One engraved plate & one woodcut head-piece vignette. 40 pp. 8vo, attractive modern marbled boards, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Paris: Gibert, 1773.

First edition of this famous book which caused a panic in Paris before it was published. Lalande “caused another stir in 1773, when he discussed the possibility of a collision between the earth and a comet. His work on the perturbation of comets by the planets indicated that the orbit of a comet might be altered enough to make a collision with the earth possible. He realized that the likelihood of such a collision was extremely slight, but he... More about Réflexions sur les Comètes qui peuvent approcher de la Terre.

Numerous woodcut illus. in the text. 17; 14; 15; 11 (but numbered 12); 21 folding leaves. Five vols. Small 8vo, orig. patterned wrappers, orig. block-printed title labels on upper covers (several labels a little defective), new stitching. Edo: Tsutaya Juzaburo, 1784.

First edition, and very rare, of this delightful collection of kyoka and other pieces by many of the most prominent Kyoka poets and Kabuki actors of the day, gathered here to commemorate the 60th birthday of the mother of Nanpo Ota (1749-1823). Ota was a high government official, popular writer, and a central literary figure of his time. This work was published during a golden and... More about Roraishi [sub-title: Kyoka kyobun] [trans.: Lao lai zi (the story of a Chinese filial son),...

Two fine folding engraved plates. [9] leaves; 20 pp., one leaf of “Nota.” Two parts in one vol. Small 4to, modern wrappers. Stuttgart: J.G. Zubrodt, [1681 (the date is given in an anagram)].

First edition of this scarce observation of the famous comet of 1680-81; according to WorldCat, we find no copy in North America. Apart from its brightness, this comet is notable as the first to be observed using a telescope (by Gottfried Kirch in Coburg). Other well-known observers included Robert Hooke, Flamsteed, Newton, and John Evelyn.

Zimmermann (1642-93), mathematician, astronomer, millenarian, and theologian, studied theology at the University of Tübingen and became a Lutheran minister at Bietigheim in Baden. A follower of Jakob Böhme, Zimmermann’s millenarian views caused him to be removed from his ministry. He attracted like-minded dissenters and in 1693 a group of about 40 people, led by Zimmermann, left Hamburg for Pennsylvania. Zimmermann died en route, in Rotterdam. The remainder of the group established a religious community near the Wissahickon Creek. More about Cometo-Scopia oder Himmel-gemäser Bericht, mit müglichstem Fleiß darstellende, beedes die nach...

Two folding engraved plates. [26] leaves. Small 4to, modern wrappers (some browning due to the quality of the paper). Erfurt: B. Hempel, 1681.

First edition of an uncommon book containing observations of the famous comet of 1680-81. Apart from its brightness, this comet is notable as the first to be observed using a telescope (by Gottfried Kirch in Coburg). Other well-known observers included Robert Hooke, Flamsteed, Newton, and John Evelyn.

Virling was from Eisenach and very probably a cleric. He clearly was well-educated as this is an extremely scientific account of the comet, its path, and appearance, along with its meaning. The... More about Der wackere Stab des Herren…vorgestellet durch den Am 18. (28.) Decembr. dieses zu End...

Finely engraved vignette on title (inner portion of image slightly obscured by the wrapper). [4] leaves. Small 4to, modern wrappers. Frankfurt: 1680.

First edition of one of the earliest publications on the famous comet of 1680-81. Apart from its brightness, this comet is notable as the first to be observed using a telescope (by Gottfried Kirch in Coburg). Other well-known observers included Robert Hooke, Flamsteed, Newton, and John Evelyn.

Mentzer (1651-1727), was professor of mathematics at the University of Giessen and later, because of his religious convictions, was obliged to move to Hamburg where he taught at the city’s gymnasium. The comet... More about Kurtze Beschreibung Dess Erschröcklichen Cometen so im Monat Decembr. dess 1680. Jahrs...

Two folding engraved plates (one a little cropped at head). 4 p.l., 64 pp. Small 4to, attractive modern paste-paper boards. Nuremberg: M. & J.F. Endter, 1665.

First edition and scarce. Trew (1597-1669), professor of mathematics and physics at the University of Altdorf, also wrote on fortification, geometry, the calendar, and on many aspects of mathematics. His main interest was astronomy and he established an observatory where he spent many years making astronomical and meteorological observations. He was a conservative in astronomy and wrote against Copernicus in 1636.

This is a scientific account of the two comets of 1664 and 1665; their appearances “prompted... More about Gründliche und zu Erörterung vieler schweren Puncten in der gantzen Stern- und Natur-Kunst...

18 leaves. Small 4to, attractive modern marbled boards, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Wittenberg: C. Heyden, 1619.

First edition of this rare book which is considered by A.D.B. to be the author’s most important scientific work; it is a careful record of the third of the three bright comets of 1618-19. Schmidt (1570-1637), was “one of the last of the scholars of Germany who taught the language and literature of Greece in the spirit of Melanchthon. [Schmidt] was professor, first of Greek, and next of Mathematics, at Wittenberg. His principal work was an edition of Pindar, with a Latin translation and... More about Prodromus Conjunctionis Magnae, anno 1623. futurae. Das ist, Kurtzes und Einfeltiges, doch in...

Illus. by Kuninao & Kunimaro Utagawa. Numerous color and black & white illus. in the text. 15 vols. Small 8vo, orig. decorative color-printed semi-stiff wrappers (some rubbing), orig. block-printed title labels on upper wrappers, orig. stitching. Edo: 1841.

First edition and a rare complete set of this erotic novel. Tamenaga (1790-1844), is most famous for his series of romantic novels — of which this is one — mainly written in the 1830s in the genre of ninjobon which focus on young love and were generally aimed to attract female readers (but plenty of men read them, too).

This most attractive set of volumes was illustrated by Kuninao Utagawa (1793-1854), a student of Toyokuni and deeply influenced by Hokusai. Kuninao worked in Edo and illustrated many books. See Hillier, The Art of the Japanese Book, pp. 789-90 & 821. Kunimaro Utagawa also produced illustrations for this novel. More about Shunshoku minato no hana [trans.: Arriving at the Harbor of Love].

Japan: “1767.”

This is a collection of unfinished drawings of plants and flowers executed by one artist, whose pen name is, perhaps, “Monou” or “Momonou” (depending on how you read the kanji). The drawings range from simple outlines to highly finished paintings of considerable delicacy. The flowers include wild orchids, peach and cherry blossoms, chrysanthemums, okra, tea bushes, primrose, camellia, clematis, aconite, and various other flowers from all seasons.

In nice condition. More about Scroll on paper, consisting of a series of unfinished sketches of various plants and flowers. ...

Japan: late Edo.

A rare survival of a woodblock employed in the printing of a Japanese illustrated travel book from the late Edo period. The scene takes place in a famous pine forest in Hyogo prefecture (west of Kyoto), along Sumiyoshido, a pilgrimage route. In this forest, every three years, two groups of sparrows, one local, the other from a neighboring prefecture, would engage in a large aerial battle, a spectacle which attracted many tourists.

The aristocrat (furthest to the right), wearing a hat characteristic of the nobility (eboshi), and highly decorated day-time attire (sokutai), is in the forest. His... More about A wooden board (220 x 160 mm.), carved on one side with one text panel above and below an...

24 full-page woodcut illus. 17 folding leaves. Small oblong 8vo, orig. wrappers (wrappers somewhat defective), orig. block-printed title label on upper cover, new stitching. Kyoto: Iseya Shosuke et al., 1790.

First edition and very rare; no copy in WorldCat. Following Japan’s 1609 invasion of the Ryukyu Kingdom (today’s Okinawa), the Kingdom became a vassal to the Japanese feudal domain of Satsuma and was expected to make periodic diplomatic visits to the shogunate in Edo to pay tribute. During the Edo period, there were 18 such diplomatic missions (Edo nobori or “the going up of Ryukyu to Edo”) which included royal princes, high-ranking government... More about Ryukyujin gyosoki [trans.: The Record of the Ryukyuan Mission to Edo in 1790 [or] The...

Numerous full-page or double-page color-printed woodcut illus. 27 folding leaves. 8vo, orig. wrappers (a bit rubbed), orig. block-printed title label on upper cover (again, a bit rubbed), new stitching. Osaka: Senritei et al., 1831.

First edition of this handsome color-printed woodcut book and a wonderful example of karazuri (blind-printing) which makes fine Japanese illustrated books so pleasing. We find no copy in WorldCat.

“Another artist with greater affinities to Shijo than Ukiyo-e is Katsura Seiyo (1786-1860), but he was a prolific designer of prints for kyoka books…he had an obvious appreciation of book design, and he enhanced many a kyoka that would... More about Bijin ryoka shu [or] Ryoka kyoka shu [trans.: A Flowery Mirror of Beautiful Women].