Black & white illus. throughout. 397, [1] p. Large & thick 4to (279 x 210 mm.), pictorial softcover, title on spine. Stockholm: Moderna Museet, 1980.

The important catalogue for On Kawara’s survey exhibition at the Moderna Museet and three other institutions. This publication is profusely illustrated with images and reproductions of the conceptual artist’s work, including the Today series, I Met, I Went, I Got Up, I am still alive, etc. It also contains photographs of “Date Paintings” in galleries, museums, and the homes of private collectors. The second half of the catalogue, save the final dozen pages, is essentially... More

Black & white illus. (one double-page). 18 pp. Small 8vo, printed wrappers, staple-bound. Palestine: Alpha Studio, 2007.

The very rare booklet published in conjunction with the Bethlehem leg of Kawara’s traveling exhibition Pure Consciousness which began in Sydney in 1998. For the exhibition, seven “Date Paintings” from the Today series (1966-2013) are displayed in a kindergarten classroom. These paintings have traveled around the world to cities and towns such as Sydney; Tongyeong, South Korea; Reykjavik; Istanbul; Goa; Inari, Finland; Thimphu, Bhutan; Abidjan, Ulaanbaatar; Toliara, Madagascar, etc. The photographs in the booklet focus on the students with the paintings only blurry... More

Folding hand-colored lithographed frontis. & one colored plate. 1 p.l., xi, 418 pp. 8vo, 19th-cent. vellum over boards (minor foxing to first few leaves), spine lettered in gilt, dentelles gilt, t.e.g., arms in gilt of the Prince of Wales on upper cover. London: J. Ollivier, 1844.

First edition. “In August 1834, Kinglake set out on an eighteen-month odyssey through Europe and the Ottoman empire. After encountering plague in Constantinople, he travelled to Smyrna, Cyprus, Beirut, the Holy Land, and Jerusalem, before crossing the Sinai Desert to Cairo. Following three weeks in Egypt, he returned north through Damascus and Asia Minor... More

Color and black & white illus. throughout. 36 pp. 8vo, pictorial semi-stiff covers with flaps. [Frankfurt]: Galerie Grässlin-Ehrhardt, 1991.

A very rare exhibition catalogue, designed by Martin Kippenberger to imitate a Baedeker guide. We find just two copies in North America. According to Koch, it was produced in an edition of around 1000 copies.

“In 1991 Martin Kippenberger was teaching at the Städel Art School in Frankfurt. Virtuosen vor dem Berg [Virtuosi Before the Mountain], created in collaboration with the ‘Kippenberger Class’ (Matti Braun, Andreas Höhne, Adam Kuczynski, Martin Liebscher, Tobias Rehberger, Matthias Schaufler, Markus Schneider, Tatjana Steiner, Ronald Wullems... More

Color illus. throughout. [20] pp. Oblong 8vo, purple printed wrappers, staple-bound. Exeter: SpaceX; Edinburgh: Morning Star, 2002.

LeWitt’s final artist’s book, scarce; it consists of found postcards picturing Chicago. “Published as part of the SPACEX touring exhibition, Generator, organised in collaboration with STAR and with support from the Arts Council of England.”

Fine copy. Designed by Colin Sackett and printed in an edition of 1000.

❧ Maffei & de Donno, Sol LeWitt: Artist’s Books (2009), pp. 134-35.

Sol LeWitt: Libros, El concepto como arte (2014) 81. More

Black & white photographic illus., text in red. Photographic postcard, mailed. New York: John Gibson Gallery, [1969].

Postcard invitation to Long’s debut solo show in the United States. Gibson (1933-2019) was one of the earliest gallery advocates of Land Art.

In fine condition. Mailed to Alphonse Ossorio of East Hampton.

❧ See Richard Long’s website. 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... More

One double-page woodcut map. 56; 60 folding leaves. Two vols. 8vo, orig. wrappers, new stitching. [China]: Wei jing tang, Preface dated 1814.

An early, variorum edition (1st ed.: 1777) of this great classic, the Xiyu wenjianlu. “The Manchu official Qishiyi, in [the present work], offers a frontiersman’s view of the conquest quite different from that of the imperial center. Qishiyi, who earned his jinshi degree in 1754, served as a low-ranking official in charge of grain supply in Turkestan. He narrates vividly the struggle for succession to the Zunghar Khanate after Galdan Tseren’s death, describes the states bordering the Qing... More

Five head-pieces, one tail-piece, two folding maps, three folding plates (all engraved), & three folding printed tables. 4 p.l., xix, 302 pp., one leaf of errata. 8vo, cont. marbled sheep (head of lower joint a little split), flat spine richly gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Paris: Bossange, 1806.

First edition of an important book on the Crimea; it also contains descriptions of previously unrecorded coins and medals from the area. Reuilly (1780-1810), man of letters and diplomat, traveled extensively in eastern Europe. In 1803, Reuilly joined the staff of the Duc de Richelieu, the recently named governor of... More

24 brush & ink illus. (some double-page), many in fine color or heightened in red ink. 95 folding leaves. 8vo (238 x 168 mm.), orig. decorated wrappers, new stitching. [Japan]: “copied 1805.”

An early copy of the Japanese account of the first official Russian mission to Japan, headed by the Russian military officer Adam Kirillovich Laxman (or Laksman) (1766-1806?). With this mission, Russia became the first foreign country to request a secluded Japan to broaden its trade relations beyond China and the Dutch. Commissioned by Catherine the Great to return three Japanese shipwrecked sailors to their home country, Laxman’s expedition... 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

28 engraved plates (many are folding) & six folding printed tables. Four vols. 8vo, cont. polished calf (each lower joint with a slight crack, head of one spine with the slightest chip), spines finely & richly gilt, red & green morocco lettering pieces on spines. London: W. Strahan et al., 1770.

First edition, and a lovely set in attractive contemporary bindings. “On this tour Young travelled 2,500 miles from Bradfield to the northern boundary of England, across country westward, and so in a wide sweep back home, and he collected statistical data from some 250 farms of all sizes and... More