17 folding leaves. 8vo, orig. printed wrappers, orig. block-printed title label on upper cover, new stitching. [Japan]: Rekijuen [Ishizaka Sotetsu], first preface, by Sokei Ishizaka, dated 1830.

First edition, a variant issue with a three-page second preface at end and no addenda (our copy agrees with a copy at Kyoto University). Tang was a physician who lived and practiced near Suzhou, a major market for the trade in ginseng. His Ren Shen Kao (Ch.), here in the first edition published in Japan, is a practical guide to the medicinal uses of ginseng and gives valuable insights into the massive trade... More

Finely engraved title-page (a trifle shaved at outer edge) & 675 woodcuts in the text. 11 p.l. (incl. engr. title), 1187 (i.e., 1185), [87] pp. Folio, cont. Dutch vellum over boards (upper joint with small split of 7 cm. at foot, minor pale dampstaining to first 20 leaves & last third of book), panelled in blind, central arabesque in blind to each cover, ties gone. Amsterdam: H. Laurentius, 1644.

First edition to be edited by Joannes Bodaeus à Stapel; it “is one of the best and most thoughtfully prepared of all the editions of Theophrastos.”–Hunt 240.

H.H. Bartlett wrote in... More

15 folding lithographed plates (three handcolored). xvi, 631, [1] pp.; xiv, 1104 pp. Two vols. 8vo, cont. half-sheep & marbled boards (lower joint of Vol. I partly cracked but strong, minor foxing), spines gilt. Karlsruhe: C.T. Groos, 1829-32.

First edition of one of the most extensive introductions to mineralogy and geology of the period. Walchner (1799-1865), was professor at the University of Freiburg and, in 1825, was appointed professor of mineralogy, geology, and chemistry at the Polytechnic of Karlsruhe. He wrote many books and articles.

“Very scarce. A technical treatment of mineralogy designed to be sufficient for the isolated amateur... More

One engraved plate. iv, xxxi, 298, [2], 136 pp. 8vo, cont. half-calf & marbled boards, flat spine gilt. London: S. Hooper, 1773.

"The second edition, greatly improved" (1st ed., published anonymously: 1769); this is an important and useful work. The final 136 pages contain the first English agricultural bibliography, enlarged from the first edition, in which the author lists and, oftentimes, annotates about 1500 titles. It is arranged chronologically and there is an excellent index at end.

"Richard Weston (1733-1806) appears to have had an excellent knowledge of nursery gardening and nurserymen's sale catalogues. He was interested in agriculture and all... More

Scroll (360 x 9290 mm.). N.p.: late-Edo?

Our scroll, while it reveals no definitive place or date, was clearly produced in the early 19th century; it is uncommonly long and richly illustrated. In a series of distinct scenes, we see all the stages of whale hunting and processing. Each scene is a “beehive of activity.”

The first scene depicts the boats sent out for the hunt, including boats for harpooners, a large boat carrying an enormous net, and pursuit boats. The following scene shows an enormous whale — we see only his head and tail — chased by pursuit boats... More

30; 32; 38; 40 folding leaves. Four vols. Large 8vo, orig. dark green patterned wrappers (some worming touching but not obscuring text), orig. block-printed title labels on upper covers, new stitching. Kyoto: Fushimiya Toemon, colophon dated “1683.”

First edition to be published in Japan of this important encyclopedic work, printed in Chinese with Japanese reading marks. One of the first encyclopedias compiled in China, it was written by Hua Zhang (232-300), statesman, book collector, scholar, writer, and protoscientist, who also wrote, with Xu Xun, the famous catalogue of the imperial library known as Zhongjing bu [Catalogue of the Palace Texts]... More