15 pp. 8vo, late 19th-century red cloth, title on spine. Paris: Folliot & Delalande, 1785.

A rare sale catalogue, of which we find no copy in North America. It describes a choice collection of 15 lots, with paintings by Poussin, Albani, Bril, Teniers, N. Berghem, etc. The experts write that normally with such a small collection they would not have issued a catalogue, but with the quality of these paintings, they thought it prudent to publish one. The Comte de Sauveterre was a high-level representative of the French king in Germany; however, we do not know his first name.

Fine copy of a rarity in a red cloth binding similar to those favored by the Goncourt brothers. Engraved bookplate of the Parisian art dealer Georges Pannier (1853-1944), and stamp of the Bibliothèque Heim in the usual location. More about Catalogue de Tableaux des Ecoles d’Italie, des Pays-Bas et de France. Bronzes, et autres Objets...

23 pp. 8vo (215 x 140 mm.), late 19th-century marbled boards, brown leather lettering-piece on spine. Paris: Me. Poquereau [sic.] & Joullain, 1778.

A very rare sale catalogue with no copy represented in North American institutional collections. The owner of this collection may have been Nicolas Le Sueur (1691-1764), the son of Pierre Le Sueur II. This catalogue describes 171 lots, mostly consisting of prints executed after famous paintings. The first three lots are “tableaux à gouache.” The prints include the works of Choffard, Woollett, Boullanger, Wille, P. Le Bas, Moreau, Strange, N. Porporati, A. Zingg, J. J. Flipart, etc.

A fine, wide-margined copy of this rare catalogue. Engraved bookplate of the Parisian art dealer Georges Pannier (1853-1944), and stamp of the Bibliothèque Heim on the verso of title. More about Catalogue de quelques Tableaux et Dessins, et d’une belle Collection d’Estampes encadrées,...

48 pp. 8vo (180 x 130 mm.), attractive antique marbled boards. Paris: Delaville & Paillet, 1781.

The auction catalogue of 114 paintings belonging to the Duc de la Vallière (1708-80), one of the greatest bibliophiles of the 18th century. This copy is fully priced, with most buyers’ names added in a contemporary hand. In addition to his fervent book collecting, La Vallière amassed an impressive collection of Italian and Northern school paintings, described here.

The present catalogue details 114 lots of paintings and a lot of two porcelain candle-stands. The paintings include the work of Raphael, Veronese, Tintoretto, Jordaens, Teniers, Rembrandt, Dou, Wouwerman, G.... More about Catalogue des Tableaux précieux, des plus grands Maîtres des Ecoles Flamande & Hollandoise;...

4 p.l., 228, [4] pp. Small 8vo (160 x 95 mm.), cont. calf-backed marbled boards (head of spine a little cracked & vellum lettering piece a little chipped). Metz: Claude Lamort, 1786.

First edition of an important guide to the Parisian art market, written by one of the leading dealers of the latter half of the 18th century. Joullain (ca. 1734-90), the son of a successful engraver and art dealer, organized a number of famous art sales such as those of the Marquis de Marigny, the Marquis de Lassay, Gabriel Huquier, and Philippe Coypel. This work is a comprehensive update to his Répertoire of 1783, which... More about Réflexions sur la Peinture et la Gravure, accompagnées d’une courte Dissertation sur le...

28 pp. 8vo (215 x 140 mm.), late 19th-century red cloth, title on spine. Paris: Fournier, Folliot & Delalande, 1789.

A rare sale catalogue with no copy in American institutional collections. Courval, vicomte d’Anizy (d. 1788), conseiller of Parlement, amassed a choice group of paintings and prints. This catalogue describes 127 lots, including 51 lots of paintings (by Carracci, Molenaer, Vignon, Hubert Robert, Licherie, Ferret, etc.), four lots of drawings, 52 lots of prints, seven lots of porcelain, ten lots of sculpture, and three miscellaneous group lots. A note at the end of the catalogue advertises the sale of Courval’s arms, jewelry, clocks, snuffboxes, desk... More about Catalogue de Tableaux des trois Ecoles; Miniatures, Gouaches, Estampes encadrées & en...

Woodcut vignette on title. 24 pp. 8vo (200 x 125 mm.), late 19th-century stiff marbled boards (spine a little rubbed), brown morocco lettering-piece on spine. Paris: C. Ballard, 1758.

A rare early sale catalogue of drawings and prints compiled by Basan (1723-97), one of the leading experts of the mid-18th century. Divided by vacation, the catalogue concisely describes 199 group lots, some quite large. Each section concludes with a portefeuille.

Very good copy. Engraved bookplate of G[eorges] P[annier] (1853-1944), the Parisian art dealer and collector, and stamp of the Bibliothèque Heim on verso of title. Contemporary manuscript correction on p. 7. More about Catalogue d’une grande quantité de Desseins & Estampes des plus grands Maîtres des Trois...

One double-page woodcut & two single-page woodcuts. 18 folding leaves. 8vo, orig. blue wrappers (rather faded & tired, some repaired worming to the text touching a few letters), orig. block-printed title label on upper cover (label faded), new stitching. Kyoto & Edo: Jishudo, 1849.

Following the general introduction of vaccination by Edward Jenner, the practice spread widely, and it was warmly received by the Chinese. The first tract on vaccination in China was prepared by Alexander Pearson, a surgeon to the East India Company, and was based on Jenner’s books. It was translated into Chinese by Sir George Staunton and published in Canton in 1805... More about From the title]: Shintei gyuto kiho; [from the Preface]: Shintei toshu kiho; [Methods of Small...

[Japan: after 1805].

This scroll is part of an important tradition and genre in Japan, the bankoku jinbutsu zu (“people of the world illustrated”). In spite of the country’s policy of isolation (sakoku), the intelligentsia of the country were quietly fascinated by foreigners and the rest of the world. Our scroll contains 21 scenes depicting 45 people, all finely hand-painted in rich colors, of foreigners from around the world. Each scene depicts an adult man and woman. All are clothed in their native dress.

The images are all extremely well painted in various pigments and also employing gold. They depict people from... More about Scroll on paper (300 x 6060 mm.), with 21 finely painted “scenes” of groups of foreign...

Finely handcolored engraved title-page & 100 exquisitely handcolored engraved plates. 11 p.l. (incl. engraved title), 71 leaves of explanatory text in five languages (German, English, French, Latin, & Dutch), one leaf of “Nachricht.” Large 4to (303 x 238 mm.), attractive antique cat’s paw calf (remains of small paper label on blank portion of engraved title), triple gilt fillet round sides, spine finely gilt, green morocco lettering piece on spine, entirely uncut. Amsterdam: J. C. Sepp, 1776.

Second edition, the most complete, and of the greatest rarity. This magnificent work, here in a remarkable uncut copy, contains 100 finely engraved plates of polished stone samples (a total... More about Marmora et adfines Lapides coloribus suis [English title: A Representation of Different Sort of...

One double-page engraved plate depicting the town of Griesbach. Title within ruled border & printed in red & black. 20 p.l., 463 pp. Thick 8vo, attractive antique calf-backed paste-paper boards (title with small hole in gutter touching border, some light browning due to the quality of the paper), spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Strasbourg: J. Martin, 1607.

First edition of this rare balneological work; WorldCat locates no copy in North America. Bad Peterstal-Griesbach is a well-known spa town in the upper Rench Valley, one of the side valleys of the Rhine in the northern Black Forest. Its iron waters have been... More about Fons salutis Scatebra Petrina, das ist, Gründtliche Beschreibung der weitberümbten Brunnquellen...

Japan: various sizes and various dates, mostly printed in black, some in red, ranging from 1818 to 1906.

A remarkable collection of pharmaceutical ephemera: these broadsides and envelopes were issued by pharmaceutical companies from all over Japan, for advertising and dispensing a wide variety of tablets, ointments, powders, plasters, herbal medicines, and pastes. These medicines were used for a wide variety of illnesses: indigestion, conjunctivitis, kidney disease, sea sickness, diarrhea, etc. Indeed, one of the medicines is advertised as efficacious in curing 10,000 diseases.

Some of these broadsides lists many kinds of medicines produced and marketed by a single manufacturer. Many have company... More about A collection of 31 broadside advertisements, 28 printed envelopes, which contained medicines, one...

23 leaves. Small 8vo, attractive antique calf-backed paste-paper boards, spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. N.p.: 1601.

Third edition; there were editions of 1594, 1596, our edition of 1601, and 1611. All are very rare, and there is no copy of any of these editions in North America. “Ritterorden des Podagrischen Fluss (Order of the Gouty Humor) is an allegorical poem which was composed in German by Georg Fleissner, a captain from Schoenberg, then residing in Schlackenwerth. These are two small Bohemian towns near Carlsbad. Its 1088 lines make this by far the longest poem about the gout. The... More about Ritter Orden Deß Podagrischen Fluß: Das ist: Kurtze vnd eigentliche beschreibung, auß Mercurij...