Highlights

[INCUNABLE - COLOGNE EDITION OF THE ARS MORIENDI]. Speculu[m] artis bene morie[n]di [= Ars moriendi].
[Cologne, Heinrich Quentell, ca. 1493/97]. Small (Chancery) 4to (20.5 x 14.5 cm). With a large woodcut on the title page. Set in a single column, with 36 lines to the page, in a rotunda gothic type, with a larger textura gothic for the first line of the title. With spaces left for manuscript initials with manuscript guide letters in black ink. Most pages with a few words underscored in black ink. Recent marbled paper over boards by the Geneva bookbinder Jean-Luc Honegger (signed with his "honegger" stamp in blue ink at the foot of the back paste-down), the marbled paper in an antique spot pattern, black morocco spine label with the title in gold roman capitals, reading up the spine. [31], [1 blank] pp. Full description

JEROME (HIERONYMUS), Saint. Explanationum in Esaiam prophetam libri IX-XVI
[Southwestern Germany, 825-850 CE]. Folio (34.2 x 26.3 cm). Latin manuscript on vellum, written in an admirably elegant, clear Caroline minuscule in brown, black, and red ink, with large initials. Leaf dimensions 32.7 x 25.1 cm., written in 2 columes (9.4 x 25.5 cm.) of 30 lines each, ruled in drypoint. 15th-century half-calf and wooden boards, manuscript-waste pastedowns, with text written in a Caroline minuscule. Stored in a custom-made half morocco case. [101 (of 139)] ll. Full description

LA SERRE, Jean-Puget de. Le breviere des courtisans, enrichy d'un grand nombre de figures.
Paris, Jeremie Boüillerot, 1642. 8vo. With woodcut vignette on title page and 7 engraved plates depicting contrasting double-scenes, after designs by Nicolaas van der Horst. Gold-tooled red morocco attributed to Henry Gaillard (active in the third quarter of the 19th century), richly gold-tooled turn-ins, gilt edges. [6], 304 pp. Full description

MAJORICA, Girolamo, Nicolas TRIGAULT and Alvaro SEMEDO. Lettere annue del Giappone dell'anno MDCXXII e della Cina del 1621 & 1622 al molto Reu. in Christo P. Mutio Vitelleschi preposito generale della Compagnia di Giesu.
Roma, Francesco Corbelletti, [1627?]. 8vo. With a woodcut "IHS" Jesuit device on title-page, woodcut headpiece, tailpiece and decorated initials. 18th-century flexible boards. 312 pp. Full description

[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

[MANUSCRIPT - PRAYER AND HYMN BOOK - LATIN]. [Devotionarium].[Incipit leaf 2r:] Or[ati]o deuota q[ue] debet dici[t] i[n] ficem diei ante dormitione[m].
[Northern Germany(?), 15th century]. 8vo. Written in Latin on relatively thin parchment (leaf 11.5 x 8.5 cm, text block 7.8 x 5.2 cm), in a gothic hand in one column of 17 lines per page using black/dark brown ink. The manuscript is rubricated throughout, with a 3-line red and blue initial at the start of each part, and 2- or 1-line lombards, alternating in red and blue, at the start of each smaller section, ruled in pencil. Early 19th-century(?) gold-tooled vellum showing a gold-tooled floral frame on both boards, with a leather closing tie on the front, gold-tooled board eges, gilt edges. [131] ll. Full description

[MANUSCRIPT - PRAYER BOOK - GERMAN]. Geistlicher Seelen-Wecker. Allen in Gott Christlich glaubenden Seelen zu Nurz[!] und grösserem Eyfer zusam[m]en getragen. Darin[n]en Schöne auserlösene Morgen- Abend- Mess- Beicht und Communion Gebetter.
[Germany, Franconia, diocese Würzburg?, ca. 1780]. 8vo (17.5 x 11.3 cm). Written in a clear German cursive in brown ink with chapter titles and captions in Fraktur script in gold, blue, black, and red with red pen flourishes; the text is written within a manuscript double-lined frame in brown ink. With two mezzotint engravings of Christ carrying the cross and Christ's Vera effigies with a crown of thorns, mounted on p. [6] and p. 7; both engravings show Christ's wounds and blood painted red. The engravings are by Johann Martin Will (1727-1806), engraver and art dealer in Augsburg. Contemporary gold-tooled dark brown leather. [1], [3], 307, [9], [4 blank except for the text frames] pp. Full description

[MANUSCRIPT - RELIGION - DUTCH - KLAUBER, Joseph Sebastian and Johann Baptist KLAUBER (engravers)]. [Stigtelyke uytbreiding der Litanie van O.L. Vrouwe van Loretten. Op rym gestelt tot geestelyk vermaak en vermeerdering der devotie tot de selve alder-heyligste Maget en Moeder Godts Maria. In 't ligt gegeven door M.V.D.L.].
[Flanders?, 1792]. 8vo. With 56 tipped in numbered engraved plates, and a hand-drawn frame in brown ink on every page, in which the text is written. Contemporary gold-tooled mottled calf in a clear plastic protective sleeve. [8], [1 blank], "55" [= 90] pp. Full description

[MANUSCRIPT - SPANISH - Vincent MORALES]. Compendio de la exemplar vida, y santa muerte, [d]el p[adre] Juan de S[an]tiago...
[Córdoba?], ca. 1770. 8vo. With a large engraving of Juan de Santiago on the second leaf and a pen drawing on page 102. Contemporary limp parchment. [4], "159" [= 162] pp. Full description

[MINIATURE - GERMAN]. [The Arrest of Christ].
[Flanders (Bruges?), or Nürnberg, ca. 1520]. Miniature painted on vellum (7.8 x 5.6 cm) in numerous colours, highlighted with gold and in a gold border, probably from a book of hours, but with no text. Full description