By Eric George Millar. Many fine plates (six in color). Two vols. in four [all published]. Large folio, cont. red morocco-backed cloth. London: Privately Printed by John Johnson at the Oxford University Press, 1927-30.

A fine set and scarce. “One of the handsomest and most learned productions from the pen of a British palaeographer.”–De Ricci, p. 172.

From the library of Eric H.L. Sexton, the noted collector of incunabula. More

Engraved frontis. (dampstained in outer upper corner with blank corner renewed). 2 p.l. (incl. the frontis.), 4, 345, [1], 2 pp. 8vo, later 18th cent. half-sheep & marbled boards, flat spine gilt. London: J. Tonson & J. Watts, 1725.

The very uncommon inventory catalogue of the library of John Bridges (1666-1724), historian of Northamptonshire, who left his library to his two brothers. They prepared this catalogue for sale but their efforts were fruitless as the books were sent to auction before the year was out. This is one of the earliest of all English inventory catalogues.

Dibdin called Bridges “a notorious book-collector” and the library contained over 4000 books and MSS. It was notably rich in the history and antiquities of Great Britain and Ireland. More

Ten vertical lines per page, 19 characters per line. 44; 60; 53 folding leaves & 57; 62; 64 folding leaves. Three vols. of Hogen Monogatari & three vols. of Heiji Monogatari, issued together. Large 8vo (283 x 208), orig. dark wrappers dyed with persimmon juice (shibubiki), new stitching. [Japan: privately printed with movable type, mid-Keicho, ca. 1607-08].

There are several movable type editions of these famous war tales; ours is of the earliest printing but is an apparently unknown variant. Kawase states that there are two variants of the mid-Keicho “ten line” edition of these two tales. The first listed — but with no priority — has 18 characters per line... More

[Compiled by Giusto Fontanini]. Large engraved vignette on title & woodcut initials throughout the text. 1 p.l., v, [1], 738 pp. Folio, cont. calf (neatly rebacked by Aquarius with the orig. spine laid-down, corners repaired), spine richly gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Rome: F. Gonzaga, 1711.

First edition of the catalogue of Cardinal Imperiali’s large (ca. 20,000 titles) and magnificent library bequeathed to the public upon his death in 1737. This rich and varied catalogue of rare and early books is arranged alphabetically by author in the first part (pp. 1-582), which was a fairly advanced technique for the time. Pages 583-738... More

2 p.l., viii, 494 pp., 1 leaf of errata. Large thick 8vo (245 x 160 mm.), cont. aubergine straight-grained morocco, sides gilt & inlaid to an elaborate “cathedral” design in the shape of a “gothic” window enclosing a cathedral rose inlaid in ochre, light-green, & red, four bands on spine, two of the compartments lettered in gilt, the others gold-tooled & partly inlaid in light-green morocco, aubergine morocco doublures & triplures brilliantly gilt & blind-tooled, a.e.g., by Joseph Thouvenin (signed at foot of spine “THOUVENIN”), in Paris, ca. 1825. Paris: [Privately Printed by] Firmin-Didot, 1823.

Limited to 340 copies, of which this is one of thirty copies on large “papier vélin,” reserved for presentation to the members of the Société des Bibliophiles Français and magnificently bound in very fine mosaic cathedral-style binding by Joseph Thouvenin. Privately printed, this is one of the earliest Russian private library catalogues and was written by the owner himself with the aid of Charles Piquet. More

2 p.l., 164, 5 pp. 12mo, cont. polished calf by Derome, triple gilt fillet round sides with floral devices in each corner, flat spine gilt in a fish-scale pattern, black morocco lettering piece on spine, a.e.g. Paris: de l’Imprimerie de Didot l’Ainé, 1783.

Limited to 25 copies only, finely printed by Didot on Annonay paper and handsomely bound in contemporary polished calf by Derome; this is one of the rarest and oddest of all private library catalogues. It is also notable as the first bibliography or catalogue with a limitation statement and, very probably, the first catalogue to mention... More

Finely engraved coat-of-arms on title. Title printed in red & black. 4 p.l., xliii, dxix (i.e. dxvii), [1], cccxlviii (i.e. ccclii), [3] pp. Thick large 4to, orig. publisher’s vellum over boards, fleuron in gilt in center of covers with gilt fleurons in each corner, double gilt fillet round sides, spine gilt, brown morocco lettering piece on spine, a.e.g. Venice: Typis J.B. Pasquali, 1755.

Third edition and the first complete edition of the catalogue of Smith’s magnificent collection of incunabula and a few early manuscripts. Smith (1682-1770), was British Consul at Venice and, in 1765, sold his superb library... More