Forum Rare Books

Important edition of Livy with accurate criticism on the chronology of Roman history

LIVIUS, Titus. Historiarum ab urbe condita, libri qui exstant XXXV cum universae historiae epitomis Caroli Sigonij scholia, quibus ijdem libri, atque epitomae partim emendantur, partim etiam explanantur, ab auctore multis in partibus aucta.
Venice, in aedibus Manutianis (= Paulus Manutius & Aldus Manutius the younger), 1572. 3 parts in 1 volume. Folio.
With title to each part with a large woodcut printer's device surrounded by an allegorical border.
Modern vellum with title in ink on spine, new endpapers. 590, [54], 399, [1 blank]; 109, [1 blank]; 52 pp. Full description

€ 3,500

Aldine Press Italy

Congratulations to Ferdinand II, king of Two Sicilies,
and the Archduchess Maria Therese of Austria on the birth of their eldest son

LUIGIOS, Maria [= MARIA KAROLINE LUISE CHRISTINE OF AUSTRIA?]. [Signed letter to Ferdinand II, king of Two Sicilies].
Innsbruck, 13th August 1838. 25 x 20 cm. Signed manuscript letter in brown ink on paper in Italian, with signature 'Maria Luigios'. [1], [3 blank] pp. Full description

€ 500

Austria Autographs & Letters Central Europe Italy

On bread and bread-making

MANETTI, Saverio. Delle specie diverse di frumento e di pane siccome della panizzazione.
Florence, Moücke f. Giovacchino Pagani, 1765. 4to. Bound in contemporary 'carta rustica', faded manuscript title to spine. (8), 237, (3) pp. Full description

€ 2,000

Gastronomy Italy

Ca. 9000 Arabic terms and translations

[MANUSCRIPT - ARABIC - DICTIONARY]. [Vocabularium Italico-Arabicum]. Arabic-Italian dictionary.
[Probably Egypt, ca. 1770]. 4to (ca. 17 x 22 cm). Arabic and Italian manuscript on paper, 19 lines per extensum, paginated throughout from right to left. Near-contemporary brown leather with a blind-stamped oriental rosette as a center piece and similar style corner pieces on both boards, a (partial) manuscript title label on the spine. 494 pp. Full description

€ 18,000

Islamic Art, Culture & Science Italy Language & Linguistics Literature Manuscripts & Documents North Africa

A remarkable manuscript service book for the divine offices on parchment,
with seven eye-catching illustrations

[MANUSCRIPT - SERVICE BOOK - DIVINE OFFICES]. Ordine da osservarsi nell'oratorio di Santa Maria di Passione, circa gli Essercicii Spirituali delle feste cavato dalla Regola maggiore.
[Milan], [18th-century]. Folio (27,5 x 18,5 cm). With 5 full-page and 2 half-page, hand-painted religious illustrations and 9 hand-painted initials on a blue background, heightened with gold and silver. 18th-century gold- and blind-tooled parchment, each board with a blind ornamental centre-piece ornament in a blind-tooled frame, in a larger frame of gold fillets, with a gold flower in each of the 6 spine compartments. [1 blank], [1], 66 pp. Full description

€ 14,000

Bibles, Liturgy & Devotional Works Book of Hours, Missals & Prayerbooks Catholicism & Eastern Orthodox Church Italy Manuscripts & Documents

Highly detailed and brightly coloured botanical emblematic fore-edge painting
taken from Camerarius's Symbolorum et emblematum

MARCHESE, Duca Annibale. Tragedie Cristiane.
Naples, Felice Mosca, 1729. 2 volumes in 1. Large 8vo. With two title-pages in red and black, an engraved frontispiece by Jeremias Jakob Sedelmayr after Francesco Solimena, an engraved author's portrait by Antonio Baldi and 11 engraved plates by Sedelmayr and Baldi after Solimena, accompanying the 10 tragedies and the dedication. Also with some engraved initials, woodcut tailpieces and 40 pages of engraved polyphonic music for the choruses. Contemporary gold-tooled brown goatskin morocco, gilt and gauffered edges with an intricate fore-edge painting, incorporating both a closed and fanned design for the fore-edge. The head and foot edges are painted with floral and botanical designs. [4], [16], 502; [4], 504, [2]; pp. plus 40 pp. of engraved music. Full description

€ 8,500

Bindings Drawings & Watercolours Italian Literature Italy Literature

Stunning collotypes and chromolithographs of Pompeii wall paintings in situ soon after their excavation

MAU, August. Geschichte der decorativen Wandmalerei in Pompeji ... Mit 20 Tafeln in einer Mappe.
Berlin, G. Reimer, 1882. 1 text volume & 1 portfolio with plates. 8vo (text volume) and 1mo (plates portfolio 53 x 43 cm). With 20 large numbered plates showing Pompeii wall paintings in situ, mounted on card stock, loose in a separate portfolio with letterpress title-leaf and contents leaf: 9 sepia collotypes (21 x 16 to 26.5 x 24.5 cm) and 11 chromolithographs (21.5 x 19 to 37 x 36 cm), no. 18 actually comprising 7 small chromolithographs on 1 card, each plate with a letterpress label on the back; and 7 black and white floor plans in the text. Contemporary half sheepskin parchment (text); contemporary blue half cloth portfolio (plates). XII, 462 pp. Full description

€ 7,500

Architecture Art & Art History Classical Antiquity Italy

Detailed illustrated account of archaeological discoveries in and around Pozzuolo,
including the rare folding map

MAZZELLA, Scipione. Sito, et antichita della citta di Pozzuolo, e del suo amenissimo distretto ...
Naples, Tarquinio Longo for Giorgio Varisco (part 1) and Bartholomeo Carampello (part 2), 1606. 2 parts in 1 volume. Small 8vo (15 x 10 cm). With 3 title-pages, a large folding woodcut map with letterpress title and text (the woodcut itself 17 x 24.5 cm) showing Pozzolo and the surrounding area (omitted in some copies), 15 woodcut illustrations (plus 4 repeats) in text. 17th-century limp sheepskin parchment. [16], 284, [4], 103, [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 5,000

Archaeology Architecture Charts & Maps Classical Antiquity History / 17th Century Italy

Only known copy of a ca. 1629 Dominican print series of the life of Saint Dominic
with an engraved title page & 12 scenes with captions, coloured and highlighted in gold
by a 17th-century hand and in a richly gold-tooled armorial binding

MECHELEN, Hans van. Perill[ust]ri. ac reverend[issimo]. d[omi]no D. Michaeli Ophovio ex. ord. praedic. Episcopo Buscoducensi S. Dominicum Gusmannum eiusdem ordinis fundatorem D.D.
[Antwerp], Hans van Mechelen, [ca. 1629]. 24mo (11 x 7 x 0.6 cm). Wholly engraved print series printed on vellum, comprising an engraved title page and 12 engraved scenes from the life of Saint Dominic. The title page cartouche and all 12 scenes coloured by a 17th-century hand and highlighted in gold. 17th-century richly gold-tooled armorial black morocco, each board with a Lante della Rovere coat of arms, gold-tooled board edges. [I], [12] ll. Full description

€ 28,500

Armorial Bindings Bindings Catholicism & Eastern Orthodox Church Italy Prints & Print Series

European history of the years 1620-1625, including the founding of the Dutch West India Company

MEERBEECK, Adriaen van. Neder-landtschen Mercurius oft waerachtich verhael vande geschiedenissen van Nederlandt, ende oock van Duytschlandt, Spaengien, Italien, Vrankrijck ende Turckijen. Sedert den iare 1620. tot 1625.
Brussel, Ian van Meerbeeck, 1625. 3 parts in 1 volume. 4to. With an engraved vignette on the title page. 19th-century quarter brown calf, with a brown paper title label on the spine, lettered in gold, marbled paper sides. [8], 156; [4], 192; [4], 40, 18, 73, [1 blank], 8, [16] pp. Full description