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ref. 8663Trans. by Xuanzang 玄奘 in 650 CE. 70 pages six columns per page 30 columns per sheet 17 characters per column. 14 sheets average sheet length: 570 mm. five pages per sheet. Accordion format 305 x 7980 mm. print surface from top border to bottom border: 245–250 mm. Single woodcut borders at top & bottom of text. Orig. sutra binding of semi-stiff paper wrappers. Woodblocks carved by Ge Fang & Ma Qing & others in Sixi present day Huzhou printed between 1110s/40s–1276. This fascicle in its original sutra binding was printed in the 12th or 13th century in northern Zhejiang China as part of an extremely rare edition of the Buddhist canon variously known as the Yuanjue Canon Zifu Canon or Sixi Canon. Examples very rarely appear on the market. This edition of the Buddhist canon was for a long time largely unknown in China until the famous Chinese book collector and scholar Yang Shoujing 1839-1915 brought a set back from Japan in the late 19th century. Now in a Chinese library this is the only near-complete set as far as we know the rest being single sutras. Yuanjue Zifu or Sixi Canon: The three names refer to some or all of the imprints of the Chinese Tripitaka made from a set of blocks that were carved in a place called Sixi present-day Huzhou in what was then Songting township Guian county Hu prefecture part of the Circuit of the eastern and western Zhe of the Southern Song. Sixi one of the names retrospectively used for this edition was the location of Yuanjue Meditation Hall founded in 1119-25 where the printing blocks were housed and perhaps carved. Sometime after 1239 the hall’s name may have changed to Fabao Zifu lit. “Dharma jewel supplying happiness” Meditation Temple whence Zifu Canon. Bibliographic scholarship has dated certain imprints of this canon to either the period of Yuanjue Meditation Hall or that of Fabao Zifu Meditation Temple calling imprints dating from the earlier period Yuanjue Canon or “first Sixi canon” qian Sixi jing and imprints from the later period Zifu Canon or “second Sixi canon” hou Sixi jing. On the basis of a comparison of two catalogues of the canon — one claiming to be of the Yuanjue Canon and one of the Zifu Canon — it was believed that a substantial amount of re-carving had taken place between the Yuanjue and Zifu canons. However the catalogue purportedly of the Zifu Canon has been shown in fact to have been based not on an inventory of a set of the Zifu Canon but on another unrelated catalogue. Thus there is no reason to assume that a substantial amount of re-carving of the blocks took place after the temple changed its name and ipso facto there is no reason to posit the existence of two Sixi canons. Printings ascribed to the Yuanjue and Zifu canons belong to the same edition of the Chinese Tripitaka printed at various times during a period that stretched over a century. Blocks were repaired and replaced during this period but not to the extent that would justify calling them two editions. The Timing of Carving and Printing: The sources are ambiguous as to when carving of the blocks began. Li Fuhua and He Mei state that the carving began in 1126 whereas Wang Chonglong says it began before 1110 and thus not at the Yuanjue Hall which had not yet been founded and agrees with others that it likely had finished in 1132. It has also been proposed however that carving only began in 1132. Finally 1140 has been proposed as another completion date. Therefore we can say with confidence that the initial set of blocks was carved sometime between the 1110s and 1140s. Once the blocks were carved they were used for printing for a long time. Some printings can be dated because they contain colophons. Liu Yuantang has documented three instances of blocks being mended buban: in 1238 1248 and 1250. The blocks were burned by the invading Mongols in 1276 which is thus the terminus ante quem for prints from the Yuanjue Canon. Our Copy and the Yuanjue / Zifu Canon: Benshi jing is marked with the ordinal character shen 甚 in five editions of the Chinese Tripitaka. Of these five only the Yuanjue Canon also known as the Zifu or Sixi Canon is a possible candidate. More precisely our copy appears to be from a late printing of the Zifu Canon dating from sometime in the latter portion of the period 1110s/1140s-1276. The vast majority of extant sutras from this edition of the canon are late printings. They have the following characteristics: 1. Sheets folded into five pages with six columns per page 30 per sheet and 17 characters per column. 2. Glosses appended to the end of the volume. 3. Single woodcut borders at top and bottom of text. For earlier printings of this edition one source specifies that the borders go around on all four sides but for the later printings the same source simply says “single-lined margin frame” danxian biankuang 單線邊框. This would appear to suggest borders also at the beginning and the end of each sheet. 4. No empty column before the beginning of the text on the first page. 5. Small-script numerals marking the number of the sheet are printed at the beginning of every sheet as opposed to in the crease between pages for example except for the first sheet. 6. Printed area of roughly 570 mm. long and 250 mm. wide. The sutra has a total of seven fascicles juan of which we have fascicle six. The upper cover and the first line of the first page both have the character shen in manuscript on the cover which is here used as an ordinal drawn from Qianzi wen åƒå—æ–‡ The Thousand Character Essay to arrange the sutras of the Chinese Tripitaka. Layout and Appearance of Our Copy: Unsurprisingly for a very large printing project that took many years not all the sutras of the Yuanjue Canon have the same appearance. Yet the dimensions of our copy agree with other known copies: five pages per woodblock six columns per page 17 characters per column. Other non-official Song editions of the Buddhist canon Chongning and Pilu have six pages per block but the same number of columns per page and characters per column. The measurements of our copy accord with copies of other sutras from the same edition of the canon held by the Gansu Provincial Library in Lanzhou the National Palace Museum in Taipei and the Gotoh Museum outside of Tokyo. The layout of our copy accords with that of a different sutra from the same canon that has been reprinted in facsimile in unknown
ref. 8663Trans. by Xuanzang 玄奘 in 650 CE. 70 pages six columns per page 30 columns per sheet 17 characters per column. 14 sheets average sheet length: 570 mm. five pages per sheet. Accordion format 305 x 7980 mm. print surface from top border to bottom border: 245–250 mm. Single woodcut borders at top & bottom of text. Orig. sutra binding of semi-stiff paper wrappers. Woodblocks carved by Ge Fang & Ma Qing & others in Sixi present day Huzhou printed between 1110s/40s–1276. This fascicle in its original sutra binding was printed in the 12th or 13th century in northern Zhejiang China as part of an extremely rare edition of the Buddhist canon variously known as the Yuanjue Canon Zifu Canon or Sixi Canon. Examples very rarely appear on the market. This edition of the Buddhist canon was for a long time largely unknown in China until the famous Chinese book collector and scholar Yang Shoujing 1839-1915 brought a set back from Japan in the late 19th century. Now in a Chinese library this is the only near-complete set as far as we know the rest being single sutras. Yuanjue Zifu or Sixi Canon: The three names refer to some or all of the imprints of the Chinese Tripitaka made from a set of blocks that were carved in a place called Sixi present-day Huzhou in what was then Songting township Guian county Hu prefecture part of the Circuit of the eastern and western Zhe of the Southern Song. Sixi one of the names retrospectively used for this edition was the location of Yuanjue Meditation Hall founded in 1119-25 where the printing blocks were housed and perhaps carved. Sometime after 1239 the hall’s name may have changed to Fabao Zifu lit. “Dharma jewel supplying happiness” Meditation Temple whence Zifu Canon. Bibliographic scholarship has dated certain imprints of this canon to either the period of Yuanjue Meditation Hall or that of Fabao Zifu Meditation Temple calling imprints dating from the earlier period Yuanjue Canon or “first Sixi canon” qian Sixi jing and imprints from the later period Zifu Canon or “second Sixi canon” hou Sixi jing. On the basis of a comparison of two catalogues of the canon — one claiming to be of the Yuanjue Canon and one of the Zifu Canon — it was believed that a substantial amount of re-carving had taken place between the Yuanjue and Zifu canons. However the catalogue purportedly of the Zifu Canon has been shown in fact to have been based not on an inventory of a set of the Zifu Canon but on another unrelated catalogue. Thus there is no reason to assume that a substantial amount of re-carving of the blocks took place after the temple changed its name and ipso facto there is no reason to posit the existence of two Sixi canons. Printings ascribed to the Yuanjue and Zifu canons belong to the same edition of the Chinese Tripitaka printed at various times during a period that stretched over a century. Blocks were repaired and replaced during this period but not to the extent that would justify calling them two editions. The Timing of Carving and Printing: The sources are ambiguous as to when carving of the blocks began. Li Fuhua and He Mei state that the carving began in 1126 whereas Wang Chonglong says it began before 1110 and thus not at the Yuanjue Hall which had not yet been founded and agrees with others that it likely had finished in 1132. It has also been proposed however that carving only began in 1132. Finally 1140 has been proposed as another completion date. Therefore we can say with confidence that the initial set of blocks was carved sometime between the 1110s and 1140s. Once the blocks were carved they were used for printing for a long time. Some printings can be dated because they contain colophons. Liu Yuantang has documented three instances of blocks being mended buban: in 1238 1248 and 1250. The blocks were burned by the invading Mongols in 1276 which is thus the terminus ante quem for prints from the Yuanjue Canon. Our Copy and the Yuanjue / Zifu Canon: Benshi jing is marked with the ordinal character shen 甚 in five editions of the Chinese Tripitaka. Of these five only the Yuanjue Canon also known as the Zifu or Sixi Canon is a possible candidate. More precisely our copy appears to be from a late printing of the Zifu Canon dating from sometime in the latter portion of the period 1110s/1140s-1276. The vast majority of extant sutras from this edition of the canon are late printings. They have the following characteristics: 1. Sheets folded into five pages with six columns per page 30 per sheet and 17 characters per column. 2. Glosses appended to the end of the volume. 3. Single woodcut borders at top and bottom of text. For earlier printings of this edition one source specifies that the borders go around on all four sides but for the later printings the same source simply says “single-lined margin frame” danxian biankuang 單線邊框. This would appear to suggest borders also at the beginning and the end of each sheet. 4. No empty column before the beginning of the text on the first page. 5. Small-script numerals marking the number of the sheet are printed at the beginning of every sheet as opposed to in the crease between pages for example except for the first sheet. 6. Printed area of roughly 570 mm. long and 250 mm. wide. The sutra has a total of seven fascicles juan of which we have fascicle six. The upper cover and the first line of the first page both have the character shen in manuscript on the cover which is here used as an ordinal drawn from Qianzi wen åƒå—æ–‡ The Thousand Character Essay to arrange the sutras of the Chinese Tripitaka. Layout and Appearance of Our Copy: Unsurprisingly for a very large printing project that took many years not all the sutras of the Yuanjue Canon have the same appearance. Yet the dimensions of our copy agree with other known copies: five pages per woodblock six columns per page 17 characters per column. Other non-official Song editions of the Buddhist canon Chongning and Pilu have six pages per block but the same number of columns per page and characters per column. The measurements of our copy accord with copies of other sutras from the same edition of the canon held by the Gansu Provincial Library in Lanzhou the National Palace Museum in Taipei and the Gotoh Museum outside of Tokyo. The layout of our copy accords with that of a different sutra from the same canon that has been reprinted in facsimile in unknown books
1630ref. 5226Bracciano: Privately Printed by Andreas Phaeus 1626 to 1630. SOLE EDITION. Hardcover. Fine. An excellent copy. Bound in contemporary vellum lacking ties a few wormholes to the lower cover small puncture and a little rumpling along the fore-edge of the upper cover. Complete with the errata leaf and blanks F4 R6 & 4I6 b3 bound after c2 few small tears a some scattered toning and foxing a few inconsequential blemishes. With an early German manuscript shelf label - "M.W." 19th-century bookplate with coronet. Illustrated with an engraved allegorical frontispiece fine engraved portrait of Paolo Giordano Orsini Duke of Bracciano with dedication engraved vignette on printed title & many fine engraved illustrations in the text many full-page depicting the author's observations of sunspots his observational platform with his assistants busily working his telescopes and helioscopes of his own design. Scheiner's greatest work. This magnificent book along with Hevelius' lunar atlas "Selenographia" is one of the two most richly and superbly illustrated astronomy book published in the first half of the 17th century. It describes and depicts Scheiner's observations of sunspots and showcases his instruments including his Keplerian telescope and his helioscope. In 1611 Scheiner constructed a telescope with which he began to make astronomical observations and in March of that year he detected the presence of spots on the sun. Scheiner's claim to the discovery of sun spots independently of Galileo was the origin of one of the most famous and heated controversies in the history of science. This book contains the summation of Scheiner's observations of the sun the fruit of many years of observation and study. He confirmed his method and criticized Galileo for failing to mention the inclination of the axis of rotation to the plane of the ecliptic. Yet he finally agreed with Galileo that sunspots are on the Sun's surface or in its atmosphere rather than satellites that they are often generated and perish there and that the Sun is therefore not perfect. Scheiner further advocated a fluid heavens against the Aristotelian solid spheres and he pioneered new ways of representing the motions of spots across the Sun's face. Because shortly after the appearance of Rosa Ursina sunspot activity decreased drastically the so-called Maunder Minimum ca. 1645-1710 his work was not superseded until well into the eighteenth century. Scheiner was responsible for many advances and innovations in the design of telescopes and related instruments. Of great importance is Scheiner's creation of a special helioscope described here the first Keplerian telescope in use consisting of two convex lenses; it was also the first to use colored glass in the eyepiece Kepler himself had only considered the telescope theoretically. Scheiner is also known for having invented the pantograph and for establishing the retina as the seat of vision. The quality of the engravings in this book is exceptional. Not only the complete instruments but also their component parts lenses fittings etc. are depicted in these engravings. Rosa Ursina sive Sol was costly to produce. Scheiner originally sought the support of Cardinal Alessandro Orsini 1592-1626 who was close to the Jesuits and after Alessandro's death that of his brother Paolo Giordano II Duke of Bracciano a great patron of astronomy. Rosa Ursina sive Sol was thus published at Bracciano on the Duke's private press though over several years 1626-30 due to financial difficulties. The book starting with its title is replete with references to the Orsini family whose heraldry included the rose and the bear orsus = ursus = bear. Given the strained relations with Paolo Giordano II who was unwilling to pay for the book these references to the Orsini family quickly became obsolete. Depicting the Astronomical Observatory and Methods of Observing Sunspots: On page 150 there is a remarkable full-page engraving with two scenes of astronomers at work. The first shows a viewing terrace outfitted with two obelisks and a number of figures using astronomical instruments including a helioscope and a telescope. Three figures may be identified as Jesuits from their distinctive birettas. One is at the foot of the obelisk measuring the position of the reflected sunspot against a plumb line at M with a compass. The second image an interior scene shows Scheiner and his assistant at work in his study which has astrolabes and a quadrant on the walls. This plate illustrates seven methods of observing sunspots: 1 the simplest and most natural way of observation is to let the Sun at F shine through a bare opening of a ball at G into a dark place where a paper is held perpendicularly and on which a figure is formed at H. 2 another simple form of observation is to let the Sun at Q shine through a convex glass at R onto a chart at S. 3 the simplest and most natural way of observation is with the naked eye at P when the Sun is at the horizon at I. 4 observation of the Sun at E through a helioscope at D. 5 observation of the Sun at B behind a cloud at C through a telescope at A. 6 observation of the Sun at I by a reflection at LN by a plane mirror at K. This is a method that Scheiner initially used at Ingolstadt. 7 observation of the Sun where its ray V through a helioscopic tube at X is projected onto paper in the circle Y contained in the perimeter cfdg. This method is described as 'the most excellent the most secure and the easiest' method of observation which Scheiner used at Ingolstadt from 1612 as well as at Rome. The Christogram 'IHS' adopted by the Jesuits as their emblem may be seen at the top of one of the obelisks and the rose of the Orsini family may be found on the edge of the roundel and elsewhere. On the side of a stool on which a telescope and sundial rest is the signature of the engraver Daniel Widman. The quotation at the top of the image is from Pliny the Elder's Naturalis historia II.112 where Eratosthenes's estimate of the circumference of Earth is described as 'an audacious venture but achieved by such subtle reasoning that one is ashamed to be sceptical.'. [Privately Printed by] Andreas Phaeus, 1626 to hardcover
1630ref. 5226Bracciano: Privately Printed by Andreas Phaeus 1626 to 1630. SOLE EDITION. Hardcover. Fine. An excellent copy. Bound in contemporary vellum lacking ties a few wormholes to the lower cover small puncture and a little rumpling along the fore-edge of the upper cover. Complete with the errata leaf and blanks F4 R6 & 4I6 b3 bound after c2 few small tears a some scattered toning and foxing a few inconsequential blemishes. With an early German manuscript shelf label - "M.W." 19th-century bookplate with coronet. Illustrated with an engraved allegorical frontispiece fine engraved portrait of Paolo Giordano Orsini Duke of Bracciano with dedication engraved vignette on printed title & many fine engraved illustrations in the text many full-page depicting the author's observations of sunspots his observational platform with his assistants busily working his telescopes and helioscopes of his own design. Scheiner's greatest work. This magnificent book along with Hevelius' lunar atlas "Selenographia" is one of the two most richly and superbly illustrated astronomy book published in the first half of the 17th century. It describes and depicts Scheiner's observations of sunspots and showcases his instruments including his Keplerian telescope and his helioscope. In 1611 Scheiner constructed a telescope with which he began to make astronomical observations and in March of that year he detected the presence of spots on the sun. Scheiner's claim to the discovery of sun spots independently of Galileo was the origin of one of the most famous and heated controversies in the history of science. This book contains the summation of Scheiner's observations of the sun the fruit of many years of observation and study. He confirmed his method and criticized Galileo for failing to mention the inclination of the axis of rotation to the plane of the ecliptic. Yet he finally agreed with Galileo that sunspots are on the Sun's surface or in its atmosphere rather than satellites that they are often generated and perish there and that the Sun is therefore not perfect. Scheiner further advocated a fluid heavens against the Aristotelian solid spheres and he pioneered new ways of representing the motions of spots across the Sun's face. Because shortly after the appearance of Rosa Ursina sunspot activity decreased drastically the so-called Maunder Minimum ca. 1645-1710 his work was not superseded until well into the eighteenth century. Scheiner was responsible for many advances and innovations in the design of telescopes and related instruments. Of great importance is Scheiner's creation of a special helioscope described here the first Keplerian telescope in use consisting of two convex lenses; it was also the first to use colored glass in the eyepiece Kepler himself had only considered the telescope theoretically. Scheiner is also known for having invented the pantograph and for establishing the retina as the seat of vision. The quality of the engravings in this book is exceptional. Not only the complete instruments but also their component parts lenses fittings etc. are depicted in these engravings. Rosa Ursina sive Sol was costly to produce. Scheiner originally sought the support of Cardinal Alessandro Orsini 1592-1626 who was close to the Jesuits and after Alessandro's death that of his brother Paolo Giordano II Duke of Bracciano a great patron of astronomy. Rosa Ursina sive Sol was thus published at Bracciano on the Duke's private press though over several years 1626-30 due to financial difficulties. The book starting with its title is replete with references to the Orsini family whose heraldry included the rose and the bear orsus = ursus = bear. Given the strained relations with Paolo Giordano II who was unwilling to pay for the book these references to the Orsini family quickly became obsolete. Depicting the Astronomical Observatory and Methods of Observing Sunspots: On page 150 there is a remarkable full-page engraving with two scenes of astronomers at work. The first shows a viewing terrace outfitted with two obelisks and a number of figures using astronomical instruments including a helioscope and a telescope. Three figures may be identified as Jesuits from their distinctive birettas. One is at the foot of the obelisk measuring the position of the reflected sunspot against a plumb line at M with a compass. The second image an interior scene shows Scheiner and his assistant at work in his study which has astrolabes and a quadrant on the walls. This plate illustrates seven methods of observing sunspots: 1 the simplest and most natural way of observation is to let the Sun at F shine through a bare opening of a ball at G into a dark place where a paper is held perpendicularly and on which a figure is formed at H. 2 another simple form of observation is to let the Sun at Q shine through a convex glass at R onto a chart at S. 3 the simplest and most natural way of observation is with the naked eye at P when the Sun is at the horizon at I. 4 observation of the Sun at E through a helioscope at D. 5 observation of the Sun at B behind a cloud at C through a telescope at A. 6 observation of the Sun at I by a reflection at LN by a plane mirror at K. This is a method that Scheiner initially used at Ingolstadt. 7 observation of the Sun where its ray V through a helioscopic tube at X is projected onto paper in the circle Y contained in the perimeter cfdg. This method is described as 'the most excellent the most secure and the easiest' method of observation which Scheiner used at Ingolstadt from 1612 as well as at Rome. The Christogram 'IHS' adopted by the Jesuits as their emblem may be seen at the top of one of the obelisks and the rose of the Orsini family may be found on the edge of the roundel and elsewhere. On the side of a stool on which a telescope and sundial rest is the signature of the engraver Daniel Widman. The quotation at the top of the image is from Pliny the Elder's Naturalis historia II.112 where Eratosthenes's estimate of the circumference of Earth is described as 'an audacious venture but achieved by such subtle reasoning that one is ashamed to be sceptical.'. [Privately Printed by] Andreas Phaeus, 1626 to hardcover books
ref. 7036Printed in Chinese with Japanese reading marks. 11 columns per page 21 characters per column. 79; 59; 51; 49; 67 folding leaves. Ten parts in five vols. 8vo 240 x 149 mm. orig. brown wrappers new stitching. Japan: mid-Muromachi ca. 1440-50. An extremely rare and important “mid-Muromachi” Gozan-ban edition of The Blue Cliff Record in Chinese: Pi yen lu a collection of Chan Buddhist koan. These were verbal tests used to practice or test a student’s progress in Zen compiled in the Song Dynasty and expanded by the great Northern Song Chan master Yuanwu Keqin 1063-1135 abbot of Tianning Wanshou Chan Monastery in Beijing. The text was first printed in China in 1125 or 1128 and has long been celebrated for both its startling beauty and profound complexity. Around 1140 one of Yuan Wu’s successors Ta Hui destroyed the printing blocks and copies of the Pi yen lu because the work’s rapid and widespread popularity made him fear that its beauty of expression would distract its readers from seeking enlightenment directly within themselves. The text was brought back from China by Dogen 1200-53 the Japanese Buddhist priest who was a founder of the Soto school of Zen in Japan. He had studied in China for four or five years and returned to stay at the Kenninji temple where he introduced many texts. This text was first printed in Japan about 1336-50 early-Nanbokucho by Gyokuho Shorin at the Kenninji; there is a copy at the National Diet Library. Our edition is a reprint of that first Japanese edition using the same woodblocks with minor changes. A later edition appeared in the Donald and Mary Hyde sale lot 65. “For some time Chan monks had been in the habit of extracting snippets from the ‘records’ yulu of past masters isolated them as ‘ancient precedents’ and commenting on them sometimes in verse sometimes in prose. By the mid-eleventh century the core situation was known as a ‘case to be investigated’ or a gong’an. The process was incremental and difficult to stop. Yuanwu’s Emerald Cliff Record for example took a previous eleventh-century collection entitled Master Xuetou’s verses on a hundred old cases and added an introduction and extensive commentary to each ‘case’ sometimes also dropping in comments on the appositeness or more usually inappositeness of the relevant verse so becoming in his turn ‘magistrate.’ A gong’an collection therefore reveals many layers all of them dedicated to undercutting the stability of language while at the same time playing a complex game of competing authorities. Herein lies their fascination.”–Richard Bowring The Religious Traditions of Japan Cambridge U.P. p. 301. “Gozan-ban is a general term embracing all those books published by monks of the Zen sect chiefly at the five Zen monasteries at Kamakura and the five at Kyoto over a period of more than 200 years between mid-Kamakura and late Muromachi. The appearance of the printed page in most Gozan editions follows a distinctly Chinese style. The effect is somewhat dense and crowded caused by packing the Chinese characters tightly together with more regard for economy of space than for aesthetic effect. In this the Gozan editions differ markedly from all other early Japanese printed books which are more generously spaced. The reasons for this are twofold: the books tend to be chiefly reprints of Chinese song and Yuan editions and during the fourteenth century many Chinese blockcutters came over from the continent and practised their craft of a semi-commercial basis and on a fairly large scale.”–K.B. Gardner “Centres of Printing in Medieval Japan: late Heian to early Edo period” in British Library Occasional Papers 11. Japanese Studies ed. by Yu-Ying Brown London: 1990 p. 164. PROVENANCE: This copy has the seals of Hirokata Yashiro 1758-1841 “Shinobazu Bunko”; Awa no Kuni Bunko; and Goroza Uchino b. 1873 “Kyotei Bunko”. It later belonged to the great collector and bibliographer of early Japanese books Kazuma Kawase 1906-99 and has his seal. The chitsu has Kawase’s manuscript title label stating in trans.: “Gozan-ban. Hekiganroku. Mid-Muromachi edition. Shinobazu Bunko provenance. Kazuma put the title on this label” also with his seal. There are four Prefaces: the first is undated the second dated 1300 the third dated 1305 and the fourth is dated 1304. Two leaves of manuscript probably written by Yashiro have been inserted at the beginning of Vol. I. They provide a commentary and a sort of title-page the work was issued without a title. Following Part I there are another two leaves of manuscript relating to this text. Following the tenth part are five Afterwards dated 1125 undated 1302 1317 and 1317. In fine condition all contained in a modern wooden box. The top of the box has been covered in a most attractive silk brocade. A few natural paper flaws and minor staining. Berkeley has an edition of this text but because of the very vague WorldCat cataloguing it is impossible to tell which exact edition it is. ⧠Kornicki Language Scripts and Chinese Texts in East Asia p. 245. unknown
ref. 7036Printed in Chinese with Japanese reading marks. 11 columns per page 21 characters per column. 79; 59; 51; 49; 67 folding leaves. Ten parts in five vols. 8vo 240 x 149 mm. orig. brown wrappers new stitching. Japan: mid-Muromachi ca. 1440-50. An extremely rare and important “mid-Muromachi” Gozan-ban edition of The Blue Cliff Record in Chinese: Pi yen lu a collection of Chan Buddhist koan. These were verbal tests used to practice or test a student’s progress in Zen compiled in the Song Dynasty and expanded by the great Northern Song Chan master Yuanwu Keqin 1063-1135 abbot of Tianning Wanshou Chan Monastery in Beijing. The text was first printed in China in 1125 or 1128 and has long been celebrated for both its startling beauty and profound complexity. Around 1140 one of Yuan Wu’s successors Ta Hui destroyed the printing blocks and copies of the Pi yen lu because the work’s rapid and widespread popularity made him fear that its beauty of expression would distract its readers from seeking enlightenment directly within themselves. The text was brought back from China by Dogen 1200-53 the Japanese Buddhist priest who was a founder of the Soto school of Zen in Japan. He had studied in China for four or five years and returned to stay at the Kenninji temple where he introduced many texts. This text was first printed in Japan about 1336-50 early-Nanbokucho by Gyokuho Shorin at the Kenninji; there is a copy at the National Diet Library. Our edition is a reprint of that first Japanese edition using the same woodblocks with minor changes. A later edition appeared in the Donald and Mary Hyde sale lot 65. “For some time Chan monks had been in the habit of extracting snippets from the ‘records’ yulu of past masters isolated them as ‘ancient precedents’ and commenting on them sometimes in verse sometimes in prose. By the mid-eleventh century the core situation was known as a ‘case to be investigated’ or a gong’an. The process was incremental and difficult to stop. Yuanwu’s Emerald Cliff Record for example took a previous eleventh-century collection entitled Master Xuetou’s verses on a hundred old cases and added an introduction and extensive commentary to each ‘case’ sometimes also dropping in comments on the appositeness or more usually inappositeness of the relevant verse so becoming in his turn ‘magistrate.’ A gong’an collection therefore reveals many layers all of them dedicated to undercutting the stability of language while at the same time playing a complex game of competing authorities. Herein lies their fascination.”–Richard Bowring The Religious Traditions of Japan Cambridge U.P. p. 301. “Gozan-ban is a general term embracing all those books published by monks of the Zen sect chiefly at the five Zen monasteries at Kamakura and the five at Kyoto over a period of more than 200 years between mid-Kamakura and late Muromachi. The appearance of the printed page in most Gozan editions follows a distinctly Chinese style. The effect is somewhat dense and crowded caused by packing the Chinese characters tightly together with more regard for economy of space than for aesthetic effect. In this the Gozan editions differ markedly from all other early Japanese printed books which are more generously spaced. The reasons for this are twofold: the books tend to be chiefly reprints of Chinese song and Yuan editions and during the fourteenth century many Chinese blockcutters came over from the continent and practised their craft of a semi-commercial basis and on a fairly large scale.”–K.B. Gardner “Centres of Printing in Medieval Japan: late Heian to early Edo period” in British Library Occasional Papers 11. Japanese Studies ed. by Yu-Ying Brown London: 1990 p. 164. PROVENANCE: This copy has the seals of Hirokata Yashiro 1758-1841 “Shinobazu Bunko”; Awa no Kuni Bunko; and Goroza Uchino b. 1873 “Kyotei Bunko”. It later belonged to the great collector and bibliographer of early Japanese books Kazuma Kawase 1906-99 and has his seal. The chitsu has Kawase’s manuscript title label stating in trans.: “Gozan-ban. Hekiganroku. Mid-Muromachi edition. Shinobazu Bunko provenance. Kazuma put the title on this label” also with his seal. There are four Prefaces: the first is undated the second dated 1300 the third dated 1305 and the fourth is dated 1304. Two leaves of manuscript probably written by Yashiro have been inserted at the beginning of Vol. I. They provide a commentary and a sort of title-page the work was issued without a title. Following Part I there are another two leaves of manuscript relating to this text. Following the tenth part are five Afterwards dated 1125 undated 1302 1317 and 1317. In fine condition all contained in a modern wooden box. The top of the box has been covered in a most attractive silk brocade. A few natural paper flaws and minor staining. Berkeley has an edition of this text but because of the very vague WorldCat cataloguing it is impossible to tell which exact edition it is. ⧠Kornicki Language Scripts and Chinese Texts in East Asia p. 245. unknown books
1494ref. 55951494. 148 leaves including the final blank Roman letter except for the two-line title in gothic type 51 lines & headline capital spaces with guide letters. Folio 290 x 188 mm. late 17th-cent. panelled English speckled calf rebacked with the orig. spine laid-down minor staining to a few leaves in blank upper margins. Basel: J. Amerbach 1494. First edition of the “first bibliography to be compiled as a practical work of reference.”–Grolier Club Bibliography 7. Tritheim 1462-1516 one of the leading polymaths of his age was appointed the 25th abbot of the monastery at Sponheim in 1483. “One of the first of his many self-imposed tasks was the reorganization and cataloguing of the monastic library if one can call reorganization the process of transforming forty-eight mongrel volumes into a splendid collection of 2000 printed books and manuscripts many of great importance and rarity… “It was during the progress of this work no doubt as his exceptional knowledge of books caused inquiries frequently to be addressed to him that he conceived the notion of compiling a new and ambitious bibliography of ecclesiastical writers. He began work in 1487 and by the spring of 1492 he was able to send the complete manuscript to the bishop of Worms. He then revised it and in 1494 the Liber de scriptoribus ecclesiasticis a folio of nearly 300 pages issued from the Basle press of Johann Amerbach… “From Alexander bishop of Cappadocia down to himself Tritheim sets out in chronological order nearly a thousand writers largely but not exclusively ecclesiastical giving a short account of each followed by a list of his or her writings. Nor are these lists merely perfunctory: it is obvious from such a heading as that for St. Augustine under which he enumerates 277 works that Tritheim must have lavished an immense amount of genuine research on his bibliography. In all about 7000 books are recorded. An alphabetical index of authors arranged of course by Christian names is added. The contrast between the feeble theological bibliographies of the manuscript age and this first attempt in the printing era is very striking.”–Besterman The Beginnings of Systematic Bibliography pp. 7-8. The title of the book is somewhat misleading since the work is not restricted to ecclesiastical writers but also includes authors such as Dante Poggio and Sebastian Brant. A fine and crisp copy of a book which has become uncommon on the market preserved in a box. Bookplate of the Society of St. John the Evangelist Cowley Oxford. With a note on the rear paste-down referring to “Derby” the Earls of Derby and a shelf-mark. ⧠Goff T-452. unknown
1494ref. 55951494. 148 leaves including the final blank Roman letter except for the two-line title in gothic type 51 lines & headline capital spaces with guide letters. Folio 290 x 188 mm. late 17th-cent. panelled English speckled calf rebacked with the orig. spine laid-down minor staining to a few leaves in blank upper margins. Basel: J. Amerbach 1494. First edition of the “first bibliography to be compiled as a practical work of reference.”–Grolier Club Bibliography 7. Tritheim 1462-1516 one of the leading polymaths of his age was appointed the 25th abbot of the monastery at Sponheim in 1483. “One of the first of his many self-imposed tasks was the reorganization and cataloguing of the monastic library if one can call reorganization the process of transforming forty-eight mongrel volumes into a splendid collection of 2000 printed books and manuscripts many of great importance and rarity… “It was during the progress of this work no doubt as his exceptional knowledge of books caused inquiries frequently to be addressed to him that he conceived the notion of compiling a new and ambitious bibliography of ecclesiastical writers. He began work in 1487 and by the spring of 1492 he was able to send the complete manuscript to the bishop of Worms. He then revised it and in 1494 the Liber de scriptoribus ecclesiasticis a folio of nearly 300 pages issued from the Basle press of Johann Amerbach… “From Alexander bishop of Cappadocia down to himself Tritheim sets out in chronological order nearly a thousand writers largely but not exclusively ecclesiastical giving a short account of each followed by a list of his or her writings. Nor are these lists merely perfunctory: it is obvious from such a heading as that for St. Augustine under which he enumerates 277 works that Tritheim must have lavished an immense amount of genuine research on his bibliography. In all about 7000 books are recorded. An alphabetical index of authors arranged of course by Christian names is added. The contrast between the feeble theological bibliographies of the manuscript age and this first attempt in the printing era is very striking.”–Besterman The Beginnings of Systematic Bibliography pp. 7-8. The title of the book is somewhat misleading since the work is not restricted to ecclesiastical writers but also includes authors such as Dante Poggio and Sebastian Brant. A fine and crisp copy of a book which has become uncommon on the market preserved in a box. Bookplate of the Society of St. John the Evangelist Cowley Oxford. With a note on the rear paste-down referring to “Derby” the Earls of Derby and a shelf-mark. ⧠Goff T-452. unknown books
1450ref. 0226BOOK OF HOURS USE OF SARUM In Latin and French illuminated manuscript on parchment. Bruges Flanders c. 1450 with substantial additions made in France in the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Five miniatures by the Masters of the Gold Scrolls subgroup of the Master of Berlin Kunstbibliothek MS Grisebach 4 and one later French miniature in the artistic milieu of Antoine de Lonhy fl. c. 1446–1490. 193 × 134 mm. vi 124 leaves. Written principally in textualis formata in brown ink with rubrics in red and numerous initials in burnished gold blue and rose with penwork and foliate decoration. FIVE HALF-PAGE MINIATURES from the original Bruges campaign set within burnished-gold arches and surrounded by elaborate borders of scrolling vines acanthus flowers gold ivy leaves and bezants. ONE THREE-QUARTER-PAGE MINIATURE of the Mass of Saint Gregory was added in France at a later date. Made in Bruges around 1450 for the English market as demonstrated by its calendar for the Use of Sarum. The five surviving original miniatures depict the Massacre of the Innocents f. 7 Virgin and Child f. 13v Funeral Mass f. 38v Adoration of the Magi f. 57v and Resurrection f. 73. Gregory T. Clark attributes the illumination to a refined subgroup of the Masters of the Gold Scrolls centered around the Book of Hours Berlin Kunstbibliothek MS Grisebach 4. After reaching France the manuscript was extensively personalized. A striking miniature of the Mass of Saint Gregory with a kneeling female patron and impaled arms was added to the front of the volume. Stylistically it belongs to the immediate artistic milieu of Antoine de Lonhy and may possibly be by the artist himself. Additional French and Latin prayers protective texts healing charms and two versions of the Obsecro te—one for a female supplicant and another for a male—document its continued use by successive owners. Offsets from former pilgrimage badges preserved between its pages provide particularly evocative evidence of medieval devotional practice. An early ownership inscription appears most likely to read "I. Damas" or "H. Damas" while a later red-wax armorial seal appears to correspond with the heraldic tradition of the Damas family suggesting a possible long or recurring association with the family although continuous ownership cannot presently be demonstrated. The manuscript contains the Calendar Use of Sarum; Hours of the Virgin imperfect; Short Hours of the Cross; Mass of the Virgin; Seven Penitential Psalms; Litany; Office of the Dead; and substantial supplementary devotional material. Several leaves and miniatures are lacking particularly within the Hours of the Virgin. Nineteenth-century black silk velvet binding over pasteboards fitted with four pierced silver corner pieces and an elaborate silver clasp depicting the Agnus Dei beneath the Banner of the Resurrection. Housed in a twentieth-century red cloth clamshell box. Parchment generally sound with occasional stiffness and cockling moderate soiling and staining and occasional rubbing to initials and marginal decoration. The five original Bruges miniatures remain exceptionally fresh retaining brilliant color and crisp execution. The later Mass of Saint Gregory miniature has significant rubbing and wear to the background with minor modern interventions and restoration. PROVENANCE: Produced in Bruges for the English market c. 1450; unidentified female French patron later fifteenth century; Damas family late fifteenth or early sixteenth century and possibly later; subsequent female and male users documented by added prayers; private collection Switzerland. FOR FULL DESCRIPTON PLEASE SEE MY WEBSITE Illuminated Manuscript / Book of Hours
1634ref. 107041634. Several woodcut illus. in the text. 25 vols. Folio 346 x 230 mm. orig. wrappers rubbed & several with some wear three vols. with some staining occasional minor foxing orig. stitching. HansÅng: colophon in Vol. 2 dated 1634. Second edition 1st ed.: 1613 of a very great rarity “the greatest of all Korean medical treatises which devotes its last chapters to acupuncture and moxibustion.”–Lu & Needham Celestial Lancets p. 263n. It is considered to have one of the finest classification systems in traditional East Asian medicine. HÅ Chun 1539/46-1615 was a court physician of the Yangcheon HÅ clan during the reign of King Seonjo 1568-1608 of the Joseon dynasty in Korea. During the Japanese invasion of Korea 1592-98 HÅ faithfully accompanied the king through numerous difficult campaigns. Following the conflict the king commissioned HÅ to write a medical book for his citizens who suffered from post-war famines and epidemics. In 1610 HÅ completed his masterwork which was first published in 1613 an even rarer book. The Tongŭi pogam is divided into five broad sections: internal medicine four vols. external medicine four vols. miscellaneous diseases 11 vols. herbal remedies three vols. and acupuncture one vol. all preceded by a most useful two-volume Table of Contents. In the first section on internal medicine HÅ describes the interdependence of the liver lung kidney heart and spleen. The section on external medicine explains how the skin muscles blood vessels tendons and bones allow for movement and maintenance of posture. The part on miscellaneous diseases describes the symptoms diagnoses and treatment methods of various diseases. HÅ’s remedies rely on readily found medicinal herbs and plants and he provides impressively detailed instructions on how to extract maintain and consume the herbs. The last section explains acupuncture strategies. The work spread to other East Asian countries like China Japan and Vietnam and is still regarded as one of the classics of Asian medicine. “The Treasured mirror of eastern medicine was in fact one of the very few non-Buddhist works written outside China that achieved a wide circulation within China. It was written by HÅ Chun 1539-1615 as a summation of Korean medical knowledge and was printed in Korea in 1613. Copies were sent directly to China in 1721 and 1728 and a copy reached Japan in 1681. A revised edition was printed in Japan with glosses in 1724 and again in 1799; copies of the 1799 edition were sent to China via Nagasaki in 1811 and 1837. The Treasured mirror of eastern medicine was reprinted in China in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries either from the Korean edition or from one of the Japanese editions with the glosses removed. This was a rare sign of high esteem for a book written outside China.”–Peter Kornicki Languages Scripts and Chinese Texts in East Asia Oxford: 2018 p. 144. HÅ Chun remains famous in Korea today: there are several recently created television series and films about him and his achievements; a best-selling novel about him was published in 1990; and a museum in Seoul is devoted to his life and works. A very good “married” set with the first volume of miscellaneous diseases coming from another set. One volume has a hole to about ten leaves touching a few characters. ⧠For an extended and excellent discussion of the contents and importance of this work see Yeonseok Kang “History and Characteristics of Korean Medicine” in Routledge Handbook of Chinese Medicine 2022 pp. 507-08. unknown
1634ref. 107041634. Several woodcut illus. in the text. 25 vols. Folio 346 x 230 mm. orig. wrappers rubbed & several with some wear three vols. with some staining occasional minor foxing orig. stitching. HansÅng: colophon in Vol. 2 dated 1634. Second edition 1st ed.: 1613 of a very great rarity “the greatest of all Korean medical treatises which devotes its last chapters to acupuncture and moxibustion.”–Lu & Needham Celestial Lancets p. 263n. It is considered to have one of the finest classification systems in traditional East Asian medicine. HÅ Chun 1539/46-1615 was a court physician of the Yangcheon HÅ clan during the reign of King Seonjo 1568-1608 of the Joseon dynasty in Korea. During the Japanese invasion of Korea 1592-98 HÅ faithfully accompanied the king through numerous difficult campaigns. Following the conflict the king commissioned HÅ to write a medical book for his citizens who suffered from post-war famines and epidemics. In 1610 HÅ completed his masterwork which was first published in 1613 an even rarer book. The Tongŭi pogam is divided into five broad sections: internal medicine four vols. external medicine four vols. miscellaneous diseases 11 vols. herbal remedies three vols. and acupuncture one vol. all preceded by a most useful two-volume Table of Contents. In the first section on internal medicine HÅ describes the interdependence of the liver lung kidney heart and spleen. The section on external medicine explains how the skin muscles blood vessels tendons and bones allow for movement and maintenance of posture. The part on miscellaneous diseases describes the symptoms diagnoses and treatment methods of various diseases. HÅ’s remedies rely on readily found medicinal herbs and plants and he provides impressively detailed instructions on how to extract maintain and consume the herbs. The last section explains acupuncture strategies. The work spread to other East Asian countries like China Japan and Vietnam and is still regarded as one of the classics of Asian medicine. “The Treasured mirror of eastern medicine was in fact one of the very few non-Buddhist works written outside China that achieved a wide circulation within China. It was written by HÅ Chun 1539-1615 as a summation of Korean medical knowledge and was printed in Korea in 1613. Copies were sent directly to China in 1721 and 1728 and a copy reached Japan in 1681. A revised edition was printed in Japan with glosses in 1724 and again in 1799; copies of the 1799 edition were sent to China via Nagasaki in 1811 and 1837. The Treasured mirror of eastern medicine was reprinted in China in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries either from the Korean edition or from one of the Japanese editions with the glosses removed. This was a rare sign of high esteem for a book written outside China.”–Peter Kornicki Languages Scripts and Chinese Texts in East Asia Oxford: 2018 p. 144. HÅ Chun remains famous in Korea today: there are several recently created television series and films about him and his achievements; a best-selling novel about him was published in 1990; and a museum in Seoul is devoted to his life and works. A very good “married” set with the first volume of miscellaneous diseases coming from another set. One volume has a hole to about ten leaves touching a few characters. ⧠For an extended and excellent discussion of the contents and importance of this work see Yeonseok Kang “History and Characteristics of Korean Medicine” in Routledge Handbook of Chinese Medicine 2022 pp. 507-08. unknown books
ref. 86003001Edo c.1700-50 n.p. Brown & silver covered boards very clean 7 double-page b.w. erotic woodblock illustrations mounted on mica flecked paper 18 x 25 cm. accordion folded illustration size: 31 x 12 cm. FIRST & ONLY UNRECORDED COPY! . . . . A VERY RARE UNRECORDED EARLY BOOK . . . A BIZARRE & UNIQUE EROTIC BOOK . . . UNSIGNED BUT CLEARLY THE WORK OF A MASTER ARTIST . BY SUKENOBU OR HIS :SCHOOL: . A unique and hitherto unfound odd and most unusual erotic book of the early-mid-18th century. One of the most bizarre erotic books ever done in Japan. . The graphically explicit work portrays men and women with genitals on their foreheads engaged in heterosexual and homosexual intercourse. There is no other book with such unusual and strange illustrations. . . THE TITLE: THE LEGEND OF AMANJAKU or AMAN NO JAKU: Chinese Title: TIAN XIE GUI YUN . THE MEANING OF AMANJAKU: Japanese Buddhist literature is abundant with variations on the theme of "Aman-No-Jaku" aka. "Amanjaku" "Manojaku" commonly understood to be a "Heavenly Evil Spirit." . This spirit or demon-like creature in Japanese folklore is usually depicted as being a male during the day and female at night. The demon is usually depicted as a kind of small Oni devil and is thought to be able to provoke a person's darkest desires and instigate him into perpetrating wicked deeds. . Amanjaku is also depicted in Chinese and Japanese mythology the AMANOJAKU is a changeling a water spirit that infiltrates the human world to play cruel tricks on people by reading their minds and twisting their requests or desires to be used against them. . The "AMANOJAKU" is also known the "Lord of the River" and in Japan serves Bishamonten one of the four Deva kings of Buddhism as a minor demon. See Wikipedia below. . In Japanese the term "Amanojaku" also refers to a person who is deliberately contradictory someone who argues for the sake of arguing or can be used in common Japanese conversation to refer to someone who is a "Perverted Demon." . THE ILLUSTRATIONS: THE BUDDHIST THEME:. This work is unusual in that the genitals of common people are located on their foreheads. A symbolist meaning can be in Buddhist concept that sex and sexual hedonism is openly on the minds of 'lay' people. The Buddha and his disciples on the other hand do not have sex organs on their foreheads meaning their organs are covered and in a different usual location. This can symbolize 'self control' over such biological energies. Devout Buddhist disregard sex as a pleasurable pastime and devote themselves to monastic focus. By contrast "lay" people are distracted with hedonistic pleasure a path away from rather than towards the Dharma or teachings of Buddhism. . In a sense this work illustrates the overwhelming force of evil or the "Amanojaku" and how it distracts people from the "Righteous Path" towards the Dharma and the ultimate goal of attaining Nirvana. It can be posited that this work is designed to give understanding to "lay" people by way of visual example of what forces direct their energies away from the Buddhist teachings in an effort to redirect them towards the "Righteous Path" and life style. . EXCEPTIONALLY RARE UNIQUE WORK: . The work is exceptionally RARE unusual and erotic there are no other example showing genitals on the foreheads of any other Japanese book cited anywhere in the bibliographic literature or record. . This work is certainly RARE in subject content and quantity. Though it was woodblock printed and unsigned which was usual for Japanese erotic works which were banned by the Shogun we have not found anything similar or recorded anywhere in the bibliography. Being woodblock printed one assumes there are other copies in existence. The average printing from woodblocks were somewhere between 100-200 copies. However in this instance no others exist. We have the strong feeling the book could have been the production of a famous Japanese illustrator and perhaps financed by a Buddhist temple again there are no known facts about this rarity. . THE EROTIC ILLUSTRATIONS: . Number 1: This work begins showing the Buddha flanked by two of his disciple monks. The title is written in four Japanese Kanji in Kambun & Chinese characters. The Buddha and his two disciples listen to two elderly Buddhist believers: one is a male he has and erect penis on his forehead. The other is a woman she has a vagina on her forehead. Neither the Buddha nor his two disciples monks show genitals on their foreheads. The couple have come to consult with the Buddha about their grievances. . Number 2: Shows a man and a woman in a Tatami matted room both wear lovely 18th century decorated Kimono. They embrace each other and are engaged in making love from their foreheads which show an erect penis and testicles inserted into the woman's forehead where her vagina is located. Adjacent to the young couple is an older woman who has become aroused by the adjacent couple's making love. The old woman uses a dildo tied to a post which she hugs while inserting the dildo into the vagina on her forehead. . Number 3: Shows a couple laying on a blanket their Kimono pulled down and opened and used as a top cover. They engage in love-making and kiss. The man has an erect penis on his forehead the woman a vagina on hers. There is some used Chirishi toilet paper just above her head on the floor used to wipe the love fluids. There is a folded package of yet unused Chirishi in readiness. Chishiri shown in Japanese Shunga erotic prints prints & paintings is an 'erotic symbol' indicative of sexual excitement with lots of love fluids flowing. Ergo the need for paper to clean up the results of erotic love-making. . Number 4 shows an adult man with an erect penis on his forehead penetrating the anus of a younger man who's smaller but erect penis is seen on his forehead as he faces his lover. The younger man has no pubic hair yet indicating his youth. . Adjacent to these two men is a woman in the next room. The door is open she is a secret voyeur of the two men. Her vagina is also on her forehead. A Shogi board and two bowls for stones is located in the front left of the illustration. Gay activities in Japanese society were accepted as a norm and were not especially unusual. However to find graphic examples in Japanese erotic books are exceptionally rare and seldom found. . Number 5: Depicts a fully clothed man on his knees he bends over a sleeping woman. He has a very large erect penis and begins to penetrate a woman with her vagina on her forehead. She is fully clothed and sleeping on a wooden "pillow" which supports her elaborate hair coiffeur. . Number 6: Depicts a lively scene of two men and a woman. One man with a very large and erect penis pulls the woman's arm toward him while she fends him off with a straight arm to his head. A second excited man also with a large and erect penis on his forehead masturbates and ejaculates in ecstasy. The woman has a vagina on her forehead. The scene is likely an intended rape of a young girl. She looks away in an effort not to allow him to pull her close enough to insert his penis into her exposed vagina. . Number 7: Illustrating a lonely old man in bed. He has an erect penis on his forehead and holds a kind of pot with a large opening. He faces down and inserts his penis into the pot for gratification. . THE TEXT: The text in Shunga erotic Japanese books & prints is often an erotic dialogue describing the erotic action. Often these words are onomatopoetic mimicking the sounds of people in orgasm or making comments about making love or the pleasure and good feelings. The size and hardness of the penis or the flavor and the juices of the vagina and its supple feelings of euphoria when engaged in love-making. All wear 18thcentury period Kimono. . MODE AND FASHION OF THE MID-18TH CENTURY: The room furnishing and Kimono of the participants in this work all wear 18th century period Kimono with period decorations. The style of Kimono and room screens reflect this period. . BINDING AND MOUNTING: Binding: The book has probably been rebound sometime after the 1750's with a more recent thin brown decorated paper with a silver chrysanthemum and a Mon family crest with gold and black on both front and rear covers. Each cover has a distinctly different kind of illustration but of the same theme. The corners and edges are a bit worn some loss to the paper as usual for a work from this period. . Mounting: At an earlier time each page was expertly mounted on a stiff Washi hand-made Japanese paper into an accordion folded book. Each illustration is bordered with a rare and stunning crushed oyster-shell powder mixed with rice-glue and overlaid on the border paper. The stunning effect is a rare shimmering pearl-like color and hue with a remarkable effect. This rare and largely unknown effect has been used for print backgrounds by some of the later masters. . This was no ordinary mounting and appropriate for an exceptionally and most unusual RARE book ! . Contents: By and large the contents are clean solid with a two old worm holes for the first 6 of 7 pages. These are small and towards the edge and does not detract from the overall quality of the illustration. On page 7 there are a few center margin old minor worm holes. All of these have been restored when the prints were laid down on the thick Washi paper creating book format. The work is otherwise solid and firm. There are a few 'rubs' on the old Washi paper which was made from very soft Kozo fibers common to any item of this period on this on handmade papers of the period. . CONDITION OF THE WOODBLOCK PRINTS: . These are very early black and white woodcut prints. Each print has an excellent and vivid impression key blocks are black and superbly printed with strong images. The paper is old and has the patina of paper from that age the usual minor mild surface rubbing or thumbing in the lower corners which is common. . We tend to be overly critical of any flaws found on our books and believe it is better to overly describe rather than avoid such discussion any imperfections. Suffice to say by and large this is an excellent item in very nice condition something that any collector or museum would be proud to own. Please review photos posted to our website. . R A R I T Y OF SUBJECT: The placement of the genitals on the forehead gives one a lot of room to theorize on the meaning of such artistic expression. In our 50 years of experience in dealing Japanese woodblock printed books and painted original art this is the first and only example with such imaginative and symbolist expression. With the beginning of the work showing the Buddha and his two disciples lacking any genitals on their foreheads one can simply assume that in a Buddhist way they have given up carnal desire as represented by common people who's foreheads display genitals perhaps meaning that sex is on their minds or they simply view others as sexual objects eager to make love and engage in carnal thoughts and activities. Obviously seeing an erect penis on some man whiles others see what he thinks and feels is an insight to his innermost thoughts and desires. In all cases in this book the men all show an erect penis. The women are a bit more difficult to fathom. Their vaginas are simply visible on their foreheads and no fluids are visible or other evidence of their carnal desire or sexually excited stated. All of the men have public hair adjacent to their sex organs while all women are lacking any pubic hair completely. This is an erotic symbolism giving full view to women's genitals. . "BANNED" or "PROHIBITED" BOOKS: Shun Pon Haru Bon: In the case of this item it is very likely that it was printed in a much smaller discreet quantity than the 200 copies possible off the blocks. Due to the "banned" nature of such books there is no date publisher nor place cited. One is simply left to determine the date and artist by stylistic analysis. It is well-known that during the Tokugawa period 1603-1868 erotic prints and books were "BANNED" or "PROHIBITED" by decree of the Shogun. One of the influencing factors was that during this period some Shoguns were changing their views and being influenced by Christians who entered Japan during this period. The Shogun did not want foreigners and Jesuit missionaries to think that Japan was a crass and base nation. Naturally foreigners soon learned that prostitution was rampant and so this strange logic from the Shogun never had much affect on the Christians and surely not on the Japanese. . The Shogun enforced severe punishments for persons involved in drawing printing carving blocks and publishing erotic books and prints. With out the "Kiwame" or censor's approval seal all such items were "Banned" outright by the Shogun decree. . While these "Prohibited" books and prints were widely circulated in an "underground" society there are ample examples of famous artists taking on commissions to produce erotic books and prints fun or profit. The record and bibliography is loaded with these examples. "Banning" such erotic works simply meant that the number printed were limited to smaller numbers and distribution was done under the table discretely circulating such books privately among collectors. During these times it was not necessary for artists to sign their such artistic creations by-and-large the population had a very good idea who the artist was by being familiar with their style and other works it was simply a "public secret" who the artist was. Often the artist poked fun at the Shogun with political jokes and assumed names to confound any chance of being discovered by the authorities. . Over the centuries this knowledge decreased and is now the domain of the art historian or scholar to identify and determine the actual artist. Stylistic analysis remains the standard method for unsigned works. . THE ARTIST/SCHOOLS: While there are no signatures or seals indicating the artist's name or even his alternate Go studio name we believe this work is part of the "Primitives and First Century of Ukiyo-e School 1660-1765" period. See Lane below. The women's coiffeur is very similar to those found in this period as well as the drawing style technique and genre. It is this cataloger's opinion that this work was likely the creation of one of the Moronobu School masters. Perhaps done by Sukenobu Yoshikiyo Morishige Sugimura Moronobu Kiyonobu Masanobu or others from this period. We believe this work was likely done from around 1710-1750. It was also likely that it was done by one of the artists listed below. . LIKELY ARTIST ATTRIBUTION: . MORONOBU SUKENOBU SCHOOL: Nishikawa Sukenobu 1671 -August 20 1750 often called simply "Sukenobu" was a Japanese printmaker from Kyoto. He was unusual for a Ukiyo-e in being based in the imperial capital of Kyoto. He did prints of actors but gained note for his works concerning women. His Hyakunin Joro Shinasadame: Appreciating 100 Women in two volumes published in 1723 depicted women of all classes from the empress to prostitutes and received favorable results His Hyakunin Joro Shinasadame: Appreciating 100 women in two volumes published in 1723 depicted women of all classes from the empress to prostitutes and received favorable results Leading members of this school were: Nishikawa Sukenobu the founder; Nishikawa Suketada; Kawashima Nobukiyo; Nishikawa Terunobu; and Takagi Sadatake. . NISHIKAWA MORONOBU SCHOOL: Nishikawa Moronobu 1618-July 25 1694 was a Japanese painter and printmaker known for his advancement of the Ukiyo-e woodcut style starting in the 1670s. Leading members of the MORONOBU school were: Nishikawa Moronobu the founder; Hishikawa Morofusa; Hishikawa Moroyoshi; Hishikawa Moronaga; Hishikawa Moroshige; Hishikawa Morohira; and Tamazaki Ryujo. . BIBLIOGRAPHY: . This title is NOT listed in any of the below resources: SHIBUI Kiyoshi. UKIYO-E NAISHI. BIBLIOGRAPHY OF JAPANESE EROTIC ILLUSTRATED WOODBLOCK PRINTED BOOKS. H. KERLEN. CATALOGUE OF PRE-MEIJI JAPANESE BOOKS & MAPS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS. Richard Lane: IMAGES FROM THE FLOATING WORLD THE JAPANESE PRINT; pages 28 40-60 show examples of the Ukiyo-e primitives 1660-1765 especially the Moronobu school pp.60-88 et al. . NOT LISTED IN: . KSM SHIBUI Kiyoshi: UKIYO-E NAISI. BIBLIOGRAPHY OF JAPANESE EROTIC ILLUSTRATED WOODBLOCK PRINTED BOOKS. Modern Reading: UKIYO-E NAISHI KERLEN H.: CATALOGUE OF PRE-MEIJI JAPANESE BOOKS & MAPS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS. Not in any other usual bibliographies on Japanese E-hon woodblock printed books. . See: WIKIPEDIA:. unknown
ref. 86003001Edo c.1700-50 n.p. Brown & silver covered boards very clean 7 double-page b.w. erotic woodblock illustrations mounted on mica flecked paper 18 x 25 cm. accordion folded illustration size: 31 x 12 cm. FIRST & ONLY UNRECORDED COPY! . . . . A VERY RARE UNRECORDED EARLY BOOK . . . A BIZARRE & UNIQUE EROTIC BOOK . . . UNSIGNED BUT CLEARLY THE WORK OF A MASTER ARTIST . BY SUKENOBU OR HIS :SCHOOL: . A unique and hitherto unfound odd and most unusual erotic book of the early-mid-18th century. One of the most bizarre erotic books ever done in Japan. . The graphically explicit work portrays men and women with genitals on their foreheads engaged in heterosexual and homosexual intercourse. There is no other book with such unusual and strange illustrations. . . THE TITLE: THE LEGEND OF AMANJAKU or AMAN NO JAKU: Chinese Title: TIAN XIE GUI YUN . THE MEANING OF AMANJAKU: Japanese Buddhist literature is abundant with variations on the theme of "Aman-No-Jaku" aka. "Amanjaku" "Manojaku" commonly understood to be a "Heavenly Evil Spirit." . This spirit or demon-like creature in Japanese folklore is usually depicted as being a male during the day and female at night. The demon is usually depicted as a kind of small Oni devil and is thought to be able to provoke a person's darkest desires and instigate him into perpetrating wicked deeds. . Amanjaku is also depicted in Chinese and Japanese mythology the AMANOJAKU is a changeling a water spirit that infiltrates the human world to play cruel tricks on people by reading their minds and twisting their requests or desires to be used against them. . The "AMANOJAKU" is also known the "Lord of the River" and in Japan serves Bishamonten one of the four Deva kings of Buddhism as a minor demon. See Wikipedia below. . In Japanese the term "Amanojaku" also refers to a person who is deliberately contradictory someone who argues for the sake of arguing or can be used in common Japanese conversation to refer to someone who is a "Perverted Demon." . THE ILLUSTRATIONS: THE BUDDHIST THEME:. This work is unusual in that the genitals of common people are located on their foreheads. A symbolist meaning can be in Buddhist concept that sex and sexual hedonism is openly on the minds of 'lay' people. The Buddha and his disciples on the other hand do not have sex organs on their foreheads meaning their organs are covered and in a different usual location. This can symbolize 'self control' over such biological energies. Devout Buddhist disregard sex as a pleasurable pastime and devote themselves to monastic focus. By contrast "lay" people are distracted with hedonistic pleasure a path away from rather than towards the Dharma or teachings of Buddhism. . In a sense this work illustrates the overwhelming force of evil or the "Amanojaku" and how it distracts people from the "Righteous Path" towards the Dharma and the ultimate goal of attaining Nirvana. It can be posited that this work is designed to give understanding to "lay" people by way of visual example of what forces direct their energies away from the Buddhist teachings in an effort to redirect them towards the "Righteous Path" and life style. . EXCEPTIONALLY RARE UNIQUE WORK: . The work is exceptionally RARE unusual and erotic there are no other example showing genitals on the foreheads of any other Japanese book cited anywhere in the bibliographic literature or record. . This work is certainly RARE in subject content and quantity. Though it was woodblock printed and unsigned which was usual for Japanese erotic works which were banned by the Shogun we have not found anything similar or recorded anywhere in the bibliography. Being woodblock printed one assumes there are other copies in existence. The average printing from woodblocks were somewhere between 100-200 copies. However in this instance no others exist. We have the strong feeling the book could have been the production of a famous Japanese illustrator and perhaps financed by a Buddhist temple again there are no known facts about this rarity. . THE EROTIC ILLUSTRATIONS: . Number 1: This work begins showing the Buddha flanked by two of his disciple monks. The title is written in four Japanese Kanji in Kambun & Chinese characters. The Buddha and his two disciples listen to two elderly Buddhist believers: one is a male he has and erect penis on his forehead. The other is a woman she has a vagina on her forehead. Neither the Buddha nor his two disciples monks show genitals on their foreheads. The couple have come to consult with the Buddha about their grievances. . Number 2: Shows a man and a woman in a Tatami matted room both wear lovely 18th century decorated Kimono. They embrace each other and are engaged in making love from their foreheads which show an erect penis and testicles inserted into the woman's forehead where her vagina is located. Adjacent to the young couple is an older woman who has become aroused by the adjacent couple's making love. The old woman uses a dildo tied to a post which she hugs while inserting the dildo into the vagina on her forehead. . Number 3: Shows a couple laying on a blanket their Kimono pulled down and opened and used as a top cover. They engage in love-making and kiss. The man has an erect penis on his forehead the woman a vagina on hers. There is some used Chirishi toilet paper just above her head on the floor used to wipe the love fluids. There is a folded package of yet unused Chirishi in readiness. Chishiri shown in Japanese Shunga erotic prints prints & paintings is an 'erotic symbol' indicative of sexual excitement with lots of love fluids flowing. Ergo the need for paper to clean up the results of erotic love-making. . Number 4 shows an adult man with an erect penis on his forehead penetrating the anus of a younger man who's smaller but erect penis is seen on his forehead as he faces his lover. The younger man has no pubic hair yet indicating his youth. . Adjacent to these two men is a woman in the next room. The door is open she is a secret voyeur of the two men. Her vagina is also on her forehead. A Shogi board and two bowls for stones is located in the front left of the illustration. Gay activities in Japanese society were accepted as a norm and were not especially unusual. However to find graphic examples in Japanese erotic books are exceptionally rare and seldom found. . Number 5: Depicts a fully clothed man on his knees he bends over a sleeping woman. He has a very large erect penis and begins to penetrate a woman with her vagina on her forehead. She is fully clothed and sleeping on a wooden "pillow" which supports her elaborate hair coiffeur. . Number 6: Depicts a lively scene of two men and a woman. One man with a very large and erect penis pulls the woman's arm toward him while she fends him off with a straight arm to his head. A second excited man also with a large and erect penis on his forehead masturbates and ejaculates in ecstasy. The woman has a vagina on her forehead. The scene is likely an intended rape of a young girl. She looks away in an effort not to allow him to pull her close enough to insert his penis into her exposed vagina. . Number 7: Illustrating a lonely old man in bed. He has an erect penis on his forehead and holds a kind of pot with a large opening. He faces down and inserts his penis into the pot for gratification. . THE TEXT: The text in Shunga erotic Japanese books & prints is often an erotic dialogue describing the erotic action. Often these words are onomatopoetic mimicking the sounds of people in orgasm or making comments about making love or the pleasure and good feelings. The size and hardness of the penis or the flavor and the juices of the vagina and its supple feelings of euphoria when engaged in love-making. All wear 18thcentury period Kimono. . MODE AND FASHION OF THE MID-18TH CENTURY: The room furnishing and Kimono of the participants in this work all wear 18th century period Kimono with period decorations. The style of Kimono and room screens reflect this period. . BINDING AND MOUNTING: Binding: The book has probably been rebound sometime after the 1750's with a more recent thin brown decorated paper with a silver chrysanthemum and a Mon family crest with gold and black on both front and rear covers. Each cover has a distinctly different kind of illustration but of the same theme. The corners and edges are a bit worn some loss to the paper as usual for a work from this period. . Mounting: At an earlier time each page was expertly mounted on a stiff Washi hand-made Japanese paper into an accordion folded book. Each illustration is bordered with a rare and stunning crushed oyster-shell powder mixed with rice-glue and overlaid on the border paper. The stunning effect is a rare shimmering pearl-like color and hue with a remarkable effect. This rare and largely unknown effect has been used for print backgrounds by some of the later masters. . This was no ordinary mounting and appropriate for an exceptionally and most unusual RARE book ! . Contents: By and large the contents are clean solid with a two old worm holes for the first 6 of 7 pages. These are small and towards the edge and does not detract from the overall quality of the illustration. On page 7 there are a few center margin old minor worm holes. All of these have been restored when the prints were laid down on the thick Washi paper creating book format. The work is otherwise solid and firm. There are a few 'rubs' on the old Washi paper which was made from very soft Kozo fibers common to any item of this period on this on handmade papers of the period. . CONDITION OF THE WOODBLOCK PRINTS: . These are very early black and white woodcut prints. Each print has an excellent and vivid impression key blocks are black and superbly printed with strong images. The paper is old and has the patina of paper from that age the usual minor mild surface rubbing or thumbing in the lower corners which is common. . We tend to be overly critical of any flaws found on our books and believe it is better to overly describe rather than avoid such discussion any imperfections. Suffice to say by and large this is an excellent item in very nice condition something that any collector or museum would be proud to own. Please review photos posted to our website. . R A R I T Y OF SUBJECT: The placement of the genitals on the forehead gives one a lot of room to theorize on the meaning of such artistic expression. In our 50 years of experience in dealing Japanese woodblock printed books and painted original art this is the first and only example with such imaginative and symbolist expression. With the beginning of the work showing the Buddha and his two disciples lacking any genitals on their foreheads one can simply assume that in a Buddhist way they have given up carnal desire as represented by common people who's foreheads display genitals perhaps meaning that sex is on their minds or they simply view others as sexual objects eager to make love and engage in carnal thoughts and activities. Obviously seeing an erect penis on some man whiles others see what he thinks and feels is an insight to his innermost thoughts and desires. In all cases in this book the men all show an erect penis. The women are a bit more difficult to fathom. Their vaginas are simply visible on their foreheads and no fluids are visible or other evidence of their carnal desire or sexually excited stated. All of the men have public hair adjacent to their sex organs while all women are lacking any pubic hair completely. This is an erotic symbolism giving full view to women's genitals. . "BANNED" or "PROHIBITED" BOOKS: Shun Pon Haru Bon: In the case of this item it is very likely that it was printed in a much smaller discreet quantity than the 200 copies possible off the blocks. Due to the "banned" nature of such books there is no date publisher nor place cited. One is simply left to determine the date and artist by stylistic analysis. It is well-known that during the Tokugawa period 1603-1868 erotic prints and books were "BANNED" or "PROHIBITED" by decree of the Shogun. One of the influencing factors was that during this period some Shoguns were changing their views and being influenced by Christians who entered Japan during this period. The Shogun did not want foreigners and Jesuit missionaries to think that Japan was a crass and base nation. Naturally foreigners soon learned that prostitution was rampant and so this strange logic from the Shogun never had much affect on the Christians and surely not on the Japanese. . The Shogun enforced severe punishments for persons involved in drawing printing carving blocks and publishing erotic books and prints. With out the "Kiwame" or censor's approval seal all such items were "Banned" outright by the Shogun decree. . While these "Prohibited" books and prints were widely circulated in an "underground" society there are ample examples of famous artists taking on commissions to produce erotic books and prints fun or profit. The record and bibliography is loaded with these examples. "Banning" such erotic works simply meant that the number printed were limited to smaller numbers and distribution was done under the table discretely circulating such books privately among collectors. During these times it was not necessary for artists to sign their such artistic creations by-and-large the population had a very good idea who the artist was by being familiar with their style and other works it was simply a "public secret" who the artist was. Often the artist poked fun at the Shogun with political jokes and assumed names to confound any chance of being discovered by the authorities. . Over the centuries this knowledge decreased and is now the domain of the art historian or scholar to identify and determine the actual artist. Stylistic analysis remains the standard method for unsigned works. . THE ARTIST/SCHOOLS: While there are no signatures or seals indicating the artist's name or even his alternate Go studio name we believe this work is part of the "Primitives and First Century of Ukiyo-e School 1660-1765" period. See Lane below. The women's coiffeur is very similar to those found in this period as well as the drawing style technique and genre. It is this cataloger's opinion that this work was likely the creation of one of the Moronobu School masters. Perhaps done by Sukenobu Yoshikiyo Morishige Sugimura Moronobu Kiyonobu Masanobu or others from this period. We believe this work was likely done from around 1710-1750. It was also likely that it was done by one of the artists listed below. . LIKELY ARTIST ATTRIBUTION: . MORONOBU SUKENOBU SCHOOL: Nishikawa Sukenobu 1671 -August 20 1750 often called simply "Sukenobu" was a Japanese printmaker from Kyoto. He was unusual for a Ukiyo-e in being based in the imperial capital of Kyoto. He did prints of actors but gained note for his works concerning women. His Hyakunin Joro Shinasadame: Appreciating 100 Women in two volumes published in 1723 depicted women of all classes from the empress to prostitutes and received favorable results His Hyakunin Joro Shinasadame: Appreciating 100 women in two volumes published in 1723 depicted women of all classes from the empress to prostitutes and received favorable results Leading members of this school were: Nishikawa Sukenobu the founder; Nishikawa Suketada; Kawashima Nobukiyo; Nishikawa Terunobu; and Takagi Sadatake. . NISHIKAWA MORONOBU SCHOOL: Nishikawa Moronobu 1618-July 25 1694 was a Japanese painter and printmaker known for his advancement of the Ukiyo-e woodcut style starting in the 1670s. Leading members of the MORONOBU school were: Nishikawa Moronobu the founder; Hishikawa Morofusa; Hishikawa Moroyoshi; Hishikawa Moronaga; Hishikawa Moroshige; Hishikawa Morohira; and Tamazaki Ryujo. . BIBLIOGRAPHY: . This title is NOT listed in any of the below resources: SHIBUI Kiyoshi. UKIYO-E NAISHI. BIBLIOGRAPHY OF JAPANESE EROTIC ILLUSTRATED WOODBLOCK PRINTED BOOKS. H. KERLEN. CATALOGUE OF PRE-MEIJI JAPANESE BOOKS & MAPS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS. Richard Lane: IMAGES FROM THE FLOATING WORLD THE JAPANESE PRINT; pages 28 40-60 show examples of the Ukiyo-e primitives 1660-1765 especially the Moronobu school pp.60-88 et al. . NOT LISTED IN: . KSM SHIBUI Kiyoshi: UKIYO-E NAISI. BIBLIOGRAPHY OF JAPANESE EROTIC ILLUSTRATED WOODBLOCK PRINTED BOOKS. Modern Reading: UKIYO-E NAISHI KERLEN H.: CATALOGUE OF PRE-MEIJI JAPANESE BOOKS & MAPS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS IN THE NETHERLANDS. Not in any other usual bibliographies on Japanese E-hon woodblock printed books. . See: WIKIPEDIA:. unknown books
ref. 1714Portugal Second half of the eighteenth-century. Manuscript book. Written in brown ink by one or probably two neat hands. A French introduction by a different hand on the front flyleaf with bibliographical details and the addition of Fernando da Silveira’s Epigramma from the printed book and the summary of André de Burgos’ prologue. Pages ruled in pencil. In contemporary half morocco. Title lettered in gilt on spine. Corners bumped. Panels are rubbed at the extremities. Wormholes on the spine with no effect on the book. Light water stain to the upper corners of the last few leaves. Overall in fine condition. Manuscript book. Written in brown ink by one or probably two neat hands. A French introduction by a different hand on the front flyleaf with bibliographical details and the addition of Fernando da Silveira’s Epigramma from the printed book and the summary of André de Burgos’ prologue. Pages ruled in pencil. In contemporary half morocco. Title lettered in gilt on spine. ff. 189. An eighteenth-century manuscript copy of the scarce Portuguese eye-witness' account on the discovery of Florida Relaçam verdadeira a narrative of Hernando de Soto’s expedition which was first published in Évora in 1557 by Andrés de Burgos. Relaçam verdadeira is the first account to be published about de Soto’s expedition and the discovery of Florida. The book was written by an anonymous gentleman from Elvas who was one of the Portuguese fidalgos accompanying the Spanish expedition crossing the southern territories of North America from Florida to the mouth of the Mississippi. De Soto the seasoned conquistador who had participated in the conquest of Peru and his men landed in Florida in May 1539 and wandered through what is now the southeastern United States Florida Georgia South and North Carolina Tennessee Alabama Mississippi Arkansas Oklahoma Texas and Louisiana. After nearly four years of unsuccessful search for gold and the death of de Soto in 1542 the three hundred survivors of the initial force of seven hundred reached the Mississippi River and returned to Mexico. Relaçam verdadeira is among the few key narratives of early Spanish efforts to explore North America and is considered as one of the major documents of sixteenth-century American history. It provides the earliest accounts of the Southern Indians and gives the first insight into their customs and religious practices. The printed book is extremely scarce IB just as USTC lists only 3 copies in New York NYPL London BL and Madrid BNE. Besides those we located two copies at Biblioteca Geral da Universidade de Coimbra and JCB. The French introduction of the present volume mentions a copy probably of which the manuscript was made after in Lisbon at Real Palacio das Necessidades however we could not verify the existence or the current location of it. References for the printed book Évora: Andrés de Burgos 1557: IB 18049 USTC 343292 Joaquim Anselmo Portugal no. 388. . unknown
1762ref. B6600Romae: Veneunt apud Auctorem in ædibus Comitis Thomati via Felice prope templum SS. Trinitatis in Monte Pincio; c.1762. Fine thick laid 18th century Italian paper with wide margined paper watermarked engravings; spine and corners worn – A handsome and attractive example plates are clean and crisp. Binding: Contemporary half calf; double gilt fillets bordering marbled boards; spine with five 5 matching gilt fillets on raised bands embossed gilt lettered title on two and four; pasted and free endpapers marbled; all edges marbled. Notes: Text in Latin and Italian. This work was dedicated by Piranesi to one of his highly esteemed co-workers during the 1750’s Robert Adam. Concerning this Rome 1762 edition Luigi Ficacci states: “Edition Rome 1762. Engraved title on the title page: The Campus Martius of Ancient Rome the Work of G. B. Piranesi Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries London. The Latin title page bears the title the date of the edition and the dedication to Robert Adam. The address is: “Veneunt apud Auctorem in aedibus Comitis Thomati via Felice prope Templum SS. Trinitatis in Monte Pincio”. The volume is composed of 2 title pages Latin and Italian whose sequence varies according to the copy 2 ornamented letters 4 vignettes 42 plates by Piranesi 5 of these plates are composed of several copperplates and 1 engraved by Vesterhout 68 pages of text in Italian and Latin preceded by 6 pages of dedication to Robert Adam and followed by 29 pages of indices. … The genesis of the work goes back to the second half of the 1750s: its publication is announced as imminent in the first volume of Antichita Romane 1756. The large Plan of Campo Marzio and 6 copperplates “Ichnographia” or plan of the Campus Martius ill. 493 executed in collaboration with Robert Adam and dedicated to him is dated 1757 on the plate. The approbatio is dated 1761. The plate by Vesterhout plate XXXI … reproduces the technical solution adopted by Carlo and Francesco Fontana for restoration of the Column of Antonius Pius in 1705.” Plate XXXI depicting the excavation of the Antonine column in 1705 was signed by both its engraver Arnold Van Westerhout or Vesterhout and by its designer and artist Franciscus Fontana. The second illustrated title or title in Italian reads: 'Il Campo Marzio Dell'Antica Roma'. Size: Folio 542 x 406mm. Illustration: Copper engravings with illustrated title in Latin illustrated title in Italian two half-page head-piece vignettes opening dedication at a1v-2r; two engraved decorative copper initials opening the text at A1v and A2r; two large end-piece vignettes at R2v and R3r; moreover Tab. I-XLVIII with fifty-two 52 copper engraved plates; these include: a double-page plate numbered XXXII two triple or oversized folding plates numbered II and XXXI; a larger oversized engraving 1500x1500mm encompassing plates V-X forming the plan of the Campus Martius; a single page numbered XLVIII depicting three copper plates entitled “Elevazione de’ Teatri…” “Elevazione del Pantheon…” and “Elevazione dell’ Anfiteatro”; single pages two half-page copper plates each - numbered XII entitled “Hypsographia…” and “Sectio…” and XLVI entitled “A Reliquiae…” and “Orthographia…” respectively; the remaining copper plates full or single page sized. Provenance: Upper marginal corner of upper pasted endpaper with sticker reading “C.E.Rappaport // Libri Rari // Roma”- References: Luigi Ficacci pp. 394-431; Focillon 1964: 428-479; Hind 1978: 85; Millard iv 2000: 91; RIBA Early Pr. iii 1999: 2551; Wilton-Ely 1994: 559-612. Pages: Ll: Bl. 2 Illustrated title in Latin illustrated title in Italian a1-b2 with dedication A1-Q2 R1-3 with approbation and explanatory texts; a1-c2 with Index ; 1-2 1-3 with catalogues; illustrations: Tab.I-XLVIII; bl. 2. Category: Book Art Architecture & Design; Book Europe Italy; Book Plate Books General; Book Antiquities; Veneunt apud Auctorem in ædibus Comitis Thomati via Felice prope templum SS. Trinitatis in Monte Pincio; hardcover
1770ref. B6607Romae/Rome: Veneunt apud Auctorem in ædibus Comitis Thomati via Felice prope templum SS. Trinitatis in Monte Pincio; watermarks indicate: c.1770’s-1790’s. Plates and text crisp and clean near fine. Thick wide margined paper. Binding: Contemporary half calf with marbled boards; spine with five 5 blind raised bands flanked by gilt tooling; gilt lettered title on Morocco label on two; contemporary pasted and free endpapers; all edges speckled red. Notes: Text in Italian; captions in Latin. This work was dedicated by Piranesi to one of his highly esteemed co-workers during the 1750’s Robert Adam. Concerning the Rome 1762 edition Luigi Ficacci states: “Edition Rome 1762. Engraved title on the title page: The Campus Martius of Ancient Rome the Work of G. B. Piranesi Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries London. The Latin title page bears the title the date of the edition and the dedication to Robert Adam. The address is: “Veneunt apud Auctorem in aedibus Comitis Thomati via Felice prope Templum SS. Trinitatis in Monte Pincio”. The genesis of the work goes back to the second half of the 1750s: its publication is announced as imminent in the first volume of Antichita Romane 1756. The large Plan of Campo Marzio and 6 copperplates “Ichnographia” or plan of the Campus Martius ill. 493 executed in collaboration with Robert Adam and dedicated to him is dated 1757 on the plate. The approbatio is dated 1761. The plate by Vesterhout plate XXXI … reproduces the technical solution adopted by Carlo and Francesco Fontana for restoration of the Column of Antonius Pius in 1705.” Size: Folio 542x406mm. Illustration: Etched copper engravings with illustrated title in Latin illustrated title in Italian ornamental head-piece and engraved decorative copper initial at A1r; the initial opens the text. Tab. I-XLVIII plus three full page engravings entitled “Sepulchrum Mariae Honorij Imp. Uxoris …” “Labrum aegyptiacum porphyreticum…” and Nonnulla monumenta sepulcralia quae recensentur…”; these 51etchings include double-page plates numbered V-X forming the plan of the Campus Martius and one double page plate # XXXII; two triple or oversized folding plates numbered II and XXXI; a single page numbered XLVIII depicting three copper plates entitled “Elevazione de’ Teatri…” “Elevazione del Pantheon…” and “Elevazione dell’ Anfiteatro”; single pages two half-page copper plates each - numbered XII entitled “Hypsographia…” and “Sectio…” and XLVI entitled “A Reliquiae…” and “Orthographia…” respectively; the remaining copper plates are full page in size. Plate XXXI was engraved by Vesterhout after Fontana. Thick wide margined paper; many watermarks pointing this Roman edition to the time frame of 1770’s -1790’s. Examples of watermarks: an unlisted on both free endpapers with an inner fleur de lis design within a circle; #19 1790’s at plate 43; #68 probably 1790’s at plate 35; #59 mid 1770’s -1790’s at plates 31 and 32; #64 1790’s also on plate 31; # 12 late 1780’s -1790’s at plate 30; #14 mid 1761 or #16 1790’s at plate 29; #59 mid 1770’s -1790’s and 64 1790’s at insert plate 21 entitled Scenographia Machinae qua Clemente XI. Pont. Max. An. D. MDCCV; #74 1790’s on unnumbered plate entitled “Sepulchrum Mariae Honorij Imp. Uxoris” generally featured as headpiece vignette of the Latin text.; #12 late 1780’s -1790’s on unnumbered plate entitled “Labrum aegyptiacum porphyreticum…” here as full plate otherwise a headpiece of the Latin text. Plate XXXI depicting the excavation of the Antonine column in 1705 was signed by both its engraver Arnold Van Westerhout or Vesterhout and by its designer and artist Franciscus Fontana. The second illustrated title or title in Italian reads: 'Il Campo Marzio Dell'Antica Roma'. References: Luigi Ficacci pp. 394-431; Focillon 1964: 428-479; Hind 1978: 85; Millard iv 2000: 91; RIBA Early Pr. iii 1999: 2551; Wilton-Ely 1994: plates 559-612. Pages: Ll: Bl. Illustrated title in Latin A1-H2 a1-c2 with catalogue and indices; illustrated title in Italian; Tab.I-XLVIII plus three full-leaf unnumbered plates bl. Category: Book Art Architecture & Design; Book Europe Italy; Book Antiquities; Book Plate Books General; Veneunt apud Auctorem in ædibus Comitis Thomati via Felice prope templum SS. Trinitatis in Monte Pincio; [ watermarks indicate: hardcover
ref. 1098Around the first half of the fifteen century. Manuscript in Latin. Large margins. Paper with unidentified watermark. Text in black ink headings initials and rubrications in red. With a note by later hand on title page about Alfonsus: “Parisis per manum fratris Alfonciis”. In modern half vellum binding. Insignificant wormholes to margin with no effect to text. Overall in fine condition. Manuscript in Latin. Large margins. Paper with unidentified watermark. Text in black ink headings initials and rubrications in red. With a note by later hand on title page about Alfonsus: “Parisis per manum fratris Alfonciis”. In modern half vellum binding. 20 leaves. Manuscript copy in Latin of the Epistle of Rabbi Samuel one of the most influential anti-Jewish treatises of the middle ages. Allegedly translated from Arabic by the Spanish Dominican Hebraist and Arabist Alfonsus Bonihominis d. 1353. Alfonsus writes in his introduction to the manuscript that the Epistle was written after the year 1000 by Rabbi Samuel a Jew of Fez in Morocco to share the reasons with Rabbi Isaac chief of the synagogue at Sujulmeca Subiulmeta which led him to be baptized and convert to Christianity. According to Alfonsus it was originally written in Arabic because only a few Jews and even fewer Christians knew that language thus the text could remain concealed for hundreds of years and the Christians were not able to use it against Jews until he found and translated it while he was the Bishop of Marrakech in 1338 or 1339. The Epistle itself coming after this introduction. Most copies are divided into twenty-four sometimes twenty-five sections. Other version of the work like this copy contains additional chapters. Since the Arabic original of the text from which Alfonsus allegedly translated the Epistle has never been found it is more likely that he imitated other works in the genre and composed a new text himself which ended up being among the most widely copied and printed anti-Jewish tracts of the later middle ages. Bibl.: Limor O.: The Epistle of Rabbi Samuel of Morocco: A Best-Seller in the World of Polemics. In: Contra Iudaeos. Ancient and Medieval Polemics between Christians and Jews. Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr 1996. pp. 177–194. . unknown
1916ref. 99921916. Several thousand double-page & full-page color-printed woodcuts many with embossing. 95 vols. 8vo 256 x 174 mm. orig. tan patterned semi-stiff wrappers orig. title slips on upper covers orig. stitching occasional stitching a little loose. Tokyo: HonzÅ Zufu KankÅkai 本è‰åœ–èœåˆ‹è¡Œæœƒ 1916-22. The definitive and complete edition of the “the greatest illustrated botanical work of nineteenth century Japan…This monumental work the HonzÅ zufu briefly describes and splendidly illustrates in full color some 2000 plants. It is considered to be one of the two most important works on systematic botany in the Tokugawa period 1603-1867.”–Richard C. Rudolph “Illustrations from Weinmann’s ‘Phytanthoza iconographia’ in Iwasaki’s ‘HonzÅ zufu’” in Huntiana Vol. 2 15 October 1965 p. 1. Iwasaki 1786-1842 was an important natural historian who studied with Ono Ranzan the “Linnaeus of Japan.” Iwasaki learned Western botanical theories from Yoan Udagawa one of the most celebrated rangakusha Dutch scholars of the period and from Philipp Franz von Siebold the German physician and scientist. Iwasaki also made many field trips throughout the main island of Japan collecting botanical specimens which he brought back to Edo and cultivated in a garden the government had given him. The publication history of the editions of HonzÅ zufu is long and complicated and there are several conflicting bibliographical accounts. We give Prof. Richard C. Rudolph’s account cited above based on Kotaro Shirai’s history of the work which appeared in Vol. 93 1921 of the modern edition of HonzÅ zufu 1916-22. We believe Prof. Rudolph’s account is the best and most accurate in English. “Early in 1828 Iwasaki founded a botanical society. The first meeting which was held at his own home was attended by the most prominent scholars in this field. In the autumn of the same year after a long period of collecting illustrating practical gardening and study of most of the available botanical works Iwasaki completed the compilation of a comprehensive illustrated flora… “Iwasaki planned to issue this large work in twenty-four series of four volumes each. It seems obvious from the preface that the illustrations were to be printed in black and white and then were to be colored by hand. Shirai in his history of this project says that in this first attempt to reproduce Iwasaki’s compilation only four volumes were printed in 1830… “This first attempt to print the HonzÅ zufu was a commercial failure…income was insufficient to finance the printing of so large a work…printing was abandoned but reproduction of his compilation was continued in manuscript with colors brushed in by hand. How many copies were made of each volume in this manner is not recorded but four volumes were produced yearly until his death in 1842. His family carried on with the work and completed the manuscript volumes of HonzÅ zufu in ninety-two volumes in the latter part of 1844 and they are incredibly rare… “It is obvious that a printed edition of such an important work would be produced sooner or later. Several attempts made in the late 19th century ended in failure. In the early years of the present century the HonzÅ Zufu Kanko Kai or Society for Publication of the HonzÅ zufu was organized and a successful printing of the work in color by woodblocks was completed after five years of labor in 1921. This edition is composed of ninety-three volumes…The first ninety-two volumes contain illustrations of about 2000 plants in color and a very brief text and the following volume is composed of an additional text by Iwasaki together with Shirai’s biography of him and history of the work. Another two volumes containing Japanese Chinese and Latin binomial indexes compiled by Shirai were published in the same format in 1922. Moreover each of the ninety-two volumes of plates has its own Chinese Japanese-binomial index… “In projects of this kind the publisher deserves a share of credit along with the author…it would take a man of considerable courage to undertake the printing of this great flora by woodblocks. Such a person was the Tokyo publisher Iwamoto YonetarÅ a man of little capital and poor health but rich in the courage required to produce a work of this kind…The rise in the cost of materials and labor due to World War I almost caused the project to end in failure as had others before it…To obtain the necessary funds he sold his personal library and cut down on the size of the staff…Iwamoto personally went over each printed page correcting faults in blockcutting and in coloring… “Either because Iwamoto published a small edition of the HonzÅ zufu or because it suffered destruction during World War II as did early Japanese books in general it is now almost impossible to locate a complete copy of this work.”–Rudolph ibid. pp. 4-6. The plates are superbly color-printed and often exhibit subtle embossing. In very fine and fresh condition. Covers a bit discolored or spotted. unknown
1916ref. 99921916. Several thousand double-page & full-page color-printed woodcuts many with embossing. 95 vols. 8vo 256 x 174 mm. orig. tan patterned semi-stiff wrappers orig. title slips on upper covers orig. stitching occasional stitching a little loose. Tokyo: HonzÅ Zufu KankÅkai 本è‰åœ–èœåˆ‹è¡Œæœƒ 1916-22. The definitive and complete edition of the “the greatest illustrated botanical work of nineteenth century Japan…This monumental work the HonzÅ zufu briefly describes and splendidly illustrates in full color some 2000 plants. It is considered to be one of the two most important works on systematic botany in the Tokugawa period 1603-1867.”–Richard C. Rudolph “Illustrations from Weinmann’s ‘Phytanthoza iconographia’ in Iwasaki’s ‘HonzÅ zufu’” in Huntiana Vol. 2 15 October 1965 p. 1. Iwasaki 1786-1842 was an important natural historian who studied with Ono Ranzan the “Linnaeus of Japan.” Iwasaki learned Western botanical theories from Yoan Udagawa one of the most celebrated rangakusha Dutch scholars of the period and from Philipp Franz von Siebold the German physician and scientist. Iwasaki also made many field trips throughout the main island of Japan collecting botanical specimens which he brought back to Edo and cultivated in a garden the government had given him. The publication history of the editions of HonzÅ zufu is long and complicated and there are several conflicting bibliographical accounts. We give Prof. Richard C. Rudolph’s account cited above based on Kotaro Shirai’s history of the work which appeared in Vol. 93 1921 of the modern edition of HonzÅ zufu 1916-22. We believe Prof. Rudolph’s account is the best and most accurate in English. “Early in 1828 Iwasaki founded a botanical society. The first meeting which was held at his own home was attended by the most prominent scholars in this field. In the autumn of the same year after a long period of collecting illustrating practical gardening and study of most of the available botanical works Iwasaki completed the compilation of a comprehensive illustrated flora… “Iwasaki planned to issue this large work in twenty-four series of four volumes each. It seems obvious from the preface that the illustrations were to be printed in black and white and then were to be colored by hand. Shirai in his history of this project says that in this first attempt to reproduce Iwasaki’s compilation only four volumes were printed in 1830… “This first attempt to print the HonzÅ zufu was a commercial failure…income was insufficient to finance the printing of so large a work…printing was abandoned but reproduction of his compilation was continued in manuscript with colors brushed in by hand. How many copies were made of each volume in this manner is not recorded but four volumes were produced yearly until his death in 1842. His family carried on with the work and completed the manuscript volumes of HonzÅ zufu in ninety-two volumes in the latter part of 1844 and they are incredibly rare… “It is obvious that a printed edition of such an important work would be produced sooner or later. Several attempts made in the late 19th century ended in failure. In the early years of the present century the HonzÅ Zufu Kanko Kai or Society for Publication of the HonzÅ zufu was organized and a successful printing of the work in color by woodblocks was completed after five years of labor in 1921. This edition is composed of ninety-three volumes…The first ninety-two volumes contain illustrations of about 2000 plants in color and a very brief text and the following volume is composed of an additional text by Iwasaki together with Shirai’s biography of him and history of the work. Another two volumes containing Japanese Chinese and Latin binomial indexes compiled by Shirai were published in the same format in 1922. Moreover each of the ninety-two volumes of plates has its own Chinese Japanese-binomial index… “In projects of this kind the publisher deserves a share of credit along with the author…it would take a man of considerable courage to undertake the printing of this great flora by woodblocks. Such a person was the Tokyo publisher Iwamoto YonetarÅ a man of little capital and poor health but rich in the courage required to produce a work of this kind…The rise in the cost of materials and labor due to World War I almost caused the project to end in failure as had others before it…To obtain the necessary funds he sold his personal library and cut down on the size of the staff…Iwamoto personally went over each printed page correcting faults in blockcutting and in coloring… “Either because Iwamoto published a small edition of the HonzÅ zufu or because it suffered destruction during World War II as did early Japanese books in general it is now almost impossible to locate a complete copy of this work.”–Rudolph ibid. pp. 4-6. The plates are superbly color-printed and often exhibit subtle embossing. In very fine and fresh condition. Covers a bit discolored or spotted. unknown books
1542ref. 55061542. 4 p.l. 162 leaves. Small 4to cont. blindstamped panelled pigskin remains of two deerskin ties. Zurich: C. Froschauer 1542. First edition of a very rare book on the market; this is a lovely fresh copy in contemporary blind-stamped pigskin. This Gesner’s second botanical work is “an alphabetically arranged catalog of plant names in four languages the first of its kind and an indication of the growing interest in botany beyond purely philological investigations into the writings of the classics. The Greek names are based on the works of Dioscorides. This early work is already characteristic of Gessner’s life-long endeavour to arrange scientific topics in alphabetical or systematic order; it also show his proficiency in languages and his interest in their comparative treatment.”–Wellisch 8.1. A fine copy. Signature at foot of title of “Lucas Schröck M.D.” Schröck 1646-1730 was a professor of medicine at Jena and president of the Deutschen Akademie der Naturforscher see Hirsch V pp. 139-40. Early inscription on front free endpaper stating this is a duplicate from the Royal Library of Munich. Engraved armorial bookplate dated 1744 of Franziskus Topsl 1711-96 prior of the Polling Abbey in Upper Bavaria. Modern booklabel of D. Henry. Some minor worming to upper inner corner of first seven leaves touching a few letters of the first two leaves. ⧠Pritzel 3298. unknown
1542ref. 55061542. 4 p.l. 162 leaves. Small 4to cont. blindstamped panelled pigskin remains of two deerskin ties. Zurich: C. Froschauer 1542. First edition of a very rare book on the market; this is a lovely fresh copy in contemporary blind-stamped pigskin. This Gesner’s second botanical work is “an alphabetically arranged catalog of plant names in four languages the first of its kind and an indication of the growing interest in botany beyond purely philological investigations into the writings of the classics. The Greek names are based on the works of Dioscorides. This early work is already characteristic of Gessner’s life-long endeavour to arrange scientific topics in alphabetical or systematic order; it also show his proficiency in languages and his interest in their comparative treatment.”–Wellisch 8.1. A fine copy. Signature at foot of title of “Lucas Schröck M.D.” Schröck 1646-1730 was a professor of medicine at Jena and president of the Deutschen Akademie der Naturforscher see Hirsch V pp. 139-40. Early inscription on front free endpaper stating this is a duplicate from the Royal Library of Munich. Engraved armorial bookplate dated 1744 of Franziskus Topsl 1711-96 prior of the Polling Abbey in Upper Bavaria. Modern booklabel of D. Henry. Some minor worming to upper inner corner of first seven leaves touching a few letters of the first two leaves. ⧠Pritzel 3298. unknown books
1513ref. L85CQLCOIXI5Colophon: Venice: Gregorio de Gregori 1513. Early 20th-century vellum possibly incorporating older materials sewn on 3 recessed supports red spine label. Folio 30.5 x 21 cm. With 13 woodcut decorated initials 6 series plus 8 repeats 4-line typographic Lombardic initials. Set in rotunda gothic types in 2 columns with a preliminary note in roman type. With contemporary pen decorations in brown ink added to about half of the initials and occasional similar pen decorations in the margins an occasional manuscript paragraph mark some rubrications in brown ink and some initials coloured with a transparent ochre wash. Seventh known copy of an early edition of an important treatise on pharmacology and medical botany by Giovanni Giacomo Manlio di Bosco fl. 1490-post 1500 first published in Venice 1490 or Pavia 1494 Sordano records an edition by Octavius Scotus in 1490 but the ISTC records no edition by him until 1496. It is a commentary on ancient Arabic and Greek pharmacological works especially the Arabic treatises of Yuhanna Ibn Masawayh ca. 777-857 a Nestorian Christian physician from Assyria who taught at the academy in Gundeshapur Iran and was personal physician to four caliphs. It gives instructions for preparing numerous medicines indicating the quantities of the ingredients simples each derived from a single plant and describing each ingredient. The present edition includes Manlios preliminary note addressed to Bernardinus Niger included in the 1494 1496 and 1499 editions but omitted in many later editions.The title page indicates that the book also contains Lumen apothecariorum a work by Quirico de Augustis de Tortona of Milan fl. 1486-1497 first published in 1492. But it is not present here or in any of the other seven copies we have traced. The two works were combined in the Venice editions of 1504 ca. 1502/05 and 1506. De Gregori apparently followed one of these editions but did not include the second work. Hieronymus Surianus fl. 1458 d. 1522 edited the first two.With contemporary and later marginal manuscript notes. With the text area of B2.7 somewhat browned an occasional small and unobtrusive stain and a few small worm holes in the last few leaves but generally in very good condition. Some of the manuscript notes have been shaved. The binding is slightly dirty and the boards slightly bowed but the binding is still good. A rare early edition of an important work of pharmacology.l Durling 2938; EDIT 16 29621 1 copy; ICCU 29621 same copy; KVK & WorldCat 5 copies; Emiliano Sordano Il Luminare maius di Manlio del Bosco thesis University of Torino 2010 p. 41; USTC 840112 2 copies; cf. Adams M370 1506 ed.; BMC STC Italian p. 410 1504 and other eds.; Schelenz Geschichte der Pharmazie p. 414 1529 ed.; Wellcome 4017 1628 Lyon ed.; not in Garrison & Morton; Honeyman; Norman Lib. Gregorio de Gregori, hardcover
1945ref. 006923Saki Crimea U.S.S.R.: Privately compiled 1945. Album. This singular and compelling Second World War album was painstakingly compiled decorated and annotated by Royal Air Force Group Captain Walter J. Pickard. Full of mementos documents and photographs the album chronicles the staging preparation and flights which conveyed Winston Churchill as well as other British and American delegates to the Yalta Conference in 1945 earning Pickard the accolades of his commanders the appreciation of his Prime Minister and the Order of the British Empire O.B.E. Not least among the albums contents is the dated inscription of Winston S. Churchill and signed correspondence from Churchills private secretary confirming that Churchill personally received examined and inscribed this album and conveying Churchills appreciation to Pickard. The album is 100 numbered pages bound in leather-covered boards with a hand-labeled title Saki affixed diagonally on the front cover. Saki refers to the Crimean airbase built by the Soviets in the 1930s that served as the landing point for the aircraft bearing Churchill Roosevelt and the rest of the British and American delegations to the Conference. The boards show wear to extremities and the leather-covered spine is gone. The boards and contents nonetheless remain tenuously connected the mull and overall binding structure quite fragile but still holding. The binding has done its job of preserving the treasure trove within; the contents are generally clean only lightly toned with scattered stains and occasional creasing and appear complete as originally compiled. The contents of the album include the following: - A September 9 1947 typed letter signed by Winston Churchills Private Secretary addressed to Pickard acknowledging that Pickard sent the album to Churchill expressing Churchills thanks and confirming that Churchill inscribed the album which was returned with the letter. - Pickards title page in elaborate multi-hued calligraphy: The Story of 150 Staging Post and the Airlift to the Yalta Conference February 1945. - Personnel list of those under the command of Group Captain W. J. Pickard. - 10 typed pages marked SECRET comprising Pickards detailed REPORT ON OPERATION ARGONAUT dated 26th February 1945 and signed by Pickard. - Five letters of appreciation from senior military commanders including letters signed by U.S. Brigadier General James S. Stowell and General Lord Hastings Lionel "Pug" Ismay. - TOP SECRET CYPHER MESSAGE of 24th JANUARY from 150 STAGING POST to TRANSPORT COMMAND that according to Pickards elaborate calligraphy annotation nearly stopped the Conference. - 50 photographs from the conference 13 featuring Churchill Roosevelt or both. - Seven currency notes including Soviet American and Greek five signed by a bevy of people including pilots. - A TOP SECRET MOST URGENT typed 1st February 1945 letter signed by Air Commodore Whitney Straight to Group Captain Pickard conveying the Flight Plan and Passenger Lists as well as the fighter escort and other details for transport of VIPs to the Yalta Conference. - The Friday February 16th 1945 farewell dinner menu signed on the blank verso by the members of Pickards command. - Pickards original Yalta Conference passes both British Delegation and Soviet. - A contemporary Observer clipping that specifically refers to this Pickards remarkable autograph book - A 24th January 1945 typed and hand-annotated TOP SECRET CYPHER MESSAGE from Pickard regarding critical communication and transport difficulties preceding the Conference. This album with all of its annotations and embellishments has the look and feel of both military precision and treasured story book the adult manifestation of a seasoned commander and pilot recording his actual experience of every lads dream to fly to dare and to overcome. Please note that additional images and a considerably more comprehensive description are available upon request. Privately compiled unknown
1945ref. 006923Saki Crimea U.S.S.R.: Privately compiled 1945. Album. This singular and compelling Second World War album was painstakingly compiled decorated and annotated by Royal Air Force Group Captain Walter J. Pickard. Full of mementos documents and photographs the album chronicles the staging preparation and flights which conveyed Winston Churchill as well as other British and American delegates to the Yalta Conference in 1945 earning Pickard the accolades of his commanders the appreciation of his Prime Minister and the Order of the British Empire O.B.E. Not least among the albums contents is the dated inscription of Winston S. Churchill and signed correspondence from Churchills private secretary confirming that Churchill personally received examined and inscribed this album and conveying Churchills appreciation to Pickard. The album is 100 numbered pages bound in leather-covered boards with a hand-labeled title Saki affixed diagonally on the front cover. Saki refers to the Crimean airbase built by the Soviets in the 1930s that served as the landing point for the aircraft bearing Churchill Roosevelt and the rest of the British and American delegations to the Conference. The boards show wear to extremities and the leather-covered spine is gone. The boards and contents nonetheless remain tenuously connected the mull and overall binding structure quite fragile but still holding. The binding has done its job of preserving the treasure trove within; the contents are generally clean only lightly toned with scattered stains and occasional creasing and appear complete as originally compiled. The contents of the album include the following: - A September 9 1947 typed letter signed by Winston Churchills Private Secretary addressed to Pickard acknowledging that Pickard sent the album to Churchill expressing Churchills thanks and confirming that Churchill inscribed the album which was returned with the letter. - Pickards title page in elaborate multi-hued calligraphy: The Story of 150 Staging Post and the Airlift to the Yalta Conference February 1945. - Personnel list of those under the command of Group Captain W. J. Pickard. - 10 typed pages marked SECRET comprising Pickards detailed REPORT ON OPERATION ARGONAUT dated 26th February 1945 and signed by Pickard. - Five letters of appreciation from senior military commanders including letters signed by U.S. Brigadier General James S. Stowell and General Lord Hastings Lionel "Pug" Ismay. - TOP SECRET CYPHER MESSAGE of 24th JANUARY from 150 STAGING POST to TRANSPORT COMMAND that according to Pickards elaborate calligraphy annotation nearly stopped the Conference. - 50 photographs from the conference 13 featuring Churchill Roosevelt or both. - Seven currency notes including Soviet American and Greek five signed by a bevy of people including pilots. - A TOP SECRET MOST URGENT typed 1st February 1945 letter signed by Air Commodore Whitney Straight to Group Captain Pickard conveying the Flight Plan and Passenger Lists as well as the fighter escort and other details for transport of VIPs to the Yalta Conference. - The Friday February 16th 1945 farewell dinner menu signed on the blank verso by the members of Pickards command. - Pickards original Yalta Conference passes both British Delegation and Soviet. - A contemporary Observer clipping that specifically refers to this Pickards remarkable autograph book - A 24th January 1945 typed and hand-annotated TOP SECRET CYPHER MESSAGE from Pickard regarding critical communication and transport difficulties preceding the Conference. This album with all of its annotations and embellishments has the look and feel of both military precision and treasured story book the adult manifestation of a seasoned commander and pilot recording his actual experience of every lads dream to fly to dare and to overcome. Please note that additional images and a considerably more comprehensive description are available upon request. Privately compiled unknown books
1742ref. B6091Nuremberg/ Norimbergae:: Heirs of Homann c. 1742 . Near fine copy of the famous celestial atlas of copper engravings in contemporary hand-colour and attractive expertly restored contemporary binding; lacking the index sheet; two minor repaired tears at lower margins; fine plates depicting the solar system planetary motions constellations a moon map; small views featuring famous observatories in Berlin Kassel Nuremberg and Danzig. . Edition: First Edition of Doppelmayr’s important astronomic Binding: Contemporary full calf; panelled with outer double gilt filleted border and inner single fillet; expertly rebacked with five 5 raised bands gilt lettered title on brown morocco label on two and gilt ornamental design in remaining compartments; dated at bottom; red-black marbled endpapers. Notes: Text and captions in Latin. Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr 27 September 1677 – 1 December 1750 was a German mathematician astronomer and cartographer. His surname is also spelled Doppelmayer and Doppelmair. His studies included mathematics physics and jurisprudence. In 1698 he graduated with a dissertation on the Sun. After giving up his legal studies he then spent two years travelling and studying in Germany Holland and England spending time at Utrecht Leiden Oxford and London. He continued to study astronomy and learned to grind and figure his own telescope lenses. The DSB describes this work as a collection of diagrams with its explanations intended as introduction into the fundamentals of astronomy explaining the systems of Copernicus Tycho Brahe and Riccioli the elliptic theories of Kepler Boulliau Seth Ward and Mercator as well as the lunar theories of Tycho Brahe Horrocks and Newton and Halley's cometary theory. The atlas shows constellations cometary plates lunar maps lunar theories charts of satellite systems and the motion of planets with plates depicting celestial charts with diagrams tables and views of observatories. Size: Folio; 535x321mm. Illustration: Illustrated allegorical title by J. C. Reinsberger depicting Claud. Ptolemy Nic. Copernicus Ioh. Kepler and Tycho Brahe. preceding title in red and black with vignette of the heavens; extra illustrated with two additional double-page celestial maps entitled: 1. “SPHAERARUM ARTIFICIALIUM TYPICA REPRAESENTATIO” and 2.“PLANISPHAERIUM CAELESTE”; with the complete set of thirty 30 astronomical and cosmographical double-page plates in colour as listed under Rodney Shirley C.DOP-1c p.1336/7. Provenance: upper pasted endpaper bookplate of William Phelps. References: Shirley II C.DOP-1c 1136/7; DSB IV 166; Brown: 51; Warner Sky: 64a; Sotheran I: 1080; Poggendorff I: 593; LGK I: 177. Pages: Ff. 2f bl. Illustrated half-title leaf illustrated title leaf 32 double-page engraved plates 2f bl. Category: Book Astronomy; Book Europe Germany; Book Atlas & Cartography Heirs of Homann, hardcover
