Forum Rare Books

Extract of influential work on Spanish colonies

SOLORZANO PEREIRA, Juan de. Traduccion de la dedicatoria real i epistolas proemiales del segundo tomo del Derecho, i gobernierno de las Indias Occidentals.
[Madrid], Francisco Martinez, 1639. Folio. With an elaborate engraved architectural title-page by Roberto Codier. Spanish sheepskin parchment (ca. 1700?). Title, [4], 62 ll. Full description

€ 3,000

Latin America Law & Politics Middle America South America Spain

Rare collection of travel accounts, with 12 aquatint views

SOMMER, Johann Gottfried. Merkwaardige bijzonderheden, inhoudende de nieuwste ontdekkingen in de natuurkunde, natuurlijke historie, land- en volkenkunde, op alle gedeelten van den aardbol.
Amsterdam, Ten Brink and De Vries, 1825-1827. 4 volumes. 8vo. With 4 engraved title-pages, each with one of two aquatint views, plus 10 aquatint views on 8 plates, all by H.W. Hoogkamp. Contemporary half calf, gold-tooled spine. VIII, 331, [1 blank]; IV, 316; [IV], 316; [IV], 312 pp. Full description

€ 1,500

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Brazil Iran / Persia Latin America North Africa & Egypt Philippines South America

Scarce broadside praising the Virgin of Guadalupe
for delivering independence to the Mexican people in 1821

[SONNET - MEXICO]. [drop title:] Soneto. ¿Quién sino tú, dulcísima Maria ... ?
[Mexico, ca. 1821]. Ca. 21.5 x 15.5 cm. The text is set within a decorative woodcut border, together with a woodcut illustration of the Virgin of Guadalupe. [1] leaf. Full description

€ 1,800

Broadsides & Pamphlets Latin America Literature Mexico Religion (19th Century)

From a series of "the finest engravings of flowers ever made" by the teacher of Redouté

SPAENDONCK, Gerard van. Grande Capucine. Tropaeolum majus L. [From: Fleurs dessinées d'après nature,... Recueil utile aux amateurs, aux jeunes artistes, aux élèves des écoles centrales et aux dessinateurs des manufactures].
[Paris, 1799-1801]. Oblong folio. Stipple engraving on unwatermarked wove paper (38 x 55.5 cm), printed in colour à la poupée and finished by hand, of a branch of the Tropaeolum majus showing three flowers and six buds in various stages. In passepartout. Full description

€ 2,750

Colour Printing / Chromolithography Flowering Plants Gastronomy Horticulture Latin America Prints & Print Series South America

Extremely rare printed copy of Dom Pedro I's speech
opening the first legislature of Brazil as an independent nation

[SPEECH - DOM PEDRO I of BRAZIL]. Noticias. No. 2. Porto 7 de Julho. 1826.
(Colophon:) Porto, Imprensa do Gandra, 1826. Folio (ca. 30.5 x 21 cm). With the text set in two columns in 4 different types (large capitals for the "title", roman, italic, and a decorative gothic-like type. Further with some small typographical ornaments and details. Disbound with two small sewing holes in the gutter. [4] pp. Full description

€ 1,750

Brazil Broadsides & Pamphlets Latin America Law & Politics South America

A bestseller of illustrated 17th-century travel literature, probably printed by Izaak Elzevier

SPILBERGEN, Joris van and Jacob Le MAIRE. Miroir Oost & West-Indical, auquel sont descriptes les deux dernieres navigations, faictes es années 1614. 1615. 1616. 1617. & 1618.
Amsterdam, Johannes Janssonius [printed by Izaak Elzevier?], 1621. Oblong 4to (17.5 x 23 cm). With 24 (of 25) engraved plates, including 5 double-page and 10 larger folding. Modern vellum. [4], 172 pp. Full description

€ 16,500

Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Medicine Book History, Printing & Typography Brazil Charts & Maps City Plans, Topography & Views Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Latin America Navigation Peru South America Travel & Voyages Asia Travel & Voyages South America Travel & Voyages Southeast Asia VOC

Rare edition of Staden's famous account of Brazil and the Tupinambá Indians,
with 19 woodcuts (17 from the blocks of Plantins 1558 edition)

STADEN, Hans. Beschrijvinghe van America, wiens inwoonders, wildt, naeckt, seer godloos, ende wreede menschen-eters zijn; hoe hy selve onder de Brasilianen lange gevangen geseten heeft, die hem dagelijcks dreygden doot te slaen en t'eten: ...
Including: Avontuerlijcke, vreemde, ende waerachtighe beschryvinge van het landt America, alwaer Hans van Staden onder de Brasilianen, Tuppin Imbas ghenaemt, lange gevangen geseten heeft, ...
Amsterdam, Jan Jacobsz. Bouman, 1660. 2 parts in 1 volume. 4to. With 2 title-pages, the first printed in red and black, each with a different large (7 x 13 cm) woodcut illustration; and 17 smaller (5 x 6.5 cm) woodcut illustrations (plus 12 repeats) in the text, mostly of Brazilian Indians. 20th-century dark brown calf, with older stiff paper wrappers bound in. [8], 72 pp. Full description

€ 7,000

Brazil Latin America South America Travel & Voyages South America

Splendid large-paper copy in beautiful hand-colouring of the first English edition
of the most famous work on Dutch Surinam

STEDMAN, John Gabriel. Narrative, of a five years' expedition, against the revolted negroes of Surinam, in Guiana, on the wild coast of South America; from the year 1772, to 1777: elucidating the history of that country, and the description of its productions, viz. quadrupedes, birds, fishes, reptiles, trees, shrubs, fruits, & roots; with an account of the Indians of Guiana, & negroes of Guiana ...
London, printed by J. Johnson and J. Edwards, 1796. 2 volumes. Large 4to (ca. 29 x 22.5 cm). With an engraved frontispiece, 2 identical engraved title-pages with a vignette, and 80 engraved plates (including 3 folding maps and a large folding view of Paramaribo), all beautifully coloured by hand, and occasionally heightened with gold. Uniform contemporary gold-tooled calf, re-backed with a later gold-tooled spine with two red title labels lettered in gold. XVIII, 407, [9]; IV, 404, [7] pp. Full description

€ 35,000

Anthropology & Ethnography Faunas & General Zoology Fishes Floras & General Botany South America Surinam Travel & Voyages South America

The first scientific work on Hemiptera, with 70 hand-coloured, detailed plates of insects

STOLL, Caspar. Natuurlyke en naar 't leeven naauwkeurig gekleurde afbeeldingen en beschryvingen der cicaden en wantzen, in alle vier waerelds deelen Europa, Asia, Africa en America huishoudende.
Amsterdam, J.C. Sepp, [1780-]1788. 2 parts in 1 volume. 4to (ca. 28.5 x 23 cm). With 40 handcoloured plates of insects and a handcoloured floral frontispiece at the start of each volume. Comprising:
(1) STOLL, Caspar. Natuurlyke en naar 't leeven naauwkeurig gekleurde afbeeldingen en beschryvingen der cicaden.
Amsterdam, J. C. Sepp, 1788.
(2) STOLL, Caspar. Natuurlyke en naar 't leeven naauwkeurig gekleurde afbeeldingen en beschryvingen der wantzen.
Amsterdam, J. C. Sepp, 1788. Contemporary gold-tooled brown calf. 124; 172 pp. Full description

€ 4,950

Insects & Spiders

A well-illustrated work on the steamships of the United States,
with a spectacular illustration of Perry's flagship "The Powhatan"

STUART, Charles Beebe. The naval and mail steamers of the United States. ... Illustrated with thirty-six[!] fine engravings. Second edition.
New York, Charles B. Norton; London, Sampson Low, son & Co. (back of title-page: printed by Baker, Godwin & Co., New York), 1853. Large 4to (34 x 27 cm). With chromolithographed frontispiece to the first and tinted lithographed frontispiece to the second part, steel-engraved author's portrait and 32 plates (somewhat irregularly numbered 1-31), including 6 double-page engraved plates and 4 tinted lithographs all printed by Sarony & Major, New York. Publisher's richly gold- and blind-blocked textured cloth. 216; [4], 22, [2 blank]; 4; 21, [1] pp. Full description