Forum Rare Books

An early mention of Australia and a window into early 17th-century Spanish daily life

SUAREZ DE FIGUEROA, Christobal (Thomaso GARZONI). Plaza universal de todas ciencias, y artes, parte traduzida de Toscano, y parte compuesta por el doctor Christoval Suearez de Figueroa.
Perpignan, Luis Roure, 1630 (colophon: 1629). 4to. With title printed in woodcut border with large woodcut coat of arms; interesting woodcut initials and head- and tailpieces. Contemporary mottled calf. [8], 379, [1 blank] ll. Full description

€ 6,500

Australia Book History, Printing & Typography Dictionaries & Encyclopedias Medicine & Pharmacy (17th Century) Optics & Perspective Science Spain Technology

The art of swimming

THEVENOT, Melchisedech. L'art de nager, demontré par figures, avec des avis pour se baigner utilement.
Paris, Thomas Moette, 1696. 12mo. With 35 engraved plates of people swimming by Charles Moette. Contemporary calf. [12], XII, 47, [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 7,500

Games & Sports School & Textbooks

Definitive edition of the first substantial Dutch manual on the notary's practice

THUYS, Jacques. Ars notariatus. Dat is: Conste en[de] stijl van notarischap: begrepen in Theorijcke ende Practijcke... Desen derden druck, grootelijcken vermeerdert ende verbetert ...
Antwerp, Arnout s'Conincx, 1590. Small 8vo (15.5 x 10 cm). With woodcut publisher's device (with letterpress motto "Virtute et constantia") on title-page, a woodcut tail-piece and woodcut decorated initials (3 series). Set in textura types with incidental roman, with sample documents set in civilité with incidental italic. 17th-century parchment. [16], 231, [1] pp. Full description

€ 2,500

Early Printing - 16th century Economic History & Trade Law & Politics School & Textbooks

Extremely rare unauthorized edition of a manual on field fortification for young officers

TIELKE, Johann Gottlieb. Unterricht für die Offiziers die sich zu Feldingenieurs bilden, oder doch den Feldzügen mit Nutzen beywohnen wollen, durch Beyspiele aus dem letzten Kriege erläutert, und mit nöthigen Plans versehen...
Vienna, Johann Thomas Edlen von Trattner, 1785. 8vo. With an engraved frontispiece, 32 folding engraved plates and some letterpress tables in text. 19th-century green half morocco, marbled paper sides. [48], 479, [9] pp. Full description

€ 1,250

Fortification & Military Architecture Military History (18th Century) School & Textbooks

The first dictionary of classical mythology

TORRENTINUS, Hermannus. Elucidarius carminu[m] et historiaru[m] vel vocabularius poeticus co[n]tine[n]s fabulas: historias: provincias: urbes: insulas: fluvios: et montes illustres.
(Colophon:) Hagenau, Heinrich Gran for Johann Rynmann, 1510. 4to. 19th-century blind-tooled red morocco, with a gold-tooled centre-piece on both sides, title, date and location of printing lettered in gold on the spine, gold- and blind-tooled broad turn-ins, gilt edges, blue endpapers. [1 blank], [60], [1 blank] ll. Full description

€ 2,250

Bindings Classical Antiquity Dictionaries & Encyclopedias Early Printing - 16th century Education & Pedagogy

The first full-length autobiography written in Australia

VAUX, James Hardy. Memoirs of James Hardy Vaux, a swindler and thief, now transported to New South Wales for the second time, and for life. Written by himself. Second edition.
London, Whittaker, Treacher, & Arnot, 1830. 12mo. Publisher's green cloth. [2], XXIV, 288 pp. Full description

€ 450

Australia Bibliography & Biography Education & Pedagogy

Second edition of the first etymological Sanskrit-English dictionary

WILSON, Horace Hayman. A dictionary in Sanscrit and English; translated, amended, and enlarged, from an original compilation, prepared by learned natives for the college of Fort William.
Calcutta, printed at the Education Press, 1832. Large 4to. Contemporary half green morocco with marbled sides, gilt edges. X, 982 pp. Full description

€ 2,750

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias India & Sri Lanka Language & Linguistics Literature

On icebergs seen by Captain Parry and eruptions of the Vesuvius, with 12 double-page aquatints

[WITSEN GEYSBEEK, Peter Gerardus]. Reizen naar vreemde landen, in het hoekje van den haard.
Amsterdam, Diederichs brothers, [1829]. 16mo in 8s. With 12 double-page aquatint views by W.H. Hoogkamer, 6 in grey tint and 6 in sepia. Original publisher's printed yellow paper covered boards. 115, [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 1,500

Children's Books Education & Pedagogy

First edition of a great Arabic grammar, with both the original and the revised preface

WRIGHT, William. A grammar of the Arabic language, translated from the German of Caspari, and edited, with numerous additions and corrections, ... vol. I[-II].
London, Edinburgh, Williams and Norgate (back of title-page: printed by Friedrich Nies (Karl Berend Lorck), Leipzig), 1859. 8vo. Set in roman, italic and Arabic type. Contemporary half mottled, tanned sheepskin. XVI, 257, [1 blank]; VI, [1], [1 blank], XVI, 327, [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 2,500

Arabic Printing & Calligraphy Language & Linguistics Literature School & Textbooks

Dutch mathematician Nicolaas Ypey on conic sections, with 50 mathematical figures

YPEY, Nicolaas. Grondbeginzelen der kegelsneeden, bevattende de eerste en voornaamste eigenschappen van de parabola, ellips en hyperbola. Ten dienste der leerlingen opgesteld.
Amsterdam, Yntema and Tieboel, 1769. 8vo. With 7 engraved folding plates, head- and tailpieces built up from cast typographic ornaments. Contemporary half calf, sprinkled-paper sides. XXVIII, 68 pp. Full description