnamed master of this atelier was deeply indebted to the Master of Morgan 293 a talented Burgundian illuminator active in the second quarter of the 15th century whose name derives from a particularly lovely Book of Hours made for the Use of Besançon. Whoever the artist responsible for the present miniature this work is an excellent representation of a distinct regional style extremely attractive and replete with interesting details that connect us to the Medieval experience. unknown
1992La Bibbia di San Paolo (Bible of St. Pauls Outside the Walls). Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato (Editalia), Roma, 1992. Facsimile del codice membranaceo dell’Abbazia di San Paolo fuori le Mura, Roma (secolo IX), per la corte di Carlo il Calvo. Commentario a cura di G. Arnaldi, S. Baiocchi, B. Bischoff, L. Maximilians, H. de Sainte-Marie, M. L. di Franco, J. E. Gahede, J. Gribomont, J. Mallet, F. Mütherich, G. Nardin, S. Pisano, A. Pratesi, K. F. Werner ormato cm 33x27 cm. 580 pagine; carta filigranata con 73 tavole fuori testo, legatura in mezza pelle ed in seta ricamata. Due contenitori-espositori in plexiglass permettono di proteggere il codice e il commentario. Formato facsimile 37x45 cm. Pagine 684. Tiratura limitata e numerata a 1000 esemplari. Condizioni ottime.
1515ref. ST19567-062Venezia Venice: Alessandro Paganini 1515. 98 x 50 mm. 3 7/8 x 2". 3 p.l. CXXXII leaves. Early 19th century olive brown calf decorated in blind raised bands gilt lettering red morocco label marbled endpapers. Front flyleaf with mostly effaced ownership signature. Brunet II 21-22 "very rare"; EDIT16 CNCE 14575; USTC 822101. Two very small portions of lost patina minor signs of wear to the leather gilt on label not especially bright but the binding entirely solid and perfectly inoffensive. The first three leaves a little browned and with a dampstain in the top few lines other trivial imperfections but the text generally very clean and fresh. Small enough to fit into the palm of a hand this printing of five popular treatises by Cicero exemplifies three of printer Alessandro Paganini's innovations: the vigesimo-quarto or 24mo book a typeface that's a blend of italic and roman and the concept of a publishing series. The son of Venetian printer Paganino Paganini Alessandro fl. 1509-38 sought to outdo rival Aldus Manutius in the production of small format versions of classics as well as cursive-style typefaces. In 1515 he began producing a series of books in 24mo beginning with Dante and Petrarch and continuing with a mix of Classical and Italian authors. The Oxford Companion to the Book declares his books "visually splendid if not always easy on the eye"; that seeming contradiction is demonstrated by the text here a very elegant semi-italic that perhaps is not as easy to read as a simple roman serif--but worth the effort for the beauty. Offered in the most portable form available in the 16th century our volume contains Cicero's essays on moral responsibility friendship old age paradoxical Stoic aphorisms and the dream vision of Scipio. The diminutive size that makes this edition--and other books in this series--so appealing also makes them scarce since small books like other objects no bigger than a mouse tend to be easy to lose. Works from Paganini's series of 24mos are quite scarce in the market and we could trace no copies at all of the Cicero in RBH or ABPC. OCLC and USTC between them find just seven copies of the Cicero in libraries none in North America. Alessandro Paganini unknown books
1515ref. ST19567-062Venezia Venice: Alessandro Paganini 1515. 98 x 50 mm. 3 7/8 x 2". 3 p.l. CXXXII leaves. Early 19th century olive brown calf decorated in blind raised bands gilt lettering red morocco label marbled endpapers. Front flyleaf with mostly effaced ownership signature. Brunet II 21-22 "very rare"; EDIT16 CNCE 14575; USTC 822101. Two very small portions of lost patina minor signs of wear to the leather gilt on label not especially bright but the binding entirely solid and perfectly inoffensive. The first three leaves a little browned and with a dampstain in the top few lines other trivial imperfections but the text generally very clean and fresh. Small enough to fit into the palm of a hand this printing of five popular treatises by Cicero exemplifies three of printer Alessandro Paganini's innovations: the vigesimo-quarto or 24mo book a typeface that's a blend of italic and roman and the concept of a publishing series. The son of Venetian printer Paganino Paganini Alessandro fl. 1509-38 sought to outdo rival Aldus Manutius in the production of small format versions of classics as well as cursive-style typefaces. In 1515 he began producing a series of books in 24mo beginning with Dante and Petrarch and continuing with a mix of Classical and Italian authors. The Oxford Companion to the Book declares his books "visually splendid if not always easy on the eye"; that seeming contradiction is demonstrated by the text here a very elegant semi-italic that perhaps is not as easy to read as a simple roman serif--but worth the effort for the beauty. Offered in the most portable form available in the 16th century our volume contains Cicero's essays on moral responsibility friendship old age paradoxical Stoic aphorisms and the dream vision of Scipio. The diminutive size that makes this edition--and other books in this series--so appealing also makes them scarce since small books like other objects no bigger than a mouse tend to be easy to lose. Works from Paganini's series of 24mos are quite scarce in the market and we could trace no copies at all of the Cicero in RBH or ABPC. OCLC and USTC between them find just seven copies of the Cicero in libraries none in North America. Alessandro Paganini unknown
ref. 125263Qajar Persia circa 1800. . Single illuminated miniature painting with decorated borders miniature 180 x 110mm total leaf 260 x 140mm; illustration depicting a seated teacher with three pupils in attendance sitting by a running stream under some poplar trees illustration heightened in gilt mounted to cats with gilt decorations to borders framed and glazed. A charming and beautifully drawn illustration in the style of Reza Abbasi 1565-1635 the leading Safavid miniaturist known for his distinctive ability to capture texture and movement in his drawings by combining ink lines with wash colours. This illustration is likely from the early Qajar period and demonstrated the lasting influence and legacy the great classical artists had over the future generations of artists and patrons alike. Qajar Persia, circa 1800. unknown
1821ref. ST16814London: William Pickering 1821-31. 85 x 45 mm. 3 1/2 x 1 7/8". 12 volumes. VERY PLEASING CRIMSON MOROCCO ATTRACTIVELY GILT BY CAPÉ stamp-signed on verso of front free endpaper covers with central gilt fleuron enclosed by blind-ruled frame with oblique gilt floral tools at corners raised bands spine panels with gilt bellflower tool gilt titling turn-ins densely gilt with multiple decorative rolls marbled endpapers all edges gilt. One volume recently placed in a remarkably faithful replica binding. Engraved frontispiece in all but three volumes the second volumes of Dante Tasso and Homer. Virgil with errata slip bound in between pp. 282-83. Keynes 45 47 51 61 72 79 80 81; Bondy pp. 86-90; Spielman 83 93 113 198 205A 407 473 476 502. Isolated tiny rust spots or faint foxing but A SPLENDID SET with no signs of use the text clean fresh and bright the bindings lustrous and unworn. This is an exceptionally fine rarely seen complete collection of Pickering's famed miniature Diamond Classics series elegantly bound in red morocco by Capé. William Pickering began his career as a bookseller before turning to publishing in the late 1810s. In 1820 he issued the first in the popular series of "Diamond Classics" miniature books set in tiny 4-1/2 point "diamond" types. Bondy who set aside his arbitrary three-inch limit on size in order to include these books says "Due to the great editorial care and the superb printing and binding which went into their manufacture combined with the importance of their contents these little volumes are now very eagerly collected by minibibliophiles and even more generally by lovers of finely produced books." A number of collectors had their volumes rebound by leading artisans like Charles-François Capé 1806-67 one of the most distinguished binders in France in the middle years of the 19th century and especially well known for the delicacy of his work. He was the binder to the Empress Eugénie and Béraldi calls him "the Bozérian of the second Empire." The present set includes the Pickering Catullus 1824 Cicero 1821 Dante two volumes 1822 Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey" two volumes 1831 Horace second printing 1826 Petrarch 1822 Tasso two volumes 1822 Terence 1822 and Virgil 1821. Spielmann singles out the Homer for special praise noting that with its "clear easily legible type" printed by Charles Whittingham it is "one of the best-printed Greek miniature books ever produced." And the Virgil is especially rare: Spielmann and Sheringham aver that all but 100 copies were destroyed by a fire at the offices of printer C. Corrall. The condition here is simply outstanding. William Pickering unknown books
1821ref. ST16814London: William Pickering 1821-31. 85 x 45 mm. 3 1/2 x 1 7/8". 12 volumes. VERY PLEASING CRIMSON MOROCCO ATTRACTIVELY GILT BY CAPÉ stamp-signed on verso of front free endpaper covers with central gilt fleuron enclosed by blind-ruled frame with oblique gilt floral tools at corners raised bands spine panels with gilt bellflower tool gilt titling turn-ins densely gilt with multiple decorative rolls marbled endpapers all edges gilt. One volume recently placed in a remarkably faithful replica binding. Engraved frontispiece in all but three volumes the second volumes of Dante Tasso and Homer. Virgil with errata slip bound in between pp. 282-83. Keynes 45 47 51 61 72 79 80 81; Bondy pp. 86-90; Spielman 83 93 113 198 205A 407 473 476 502. Isolated tiny rust spots or faint foxing but A SPLENDID SET with no signs of use the text clean fresh and bright the bindings lustrous and unworn. This is an exceptionally fine rarely seen complete collection of Pickering's famed miniature Diamond Classics series elegantly bound in red morocco by Capé. William Pickering began his career as a bookseller before turning to publishing in the late 1810s. In 1820 he issued the first in the popular series of "Diamond Classics" miniature books set in tiny 4-1/2 point "diamond" types. Bondy who set aside his arbitrary three-inch limit on size in order to include these books says "Due to the great editorial care and the superb printing and binding which went into their manufacture combined with the importance of their contents these little volumes are now very eagerly collected by minibibliophiles and even more generally by lovers of finely produced books." A number of collectors had their volumes rebound by leading artisans like Charles-François Capé 1806-67 one of the most distinguished binders in France in the middle years of the 19th century and especially well known for the delicacy of his work. He was the binder to the Empress Eugénie and Béraldi calls him "the Bozérian of the second Empire." The present set includes the Pickering Catullus 1824 Cicero 1821 Dante two volumes 1822 Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey" two volumes 1831 Horace second printing 1826 Petrarch 1822 Tasso two volumes 1822 Terence 1822 and Virgil 1821. Spielmann singles out the Homer for special praise noting that with its "clear easily legible type" printed by Charles Whittingham it is "one of the best-printed Greek miniature books ever produced." And the Virgil is especially rare: Spielmann and Sheringham aver that all but 100 copies were destroyed by a fire at the offices of printer C. Corrall. The condition here is simply outstanding. William Pickering unknown
Grande miniatura su pergamena (mm. 227x313) firmata in maiuscolo dall'artista nell'angolo inf. destro "Nicolaus Balduinus F.". Stupendo foglio miniato di grandi dimensioni e firmato, rarissimo. L'episodio della Vita del Cristo è animato da apostoli e soldati che passano sotto un arco. In primo piano la Vergine. Sullo sfondo raffinata veduta di Gerusalemme. Le opere note di questo pittore miniaturista veneziano del ‘500 sono assai poche e la presente è apparentemente unica ed inedita.. Thieme-Becker V, 186. D'Ancona-Aeschliman p. 39. Favaro, l'arte dei pittori in Venezia e i suoi statuti, p. 141..
ref. 120814Mewar India 1690-1700. . Single sheet gouache heightened with gold on thick paper 260 x 403 mm; text panel above illustration in yellow with inscription in black devanagari script black rules narrow red border in modern mount framed and glazed. This is an illustration from the Bala Kanda the 'Book of Childhood' which is the first book of Valmiki's Ramayana. King Dasharatha is depicted standing on the right speaking to four sages and asking them to perform an Ashwamedha yagya the horse sacrifice ritual to please the gods as he had no heirs. After the yagya was performed Dasharatha was blessed with four sons Rama Bharata Lakshmana and Shatrughana. This folio belongs a widely dispersed series which would have been produced during the reign of Maharana Amar Singh II r.1698-1710 in Mewar. The series has been variously dated from 1640 to 1720. Another folio from this series is in the Arthur Sackler Gallery Smithsonian Institution Washington DC S2018.1.73; see Diamond and Khera 2022 no.6 p.70 ill. 80-81. A folio from the same or a similar Ramayana series is in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art M.86.345.3. Other related folios are in the Cleveland Art Museum Ohio 2018.142; Walters Art Museum Baltimore W.888; the Victoria & Albert Museum London IS.118-1954 among other public collections. Mewar, India, 1690-1700. unknown
ref. 119661Mughal India possibly Murshidabad mid- to late-18th century. . Single miniature painting on card opaque pigments with gold depicting a scene with a Prince on horseback accepting a drink from a gold vessel from a village maiden miniature 282 x 179 mm full album page 394 x 255 mm; painting framed within multiple gilt rulings innermost frame painted with delicate pink and white flowers on a spiralling green vine set against a richly gilt background some very minor surface soiling overall in exceptionally bright and attractive condition floating in modern cream mount. Scenes painted around imagined amorous encounters between the 'prince and village girl' were popular among artists during the late Mughal period in centres such as Delhi Lucknow and Murshidabad. The concept of 'love at first sight' was similarly echoed in the tradition of the courtly poets of the pan-European middle ages and can be seen echoed through their visual arts. The inspiration behind the theme in this painting was likely rooted in Persian literary sources the Nayrang'i Eshq The Charm of Love by Mughal Sufi poet Ghanimat Kunjahi d. 1695 AD being one such example. Written during a period of considerable Muslim-Hindu cultural interaction the poem was later absorbed into Sanskrit works and grew further in popularity. One notable section of the poem stanza 40.7 describes how in pursuit of a stag Shahid comes upon a village where he is struck by the sight of village girls at a well and is particularly struck by the beauty of Wafa the daughter of the village headsman see C. Shackle Persian Poetry and Q dir Sufism in Later Mughal India: Ghan mat Kunj h and his Mathnaw -yi Nayrang-i 'ishq in The Heritage of Sufism: Volume 3 Late Classical Persianate Sufism Boston 1999. In this painting a beautiful maiden leans across to offer the handsome stranger a drink from the well. Neither appears abashed and their eyes fix upon each other as if a spell has been cast. Of note is the way their hands come together around the vessel of water though they do not touch. The mono green background gives a prominence to this encounter watched by the other village girls. There are subtle details that give context to the scene the stranger's courtly attire and jewelled ruby dagger. His companion's falcon hints at their noble status. By contrast the village girl's sari is tied in the style of a working women as she draws water from the well. For notable examples see Indian Painting 16001870 Oliver Forge & Brendon Lynch New York 2012 and Painting 91 in Domains of Wonder B.N Goswamy & C. Smith 2006. Mughal India, possibly Murshidabad, mid- to late-18th century. unknown
ff. 172 (su 174), legatura inizio '500 in marocchino bruno decorato da bande trasversali alternate a secco e in oro; in testa ad entrambi i piatti impressione a secco "+S+ Emilia". Al primo f. grande iniziale "B" miniata su fondo oro, istoriata all'interno con una finissima figura di Davide in preghiera; la decorazione si estende su 3 margini. In assenza del calendario, l'esame della scrittura, dell'ornamentazione e del testo (litanie ed innario), conducono all'ambiente lombardo e più in particolare ad un ambiente femminile domenicano della regione bresciana. Di notevole interesse la legatura: un ferro assai simile, seppur altrimenti utilizzato, si ritrova su due legature che rivestono edizioni aldine (De Marinis I, 439 e 441, tavv. LXXVIII e LXXVII). Il manoscritto si compone di 17 quaderni di 10 ff. + uno di 4 ff., con richiami. Mancano due fogli tra le attuali carte 12/13 e 16/17. La miniatura misura mm 43x50; nel testo 9 capilettera (mm 40x40) dipinti in blu o rosso su fondo di elaborati e finissimi fregi calligrafici in rosso, verde e seppia. Scrittura semigotica in nero e rosso; notazione musicale quadrata. Il codice, nello stato attuale, non contiene il calendario, né sembra l'attuale legatura averlo potuto contenere, essendo piuutosto stretta e non mostrando segni di asportazione. Di grande interesse è la decorazione della rilegatura. Lo stile della lunga doppia banda verticale (in blu ed oro) che si estende lungo il margine sinistro del primo f. è assai simile a quello dei fogli miniati del Messale romano di scuola lombarda (Brescia, Queriniana, ms. C II 3). Il testo del codice pare avvicinarsi molto a quello del Salterio domenicano commissionato per il monastero domenicano femminile di Santa Caterina di Brescia (Bergamo, Bibl. A.Mai, MA 418). Mentre lo stile della pittura dell'iniziale del f. 1 ricorda parecchio le miniature del Salterio e Innario di scuola lombarda (Brescia, Queriniana, ms. A II 5).. .
