Forum Rare Books

Extremely rare Antwerp edition (1502) of popular pseudo-Magnus treatises Liber aggregationis and De mirabilibus mundi

ALBERTUS MAGNUS (pseudo). De virtutibus herbarum. De virtutibus lapidum. De virutibus animalium et mirabilibus mundi. Item parvum regimen sanitatis valde utile. [Liber aggregationis and De mirabilibus mundi].
[colophon (f4r):] Antwerp, Govaert Bac, 1502. 4to. With a full-page woodcut on the title-page (a monk offering a book to a prince), repeated on the back of the title-page, and Govaert Bacs full-page woodcut printer's device of on the verso of the last leaf. With 3- and 4-line lombardic initials and smaller 2-line initials, supplied by hand in red. Rubricated throughout. 19th-century calf with double gold fillets along the edges of both boards. [36] ll. Full description

€ 35,000

Alchemy Astrology & Occult Early Printing - 16th century Herbals & Medical Botany Medicine & Pharmacy (16th Century) Mineralogy & Gems

Beautifully illustrated hand-coloured and highlighted in gold album amicorum in an elaborately gold- and blind-tooled binding dated 1590

[ALBUM AMICORUM - EQUESTRIANISM - HERALDRY]. [Late 16th- and early 17th-century album amicorum].
[North-western Europe (specifically the vicinity of Brussels?)], [1585-1615]. 4to. With 45 hand-coloured and highlighted in gold engraved plates of horses and their riders from Europe, North Africa, and the Near and Middle East, numbered 1-50 (skipping nos. 2, 21, 27, 35, and 36), 46 hand-coloured and highlighted in gold engraved heraldic plates (sometimes filled in with manuscript notes), 2 hand-coloured manuscript coats-of-arms on l. 15v, and 1 black and gold hand-coloured manuscript coat of arms on the back paste-down. Contemporary elaborately gold- and blind-tooled mottled calf, with gold lettering on both boards (front: RVB HZC VFB C.) (back: 1590). 164 ll. Full description

€ 35,000

Alba Amicorum Art & Art History Dutch Literature Genealogy, Heraldry & Flags Iran / Persia Prints & Print Series

Album amicorum with many illustrated contributions (some hand-coloured),
particularly by women reflecting the rage for alba amicorum among 19th-century noble women

[ALBUM AMICORUM & SCRAPBOOK - THE NETHERLANDS]. [Album amicorum of a Miss van Boetzelaer (?)].
Heerenveen, 1831-1849. Oblong 4to. Manuscript with many contributions in French and English, a single contribution in Dutch and a four-line verse in German, mainly written in the same hand, probably of the owner of this album. With 45 mounted or occasionally loosely inserted drawings, paintings and prints in various formats, some coloured by contemporary hands. Contemporary gold- and blind-tooled brown morocco, each board richly decorated with frames and an oblong lozenge-shaped centrepiece, gilt edges. [96] ll. Full description

€ 3,850

Alba Amicorum Literature Women History

Treaty between the States General and Algiers,
discussing the problems of Dutch merchants trading in the Mediterranean

[ALGIERS - TREATY - STATES GENERAL]. Tractaet tusschen Haer Hoogh Mog. De Heeren Staten Generael der vereenighde Nederlanden, ende de Regeeringe van Algiers.
The Hague, Paulus Scheltus, 1713. 4to. With Scheltus's woodcut printer's device on the title-page and with a woodcut initial. Modern brown wrappers with printed title-label pasted on the front side. 14, [2] pp. Full description

€ 1,250

Economic History & Trade Law & Politics North Africa & Egypt Slavery

Description of Den Briel

ALKEMADE, Cornelis van and Pieter van der SCHELLING. Beschryving van de stad Briele, en den lande van Voorn, ...
Rotterdam, Philippus Losel, 1729. 2 parts in 1 volume. Folio. With a double-page engraved plan of Den Briel and 3 folding engraved maps of different parts of Voorne (each ca. 50 x 70.5 cm). Contemporary blind-tooled vellum. [28], 224, [8], 225-376; [8], 306, [20] pp. Full description

€ 2,500

Charts & Maps Law & Politics Netherlands

First illustrated edition of this well-known work on medieval legal claiming and dueling

ALKEMADE, Kornelis van. Behandeling van 't kamp-regt; d'aaloude en opperste regts-vordering voor 't hof van Holland, onder de eerste graaven.
Delft, Andries Voorstad, 1702. 8vo. With engraved frontispiece and 7 full-page engraved plates (frontispiece and first 3 plates (partly) colored by hand). Contemporary vellum. [22], 236 pp. Full description

€ 400

Law & Politics Military History (18th Century)

The ideas of Ibn Sina, Al-Farabi and other Arabic philosophers incorporated in the very first edition
(ca. 1475/1476) of Alvernus's most important work

ALVERNUS, Guillelmus (William of AUVERGNE). Libri ... de fide et legibus.
[Augsburg, Günther Zainer, ca. 1475/1476]. Small folio. Set in a hybrid roman type with gothic elements (a single column of 43 lines per page plus running heads), with the first 3 lines, including the title, in a slightly larger rotunda gothic. With all initials supplied in manuscript in red, rubricated throughout. Contemporary, richly blind-tooled vellum over wooden boards, two brass clasps, blue edges, "Nr. 56" in red ink written at the foot of the spine. [139] ll. Full description

€ 45,000

Early Printing - 15th century Philosophy & Esotericism

A defence of Leachman's assassin

'ALWACHI ('Abd al-Hamid). Al-Shaykh Dari qatil al-Kulunl Lichman fi Khan al-Nuqtah. [English title:] Sheik Dhari, assassin of Lieut-Col. G.E. Leachman at Khan el-Nuqta.
Baghdad, Maktab al-Alwaji wa-alHajjiyah, 1968. 8vo. With the English title on the back wrapper and the recto of the final leaf, main text set in Arabic type throughout. With 16 black and white photographic illustrations (on 5 leaves). Original lime green printed wrappers. 158, [2] pp. Full description

€ 1,500

Law & Politics UK - United Kingdom

Very rare first edition of one of the earliest printed books on Freemasonry
including an unpublished late 18th-century manuscript Masonic poem in English

[ANDERSON, James]. The constitutions of the Free-Masons. Containing the history, charges, regulations, &c. of that most ancient and right worshipful fraternity. For the use of the lodges.
London, Printed by William Hunter for John Senex and John Hooke, 1723 ["In the year of masonry 5723. Anno Domini 1723"]. Large 4to (ca. 23 x 18 cm). With the allegorical engraved frontispiece by John Pine, a woodcut vignette on the title-page, the engraved coat-of-arms of the dedicatee John, 2nd Duke of Montagu, 6 pages with printed musical scores, one woodcut tailpiece and 6 historiated woodcut initials. Contemporary dark brown calf, re-backed with a modern ribbed spine with black morocco title-label lettered Constitutions in gold. [8], [91], [1], [3 with manuscript text], [13 blank] pp. Full description

€ 28,000

Philosophy & Esotericism

Great history of the Portuguese colonial empire in South America, India, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa

ANDRADA, Francisco d'. Chronica do muyto alto e muyto poderoso Rey destes reynos de Portugal Dom João o III deste nome, ...
Coimbra, Real officina da universidade, 1796. 4 volumes. 4to. With a woodcut royal Portuguese coat of arms on title-page of each volume. Contemporary plain paper wrappers. VIII, I-XV, [1 blank], 385, [1 blank]; [4], XIX, [1 blank], 565 [=465], [1 blank]; [4], XX, 452; Full description