Forum Rare Books

Extremely rare first translation of Macbeth into Ottoman Turkish

SHAKESPEARE, William and Abdullah CEVDET (translator). [Makbet = Macbeth in Ottoman Turkish].
Cairo, Egypt, Kütübhane-i Içtihad, 1909. 8vo. With practically all text set in Arabic type. Half maroon cloth and brown decorated paper sides. [5], 153, [2] pp. Full description

€ 6,500

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States English & American Literature Iran / Persia Literature Turkey & Ottoman Empire

Stories by an editor of Alf layla wa-layla

SHIRWANI, Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-. Nafhat al-Yaman fi-ma yazulu bi-dhikrihi al-shajan. [= Breezes from Yemen].
Calcutta, printed by Mawlawi Kabir Ud Din Ahmad at the Urdoo Guide Press, 1881. 8vo. Original publisher's pebble-grain lilac cloth. [2], 276, [2] pp. Full description

€ 1,800

Arabic Printing & Calligraphy India & Sri Lanka Language & Linguistics Literature School & Textbooks

Richly gold-tooled French morocco in the style of "Le Gascon": includes Elichman's Greek, Latin and Arabic Tabula Cebetis and Aurea carmina Pythagoræ

SIMPLICIUS of Cilicia. Commentarius in Enchiridion Epicteti, ex libris veteribus emendatus. Cum versione Hieronymi Wolfii, et Cl. Salmasii animadversionibus, et notis quibus Philosophia Stoica passim explicatur & illustratur.
Leiden, Johannes Maire, 1640. 4 parts in 1 volume. 4to. With three title-pages. Set in roman, Greek and Arabic types. Contemporary French pointillé binding in the style of "Le Gascon", richly gold-tooled in concentric panels on both covers, and in the six compartments of the spine, the second with the title. [20], 332, [12]; [1], [1 blank], 329, [23]; [34], 88, 15 pp. Full description

€ 9,750

Arabic Printing & Calligraphy Bindings Classical Antiquity Greek & Non-Western Types Greek & Roman Classics Literature Philosophy & Esotericism

Hebrew for beginners, including alphabets of meruba, rabbinical, Yiddish and script Hebrew types

SOMMERHAUSSEN, Hartog. Hebreeuwsch spel- en lees-boekje voor eerstbeginnenden.
Amsterdam, Belinfante & Comp., J. van Embden & son, S.A. Proops, 5570 [=] 1810. 2 parts in 1 volume. Small 8vo (15.5 x 9.5 cm). With the authenticating oval stamp at the foot of the last page of the main text in part 2. Set in roman and italic type with 3 sizes of (sephardic) meruba Hebrew plus alphabets of rabbinical (semi-cursive), Yiddisch and script Hebrew types, and printed on Dutch wove paper. Publisher's original yellow, printed paper wrappers over thin boards. 24, [1], [1 blank]; 28, [1], [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 3,950

Greek & Non-Western Types Judaica Language & Linguistics Literature School & Textbooks

Scarce broadside praising the Virgin of Guadalupe for delivering independence to the Mexican people in 1821

[SONNET - MEXICO]. [drop title:] Soneto. ¿Quién sino tú, dulcísima Maria ... ?
[Mexico, ca. 1821]. Ca. 21.5 x 15.5 cm. The text is set within a decorative woodcut border, together with a woodcut illustration of the Virgin of Guadalupe. [1] leaf. Full description

€ 1,800

Broadsides & Pamphlets Latin America Literature Mexico Religion (19th Century)

Early edition of a popular play by the author of Jerusalem delivered

TASSO, Torquato. Il Re Torrismondo tragedia.
Venice, Fabio & Agostino Zoppini, 1588. 12mo or long 24mo in 12s (13.5×7 cm). With the Zoppinis' woodcut device on the title-page, a woodcut headpiece, several woodcut tailpieces, several woodcut decorated initials (3 series), and cast fleurons. Gold- and blind-tooled overlapping sheepskin (ca. 1900?). 58, [1], [1 blank] ll. Full description

€ 3,500

Early Printing - 16th century Literature Music, Theatre & Dance

Rare textbook for government officials, containing two historically important Persian texts

[TEXTBOOK - PERSIAN]. Ganjína-i-muhárawát. The Wazír-i-Lankurán and a selection from the diary of Násiru-d-dín Sháh containig [!] an account of the journey of the Sháh of Persia from Tehrán to Russia. Being a text book for the lower standard examination in Persian.
Calcutta, "published by authority", 1909. 8vo. With a floral ornament on page 3. The text is set in Persian script. Original quarter purple cloth and blue printed paper over boards, with the title in Persian on the front board and in English on the back board. [1], [1 blank], 80, [1 blank], [1] pp. Full description

€ 1,250

Education & Pedagogy India & Sri Lanka Iran / Persia Language & Linguistics Literature School & Textbooks West Asia

First complete edition of the first major Latin publication devoted to falconry: lessons in choosing,
training and caring for hunting birds in about 2780 lines of verse

THOU (THUANUS), Jacques-Auguste de. Hieracosophioy, sive de re accipitraria libri tres.
Paris, Mamert Patisson, Kings Printer "in officina Robert Estienne", 1584. Small 4to (22 x 15 cm). With the late Robert I Estienne's large woodcut device on the title-page. With the poem and Thou's 11-page verse letter to Philippe Huralt in italic type and the preliminaries and some end matter in roman. Half parchment (ca. 1892). [4], 95, [13] pp. Full description

€ 8,000

Birds - Ornithology Falconry, Fishing & Hunting Literature

Very rare pirated Italian edition

[THOUSAND AND ONE DAYS - ITALIAN]. Novelle persiane divise in mille ed una giornata, e in cinque libri distribuite. Tradotte in francese e dal francese nel volgare Italiano. Vol. primo [-quinto].
Venice [= Naples?], Giacomo Antonio Vinaccia, 1783. 5 volumes. 12mo. With vignettes built up from typographical ornaments on each title page and some ornamental headpieces. Contemporary grey paper wrappers with manuscript volume numbers on the spines. Stored in a brown decorated paper slipcase. 203; 202; 216; 216; 239, [1] pp Full description

€ 2,800

Iran / Persia Islamic Art, Culture & Science Literature

Extremely rare, charming five-volume Italian edition

[THOUSAND AND ONE DAYS - ITALIAN]. Novelle persiane divise in mille, ed una giornata. Tradotte dal francese e dal francese nel volgare italiano. Tomo primo [-quinto].
Venice, Niccolò Pezzana, 1783. 5 volumes. 12mo. With small vignettes built up from typographical ornaments on the title pages and some headpieces built up from typographical ornaments. Later vellum with the manuscript titles and volume numbers in red on the spines. 179, [1]; 178; 190; 190; 213 pp. Full description

€ 3,000