Forum Rare Books

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

SPAENDONCK, Gerard van. Neflier cultivé. Mespilus germanica. 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]. Stipple engraving on unwatermarked wove paper (56.5 x 42 cm), printed in colour à la poupée and finished by hand, of a Mespilus germanica, showing a branch with five medlars in various sizes, signed "P.F. Le Grand sculp." In passepartout. Full description

€ 2,750

Arboriculture & Dendrology Colour Printing / Chromolithography Eastern Europe Fruit Culture Prints & Print Series Southeast Asia

Two bloody expeditions by the Spanish governor to "pacify" the region round Oran (Algeria)

[SPANISH - RELACIONES]. [Drop-title:] Relacion muy verdadera de dos presas y derrotas que en diferentes Aduares de la Berberia en los confines de Oran, tuuo el señor Marques de Floresdauila del Consejo de Guerra de su Magestad, y su Gouernador y Capitan general en aquellas partes
Madrid, Juan Sanchez, [1637]. Folio (21 x 29.2 cm). With a woodcut decorated initial. Disbound. [7], [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 1,950

Broadsides, Ephemera & Pamphlets History / 17th Century Military History (17th Century) North Africa Spain

Interesting account of the major sea battle during the Cretan war near Izmir on 12-15 May, 1649

[SPANISH - RELACIONES] [Drop title:] Verdadera relacion de la gran Vitoria que ha tenido la Armada de la Serenissima Republica de Venecia, contra la Armada del Turco en el Puerto de Foqui en doze de Mayo de mil y seiscientos y quarenta y nueue, embiada al Excelentissimo señor Embaxador de dicha Serenissima Republica. Traduzida de Italiano, en Castellano
Madrid, Domingo Garcia Morrás, 1649. Folio (20.8 x 29.2 cm). With the large woodcut Royal Spanish coat of arms on the first page and a woodcut decorated initial. Disbound. [4] pp. Full description

€ 1,500

Broadsides, Ephemera & Pamphlets Italy Naval History Turkey & Ottoman Empire

Important for the development of French poetry in the 16th century
and the promotion of the use of the vernacular languages

SPERONI DEGLI ALGAROTTI, [Sperone]. Dialoghi del sig. Speron Speroni nobile Padovano, di nuovo ricorretti; a quali sono aggiunti molti altri non più stampati. E. di più l'Apologia de i primi.
Venice, Roberto Meietti, 1596. 4to. With a woodcut printer's device on the title page. Contemporary red morocco, spine with gilt rulling, covers with gilt fillets and gilt oval central piece decorated with floral ornaments, 4 gilt floral cornerpieces. [8], 596 (=604), [2 errata] pp. Full description

€ 2,500

Bindings Early Printing - 16th century Italian Literature Italy Language & Linguistics

Elzevier’s enlarged edition of Spiegel’s treatise on botany and herbarium practice

SPIEGEL, Adriaen van de. Isagoges in rem herbariam libri duo.
Leiden, [Abraham and Bonaventura] Elzevier, 1633. 24mo. With an engraved title page, and several woodcut decorated initials, and head- and tailpieces. Including: (2) VORSTIUS, Adolphus. Catalogus plantarum horti academici Lugduno Batavi. Early 19th-century gold-tooled tree-marbled calf by Henderson & Bisset. 272, [16] pp. Full description

€ 850

Bindings Brazil Canada & Greenland Floras & General Botany Herbals & Medical Botany Horticulture Miniature Books North America 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

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

Very rare Elzevier imprint: the reception of William III as First Nobleman in the province of Zeeland

[SPLENDID CEREMONIES - HOUSE OF ORANGE - ZEELAND]. La chasse du prince ou relation de la reception faite à S. A. Monsieur le Prince d'Orange Guillaume III. en la Zelande. Et de son installation là mé en la dignité de premier noble. Arrivèes les 18. & 19. septembre 1668.
[Amsterdam, Abraham Wolgang for Daniël Elzevier], 1668. Small 12mo. With a woodcut vignette on the title page. 19th-century gold-tooled light brown calf by Thouvenin. Bound with the original vellum wrappers. [2], 46 pp. Full description

€ 7,500

Bindings Ceremonial Festivities & Fireworks History / 17th Century

Ornithological work with a fore-edge painting of a falconry hunting scene

STANLEY, Edward. A familiar history of birds.
London, Longmans, Green and Co. (at the end: printed by Spottiswoode and Co.), 1865. 8vo. With engraved frontispiece, title-vignette, 2 engraved plates and 102 illustrations in the text.Contemporary gold-tooled calf, probably a school prize binding, with "King Edward's School Bruton" and its "Sealle of the Skolle of Brew" in a frame, the seal showing a Brewers tonne (Brew-ton), richly gold-tooled spine with a red morocco label, edges gilt over a fore-edge painting showing a falconry hunting scene. xiii, [1 blank], 446 pp. Full description

€ 2,500

Birds - Ornithology Falconry, Fishing & Hunting

First part of the autobiography of traveller and writer Freya Stark

STARK, Freya. Traveller's prelude. An autobiography.
London, John Murray, 1951. 8vo. With a double page map on blue/green paper, 22 double-sided plates, a green ornament on the title-page, a small woodcut of Asolo on p.336 and some small decorations in the text. Green cloth with gold lettering on front cover and spine. With a dust jacket designed by F. Quilter. XII, [2], 346 pp. Full description

€ 250

The final part of Freya Stark's autobiography: her work and travels between 1939 and 1946

STARK, Freya. Dust in the lion's paw. Autobiography 1939-1946.
London, John Murray, 1961. 8vo. With a map of the Middle East, titled "Dust in the lion's paw" on p. 6, 8 double-sided plates, and an illustration of a lion (in red) on the title-page. Green cloth with gold lettering on front cover and spine. With dust jacket, designed by Frank Quilter, and protected by a clear plastic jacket. XII, 296, [2] pp. Full description

€ 300

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