Many black & white illus. 112 unnumbered pages. 8vo (211 x 145 mm.), printed wrappers. Rochester: Visual Studies Workshop, 1986.

An uncommon collection of visual poems by the American book artist, Keith A. Smith (b. 1938); this is an early photo-digital book, created using Thunderscan. Printed offset in an edition of 500 copies on Mohawk Vellum 70 lb. There was also a leather-bound edition of 25 copies. The present example is signed by the artist on the title-page.

“In Overcast/Outcast Smith takes [it] a step farther. While [Book 115] is almost entirely graphic — a flat pattern on the page... More

Signed & numbered photoetching tipped-in on recto of first blank leaf, black & white illus. throughout. [25] leaves. Oblong 4to (205 x 315 mm.), orig. three-color silk-screened dust-jacket, stiff boards, saddle-stitched & case-bound. Rochester, NY: Visual Studies Workshop Press, 1977.

First edition, one of 50 special copies with a large, tipped-in photoetching, signed and numbered by the artist, captioned in pencil: “I was born at twenty but died at twelve, 6/50 Keith, October 1977.” This striking photoetching, depicting Smith and various representations of his younger self, was executed for the present work. Smith’s photoetchings are extremely rare on the market... More

Ten columns per page with interlinear printing in a smaller font. Text-block: 233 x 160 mm. 85; 88 folding leaves. Two vols. Large 8vo (280 x 198 mm.), orig. persimmon-stained wrappers, orig. block-printed title labels on upper covers, new stitching. [Kyoto?]: mid-Genna [before 1617?].

First edition, extremely rare, with no copy in WorldCat, of this masterpiece of movable wood type printing, exhibiting both kanji, in three font sizes and several styles, and hiragana, in one elegant font. All these beautiful fonts employ extensive use of ligatures, enabling the print to represent the flow of calligraphy, much in the style of... More

Several dozen manuscripts in various formats, incl. long folded sheets, stitched pamphlets, sewn volumes, and letters. Japan: ca. 1853-63.

A substantial group of documents revealing internal, high-level debates and discussions in response to Commodore Perry’s landings and later controversies that arose as Western powers established a foothold in Japan. This is an exceptional collection, filled with top-secret information on government intrigues as the Japanese state responded to aggressive foreign expansion and dissenting groups within the government urging top-to-bottom reforms.

The manuscripts touch upon pivotal events in Japan’s history:

–Commodore Perry’s two expeditions (July 1853 & February-March 1854) and the resulting... More

250 illus. Large 4to, orig. cloth, dust-jacket. Cheshire, Connecticut: Graphics Press, [1983].

First edition of this important book and now rare. This copy signed by the author. Composed in Monotype Bembo, the book was exquisitely printed by The Meriden Gravure Company. Preserved in its original shipping mailer.

“A classic reference. The overall intention and power of the book is stunning.”–Optical Engineering.

“A visual Strunk and White.”–Boston Globe.

“Original, beautifully presented, sharp and learned, a work of art. The art here is cognitive art, the graphic display of relations and empirical data, now an indispensable tool of science and engineering.”–Scientific American.

... More

Many black & white illus. [78] pp. 8vo, pictorial coated wrappers, title on spine. Amsterdam: Stempelplaats, 1980.

A scarce issue of Rubber, an avant-garde monthly magazine edited by Aart van Barneveld (d. 1990), the partner of Ulises Carrión and co-founder of Other Books and So. This is a useful book documenting rubber-stamp-illustrated books that are now scarce and sought after. With nearly all of the books pictured, it indexes works by Gabor Attalai, Eduard Bal, Anna Banana, Peter Below, Bart Boumans, Paulo Bruscky, Carrión, Robin Crozier, Ray DiPalma, Leif Eriksson, Claudio Fonseca, Michael Gibbs, Claudio Goulart, Klaus Groh, Gyorgy Galantai... More

Large (445 x 330 mm.) folding hand-colored engraved plan (lacking the second engraved plate). Text within ruled borders. [69] leaves (lacking the first leaf, a blank; small blank portion of title torn away from lower inner margin). Small 4to, 18th-cent. calf (joints cracked but strong), spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. London: G. Eld, 1610.

First edition of the first English work on agricultural irrigation and an important early work in the literature of utopias. This is a very rare book, with or without the two plates. Our copy has the important and large folding engraved plan depicting... More

One folding engraved plate (some foxing) & seven printed tables (five in the text & two on a separate folding sheet). 2 p.l., 40 pp. Large 4to, orig. green patterned boards (some foxing). [Halle]: G. Haack, [1827].

First edition, and a very evocative association copy, of the rare Habilitationschrift by Wilhelm Weber (1804-91) on acoustics, specifically on the acoustic coupling of tongue and air cavity in reed organ pipes; his work in this area led, in a slightly roundabout way, to his close and enormously fruitful association with Gauss, which began in September of 1831. This copy belonged to Gauss... More

17 characters per column for prose sections; 20 characters per column for the versified sections; 32-33 columns per sheet. [Japan]: Kasuga-ban, mid-Kamakura period [13th century].

Two woodblocks, carved on each side in Japan in the 13th century at the Kofukuji Temple in Nara, containing text from juan four and five of the Lotus Sutra. These woodblocks were carved in Japan in the 13th century and are the earliest Asian woodblocks we have yet encountered.

The Lotus Sutra is the most influential of all sutra and “was highly influential in East Asia, inspiring both a range of devotional practices as well... More

[24]; [24] pp. Small 8vo (200 x 125 mm.), orig. printed dust-jacket, perfect-bound. London: Self-published, 2020.

An excellent meta-artist’s book, unrecorded by WorldCat. Rahel Zoller and Asami Murakami created a two-volume set, one book in English, the other in Japanese, that inherently mirrors itself due to the inverse orientations. Bibliographic terms are printed on the respective physical elements of the books and their texts, à la Carter’s ABC’s.

As new. In the original printed paper slipcase. More