Forum Rare Books

Early edition of the first real children's book

BAÏF, Lazare de and [Charles ESTIENNE (editor)]. De re vestiaria libellus, ex Bayfio excerptus: addita vulgaris linguae interpretatione, in adolescentulorum gratiam atque utilitatem.
Paris, Roberti Stephani [Robert Estienne], (colophon: 13 April) 1541. Small 8vo (ca. 16.5 x 10.5 cm). With a woodcut printer's device on the title-page. Modern blueish-grey paper over boards with the title printed in black on the spine, red sprinkled edges. 68, [11], [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 2,500

Children's Books Classical Antiquity Costumes & Uniforms Early Printing - 16th century Education & Pedagogy French Literature

The first English translation of one of the most important Taoist texts

BALFOUR, Frederic Henry. The divine classic of Nan-Hua; being the works of Chuang Tsze, taoist philosopher.
Shanghai & Hongkong; Yokohama; London, Kelly & Walsh; Kelly & Co.; Trübner & Co., 1881. 8vo. With Chinese characters in the text. Contemporary blue buckram, with the title and author lettered in gold on the spine. IX, [1 blank], XXXVIII, 425, [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 1,750

China Literature Philosophy & Humanism

Charming guide on the Hindustani language, printed in Calcutta

BANESS, Joshua Frederick. Manual of Hindustání or the stranger's Indian interpreter; A practical and easy guide to Hindustání conversation.
Calcutta, W. Newman & Co., 1890. 14 x 8,5 cm. With a woodcut tailpiece at the end of the work. Contemporary red pebble-grain cloth, with the title lettered in gold on the front board. 145, [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 375

Education & Pedagogy India & Sri Lanka Language & Linguistics Literature

Important illustrated study of emblems, with a lengthy treatment of women's emblems

BARGAGLI, Scipione. Dell' imprese die Scipion Bargagli ... Alla prima parte, la seconda, e la terza nucoamente aggiunte.
Venice, Francesco de Franceschi, 1594. Small 4to (20.5 x 15 cm). With oval engraved device on title-page, full-page engraved portrait of Rudolf II, full-page engraved dedicatory emblem, and 138 engraved oval emblems in text. 19th-century half sheepskin parchment. [24], “573” [=604], [15], [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 3,500

Art & Art History Early Printing - 16th century Emblems Italy Women History

The definitive edition of an anthology of classical and Humanist anecdotes

BARLANDUS, Adrianus. Jocorum veterum ac recentium libris tres ... Primae aeditioni nunc adjecti sunt libri duo.
Antwerp, Michiel Hillen van Hoochstraten for (colophon:) Gregorius de Bonte, 1529. 8vo. With a woodcut decorated frame on the title page, and several woodcut initials throughout. 18th-century mottled calf. [64] ll. Full description

€ 2,750

Caricature & Satire Classical Antiquity Early Printing - 16th century Erasmus Greek & Roman Classics Humanism & Reformation Philosophy & Humanism

Elegant compilation of poems and other texts on love and marriage
by Baudius and other classical scholars of the time

BAUDIUS, Dominicus and Petrus SCRIVERIUS (editor). Amores, edente Petro Scriverio, inscripti Th. Graswinckelio, equity.
Leiden, Joris Abrahamsz vander Marse for Franciscus Hegerus & Hackius, 1638. 12mo. With a woodcut vignette on the title page, several decorated woodcut initials, and woodcut head- and tailpieces, each page has been ruled by hand in reddish brown ink. 19th-century gold-tooled dark blue-green morocco. [12], 518, [1], [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 3,500

Erasmus Erotica Greek & Roman Classics History / 17th Century Literature Philosophy & Humanism

73 proof impressions of all 12 illustrations

BAYARD, Émile. [Proof impressions of illustrations for Alphonse Daudet's Fromont jeune et Risler aîné].
[Paris, 1885]. Folio (35 x 29 cm). Proofs of 12 engraved plates in many different states, giving 73 prints in total, engraved by Jules Massard and Eugène Abot after Emilé Bayard (image size 10.7 x 7.3 cm; plate size 19 x 14 cm). Contemporary half goatskin morocco. Full description

€ 4,750

Book History, Printing & Typography French Literature

The pedagogical essentials of the Renaissance collected, together with Greek epistles

[BECH, Philipp (editor)]. De disciplina puerorum, recteque formandis eorum & studiis & moribus, ...
Basel, Joannes Oporinus (colophon: Bern, Samuel Apiarius, March 1556).
With: (2) [MOREL, Guillaume, ed.]. Graecorum veterum selectae brevesque epistolae.
Paris, Guillaume Morel, King's printer for Greek, 1562. With a remarkable woodcut device on the title-page. With the Greek text set in Claude Garamont's famous Grec du Roi and the Latin translation set in his Aldine-style italic. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo (15 x 10 x 4.5 cm). Richly gold-tooled tanned sheepskin (ca. 1700), gilt edges. 31, [21]; [16], "840" [= 804] pp. Full description

€ 12,500

Aldine Press Bindings Classical Antiquity Early Printing - 16th century Education & Pedagogy Greek & Roman Classics

Dutch translation of "Uncle Tom's cabin"

BEECHER STOWE, Harriet. De negerhut. (Uncle Tom's cabin.) Een verhaal uit het slavenleven in Noord-Amerika.
Haarlem, A.C. Kruseman, 1853. 2 volumes. 8vo. With a tinted lithographed title-page in each volume and a tinted lithographed author's portrait as frontispiece in the first volume. Contemporary half sheepskin. [1], [1 blank], IV, 368; [1], [1 blank], 403, [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 1,250

English & American Literature North America Slavery

Abridged Tibetan Alphabetum from the Propaganda Fide

[BELIGATTI, Giovanni (Cassiono Da MACERATA)]. Alphabetum Tangutanum sive Tibetanum.
Rome, Propaganda Fide, 1773. 8vo. With a folding table, printer's device on title-page and an elaborate woodcut tailpiece after the preliminaries. Modern vellum, green title label. XVI, 138, [2] pp. Full description