36 pp. 8vo, attractive antique marbled boards, paper label on spine. Paris: Olivier & Lebrun, 1811.

The uncommon sale catalogue, fully priced and with nearly all buyers’ names in a contemporary hand, of the art collection a celebrated portraitist and former pupil of Jacques Louis David. Laneuville (1748-1826), foremost a painter who exhibited at a number of Salons, also worked as an art dealer and expert. His painting style imitated considerably that of his master, and his subjects were often politicians. He maneuvered deftly during the Revolution and secured the patronage of leading revolutionaries, including several deputies of the Convention. Laneuville’s luck persisted... More

One folding engraved map (with a short tear in one fold). 3 p.l., 81 pp. Small 8vo, 18th-cent. polished calf (a bit rubbed, minor browning), double gilt fillet round sides, spine gilt, green morocco lettering pieces on spine. London: M. Pitt, 1685.

First edition and scarce, of this valuable history of the draining of the Great Level of the Fens by one who was intimately involved in the project. Much detailed information, not readily available elsewhere, is provided including information on the actual engineering activities, division of reclaimed lands, names of the shareholders and officers of the fen drainage corporation, etc.

Jonas Moore (1617-79), was a mathematician and patron of astronomy; he supported John Flamsteed, helping to finance the foundation, construction, and equipping of the observatory at Greenwich. Moore was a professional surveyor and served as surveyor general, one of the principal officers of the Board of Ordnance, for the final ten years of his life. More

71 pp. 8vo, 19th-cent. paste-paper boards (corners a little worn), blue morocco lettering-piece on spine. Paris: Paillet & Hugues, 1786.

A rare sale catalogue, with most prices and buyers’ names written in a contemporary hand. Aubert (1736-85), jeweler to the Crown and a favorite of Marie Antoinette, as well as the Comtesse du Barry before, blended his craft with occasional forays into art dealing; however, his avid collecting took precedence. In the preface, Paillet (1743-1814), the expert for this sale, praises Aubert’s taste for Dutch and French pictures along with his impressive natural history cabinet.

This catalogue describes 293 lots: 79 lots of paintings (by Panini, J. Breughel, Rubens, van Dyck, Jordaens, Teniers, Wouwerman, Rembrandt, Metsu, Berghem, Netscher, van Ostade, A. Brouwer, P. Potter, Bourdon, Largillière, F. Boucher, Chardin, Greuze, Fragonard, Anne Valayer-Coster, etc.); 28 lots of drawings (by Bouchardon, Watteau, Lagrenée, etc.); 26 enamel miniatures; 38 lots of prints; 22 lots of sculptures; 38 lots from Aubert’s natural history cabinet; and 46 miscellaneous lots including vases with artificial flowers, bird-cages, rubies, cases of butterflies, etc. More

Scroll on paper (290 x 8000 mm.), backed some time ago with paper with gold flecks (some relatively minor worming carefully repaired throughout by the backing). [Japan: mid-Edo].

The creator of these beautiful drawings of medicinal plants is not known but he was certainly an accomplished natural history artist. Each plant portrayed has accompanying notes in Chinese (and sometimes in Japanese) of the name of the plant, medical uses, references to published Japanese botanical works, details on their habitat, the optimal climate for the plants, and the seasons when they bloom or produce fruits.

The quality of the illustrations is at a very high and detailed level. The plants illustrated include several kinds of orchids, species of ginseng which came from Korea in 1727-28, thorow-wax (good for detoxifying the liver), etc. There are also notes regarding how to use the plants to make herbal medicines and the medicines’ varied uses to treat many kinds of disease. More

One double-page & nine full-page illus. in the text. 90 folding leaves. Large 8vo, orig. patterned wrappers, modern stitching. Osaka: 1803.

First edition of one of the best and most influential recipe books of the period, written for wealthy homes. The author uses here the cooking philosophy of Yuan Kitamura, who invented or codified many recipes in the early 18th century. Sugino provides a series of recipes which are still used today: using dashi to make broth, and how to make many kinds of soy sauce, vinegar, and miso. He discusses when to use which kind of soy sauce or vinegar or miso... More

Numerous illus. (mostly full-page or double-page) in the text. 29; 35 folding leaves. Two vols. Small 8vo, orig. yellow wrappers, orig. block-printed title labels on upper covers, new stitching. Edo: 1852.

First edition of one of the major Japanese guides to surveying techniques of the period. Kai (1812-61), mathematician, wrote a series of books on surveying. Based on the fine and detailed illustrations in the text, we know that Kai used both Japanese and Western surveying instruments (all depicted in detailed woodcuts).

The illustrator was Isai Katsushika (1821-80), an ukiyoe artist who studied under Hokusai. He had a considerable knowledge of surveying. In... More

Woodcut port. of the author on verso of title & several woodcuts in the text. Title within typographical border. 12 p.l. (last leaf a blank), 348, [4] pp. Small thick 8vo, cont. vellum over boards, stamped in blind on upper cover “M N H L” & “1613.” Wittenberg: W. Meisner at the expense of C. Berger, [date of Foreword “1612“].

[bound with]:

MATENESIUS, Johann Friedrich. Critices Christianae Libri Duo de Ritu Bibendi super Sanitate, Pontificum, Caesarum, Principum, Ducum, Magnatum Amicorum, Amicarum, &c.… Woodcut printer’s vignette on title. 8 p.l., 189 pp., one blank leaf. Small 8vo (tear to first leaf of text in blank portion of... More

Three double-page & ten full-page woodcut illus., and several woodcuts in the text. 1 p.l., 28 folding leaves, one page of colophon. 8vo, orig. blue patterned wrappers (rubbed & with a few stains), orig. block-printed title label on upper cover (label rubbed & partly defective), new stitching. Osaka: Kawachiya chobei et al., [Preface dated 1828; colophon dated 1830].

First edition of the earliest detailed Japanese description of the cultivation, harvesting, and processing of the kuzu (or kudzu) plant. Kuzu has many uses: its powder is the essential ingredient used throughout Asia for thickening sauces and making various types of desserts. It is also used in numerous... More

Engraved vignette on title & woodcut printer’s device on verso of final leaf. Title printed in red & black. 2 p.l., 944 double columns, [31] leaves. Folio, cont. blind-stamped panelled pigskin over wooden boards (binding a little wormed), orig. clasps & clatches. Augsburg: Typis J. Praetorii, 1633.

The second catalogue of the library of the Imperial City of Augsburg (the first catalogue appeared in 1600); both are very rare and this is a very early example of an institutional library catalogue. Augsburg was, after the Palatina, the most important public library in Germany and the present catalogue became a valuable reference tool for the contemporary... More

An important discovery: this is the unique surviving Nara Ehon of the famous story “Ishimochi no soshi,” concerning the famous samurai warrior Shigetada Hatakeyama (1164-1205), who fought in the Genpei War (1180-85). The story describes his preparations for battle, supernatural events which took place while he was going to the battlefield, his great bravery in battle, and the death of his son in the same battle. Hatakeyama’s extraordinary valor and acts of strength and skill are famously recorded in the Heike Monogatari and other histories of the period.

Nara-e (Nara pictures) or Nara Ehon (Nara picture books) are illustrated books produced in Kyoto, not in Nara. They are manuscripts written in fine calligraphy on high-quality paper and were probably executed by under-employed monks. These monks were highly skilled artists and craftsmen who produced extremely lavish versions of otogi-zoshi (fairy tale books) and kowaka-mai (historical folk tales). “Many were produced and purchased for special occasions, and were given as dowry and New Year’s gifts. Pigments used in the paintings were often high-quality, expensive mineral products, and the paper used for the text was often beautifully decorated with designs in gold and silver. In its broadest sense, the term Nara-e refers to books and scrolls with text and illustrations which were produced by anonymous artists from the Muromachi through the mid-Edo period. Yet it is not easy to precisely define a Nara-e style. Current scholarship agrees on a number of characteristics: Nara-e is colorful, often embellished with gold foil (occasionally copper foil); its technique and style are frequently uninspired and unsophisticated, yet the works are almost always charming; and Nara-e paintings tend to be eclectic, revealing their artists’ varied backgrounds and training… More

A fascinating and important series of government documents which fall into the general category of shumon aratame cho (“register of religious investigations”) which were kept, listing the names, ages, and relationship to the heads of households for individuals in villages and towns throughout Japan. Christianity was outlawed in Japan in 1612 but continued secretly, mostly in southwestern Japan, near Nagasaki. Following the Shimabara Rebellion of 1637-38, there were renewed efforts to exterminate Christianity on the Japanese mainland.

Registers, such as these, began to be compiled in the 1660s, which required all subjects to officially register with a Buddhist temple, and also... More

1 p.l., xvi, 555, 16 pp. schedule of sale, & 16 pp. printed price-list laid-in. 8vo, cont. quarter calf & paste-paper boards (corners slightly worn), red morocco lettering-piece, spine gilt. Paris: Regnault-Delalande, 1810 [sale took place in 1811].

The important sale catalogue of Silvestre (1719-1809), artist, teacher to the princes of France, and art collector. Much of his collection was acquired by the Cabinet impérial.

This sizeable catalogue thoroughly describes 1352 lots of paintings, prints, books of prints, and sculpture. The numerous group lots are precisely listed with additional details on state and condition. At the end there is an index of artists, a full list... More