1 p.l., xxiv, 74 pp. 8vo, self-wrappers, stitched as issued (stitching loose), leaves uncut. Paris: Regnault-Lalande, 1811.

The rare catalogue of this joint sale of the collections of Ozanne (1728-1811) and Coïny (1761-1809), which took place 2-11 December 1811. The former, a distinguished marine artist and engineer, collaborated with Duhamel du Monceau on several illustrated works and taught naval architecture and navigation to the sons of the royal family. Le Tellier de Courtanvaux used one of Ozanne’s ships as a platform to test Pierre Le Roy’s marine chronometer.

A student of Suvée and J.P. Lebas, Coïny exhibited at the Salon... More

viii, 175 pp. 8vo, attractive antique calf-backed paste-paper boards, spine gilt, red morocco lettering-piece on spine. Paris: Bénard, 1806.

The uncommon sale catalogue of an exceptional print collection formed in Belgium. Wolfgang Guillaume, the third duc d’Ursel (?1730-1804), a Belgian general and husband of Flore d’Arenberg, focused his collecting on prints of paintings engraved by the painters themselves. The catalogue is arranged by school and within that by painter. We find engravings by Albani, Carracci, Maratti, Titian, Dürer, Hollar, Berghem, van Leyden, Rembrandt, Callot, Coypel, etc.

The catalogue thoroughly describes 948 lots of prints and drawings, many of which are... More

2 p.l., 72 pp. Small 8vo, cont. red sheep-backed marbled boards (extremities slightly rubbed), spine gilt, green morocco lettering piece on spine. Amsterdam: P. Yver, [1774].

[bound with]:

(—). Catalogue d’un precieux Cabinet de Desseins, Coloriés & Non-Coloriés des plus célebres Maîtres Hollandois & Flamands, &c. De même, que d’une tres belle Collection d’Estampes, de Choix. Parmi lesquelles il y a quelques Petits Oeuvres & des Ouvrages d’Estampes Reliées & non-Reliées presque Toutes Premieres Epreuves & des mieux conservées…La Vente s’en fera le Lundi 16 de Janvier 1775 & les Jours suivants…Par les Courtiers… 2 p.l., 235, [1], 78... More

126 pp. 8vo (195 x 130 mm.), late 19th-cent. blue sheep-backed marbled boards, spine gilt. Paris: Lebrun, 1788.

A rare auction catalogue, priced throughout in a contemporary hand, of a formidable collection of paintings. Although Lugt attributes this to Montesquiou (1739-98), it seems that most of the lots did not belong to him. Jean Baptiste Pierre Lebrun (1748-1813), this sale’s expert, was known to add his inventory and lesser consignments to prestigious sales for which he was responsible. Montesquiou, member of the Académie Française and a general, was close to many of the physiocrats.

The present catalogue describes 276 lots... More

36 folding leaves, of which four are blank. 8vo (240 x 170 mm.), orig. blue semi-stiff wrappers (wrappers somewhat worn), orig. label, heightened in gold, with manuscript title, new stitching. [Japan]: n.d.

During the Edo period, there were 12 Korean delegations to Japan, whose purposes were mostly to congratulate a new Tokugawa shogun. The missions, which normally included 300-500 Koreans, accompanied by roughly 1500 Japanese escorts, symbolized the amicable relationship between the two nations and, in the early years, served to legitimize the Tokugawa shogunate.

These delegations, which usually took nine or ten months round-trip, were enormously expensive undertakings for... More

Four vols. 8vo, orig. polished mottled green calf (a little rubbed), single gilt fillet round sides, flat spine gilt, orange leather lettering piece on spine, crown stamped in gilt at head of spine [Vol. I], orig. fine brown sheep maroquiné, single gilt fillet round sides, flat spine gilt, orange leather lettering piece on spine, crowns stamped in gilt at head & foot of spine, a.e.g. [Vol III], orig. boards [ Vols. II & IV]. Munich: 1832-33-48-72.

The first catalogue issued, with its three supplements, of the maps and plans in the Bavarian Army Library, founded in 1822. This was one... More

99, [1] p. Small 8vo (160 x 107), cont. calf (joints a little worn), red morocco lettering-piece on spine, spine gilt. Paris: C.A. Jombert, 1754.

First edition of this uncommon book, which contains an essential lecture given by Blondel at the opening session of the fifth Cours Publique in his independent Ecole des Arts. This school was founded in 1743, and was able to provide an exhaustive curriculum to a larger and more diverse audience than the Académie. Leading figures of the neo-classical such as Chambers, Patte, Wailly, Desprez, Boullée, and Ledoux all took classes at the school.

This work... More

Numerous woodcuts in the text. 28 unnumbered leaves (incl. the first leaf, a blank). Small 4to, early 20th-cent. calf (final leaf with short tear in blank section, carefully repaired). London: W. Stansby for J. Grismand, 1626.

A very rare book that describes the English bread-pricing regulations established in 1266, which remained in force, with modifications, for more than six centuries. As Britain’s early modern economy developed and the price of wheat fluctuated, these regulations were periodically revised and reissued by authority of the Privy Council. ESTC locates only one copy of our edition in North America.

“Bread was one of... More

56 pp. Large 4to, attractive antique calf-backed paste-paper boards, spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Leipzig: J.G.I. Breitkopf, 1779.

First edition. Breitkopf’s projected history of printing, of which the author completed the first part (and which remained in manuscript) and left material for the second part, was never published.

Fine copy.

❧ Bigmore & Wyman, I, p. 81. More

59 leaves, enumerating the names of grapes, cereal crops, and oils and their prices for nearly two centuries. Small folio (273 x 178 mm.), 18th-cent. vellum over boards (tail of spine defective), two (of four) ties lacking. Burgundy: 1622-1792.

A fascinating and rare survival, which details the precipitous rise in the prices of Burgundian wine and the emergence of a hierarchy among regions and vintages over a 170-year period. This document, consisting of three gatherings (28; 28; 3 leaves), bound together and written in several legible hands, provides a wealth of information on grain harvests in the region, which varied... More

Engraved frontis. port. x, 512 pp.; 1 p.l., 403, [45] pp. Two vols. 8vo, fine cont. speckled sheep (short tear, without loss, to pp. 99-100 of Vol. I), green & red morocco lettering pieces on spines. London: T. Davies, 1771.

First edition in English of Cellini’s autobiography, “a production of the utmost energy, directness, and racy animation, setting forth one of the most singular careers in all the annals of fine art. His amours and hatreds, his passions and delights, his love of the sumptuous and the exquisite in art, his self-applause and self-assertion, make this one of the most... More

22 folding leaves. 8vo (270 x 204 mm.), orig. wrappers, new stitching. Japan: late Edo.

This manuscript derives from the “Kesho mayuzukuri kuden,” a scroll written by Bokuya Mizushima (1607-97), a disciple of the Ogasawara School. Founded in the 12th century, this was one of the two major schools setting rules of courtly manners for the nobility of Japan. Mizushima enjoyed great fame as a teacher of etiquette and was consulted by the shogunal government. He wrote on all aspects of etiquette and left numerous manuscript writings of all aspects of the subject. His influence continued through the end of... More