Forum Rare Books

A late call for a crusade

COPPIN, R.P. Jean. Relation des voyages faits dans la Turquie, la Thebaïde, et la Barbarie. Contenant des avis politiques qui peuvent servir de lumières aux Rois & aux Souverains de la Chrétienté, pour garentir leurs etats des incursions des Turcs, & reprendre ceux qu'ils ont usurpé sur eux.
Lyon, les frères Bruyset, 1720. 4to. Vignette on title-page, interesting woodcut head- and tailpieces showing fruits and flowers, and 4 plates visualising the position of soldiers, divisions, army and artillery. Contemporary brown calf, gold-tooled spine in 6 compartments, red morocco label, lettered in gold. [6], 496, [6] pp. Full description

€ 9,500

Military History (18th Century) Turkey & Ottoman Empire

"Ces Arabes paroissent destiné à jouer un grand rôle dans l'histoire"

[CORANCEZ, Louis Alexandre Olivier de]. Histoire des Wahabis, depuis leur origine jusqu'a la fin de 1809.
Paris, Crapelet, 1810. 8vo. Remains of original grey temporary wrappers. Stored in gilt modern quarter morocco box. [4], VIII, 222, [2] pp. Full description

€ 6,500

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Islamic Art, Culture & Science Mediterranean Regions Religion (19th Century)

An Italian farmer turned into a Turkish satirist for a Croatian audience

CROCE, Giulio Cesare and Nikola PALIKUCA (translator). Himbenost pritankogh Veleznanstva Nasradinova.
Ancona, Pietro Paolo Ferri, 1771. 12mo. With a woodcut of the main character on the title page. Contemporary plain wrappers. 71 pp. Full description

€ 5,800

Balkan & Greece Caricature & Satire Central Europe Italy Literature

Journey around the world with a long stay in India

CUBERO SEBASTIAN, Pedro. Breve relacion, de la peregrinacion que ha hecho de la mayor parte del mundo.
Madrid, Juan Garcia Infançon, 1680. Small 4to (20 x 14.5 cm). With the title-page in a border built up from cast fleurons, woodcut coat of arms of the dedicatee Charles II of Spain, and some woodcut initials and tailpieces.Gold-tooled morocco, by the leading Barcelona binder Emilio Brugalla (1901-1987), with the arms of the Spanish bibliophile Isidoro Fernandez (1878-1963) stamped in gold on front and back, gilt edges. [20], 360 pp. Full description

€ 18,000

Church History & Missions India & Sri Lanka Italy Latin America Mexico Middle America Southeast Asia Spain Travel & Voyages Asia Travel & Voyages Europe Travel & Voyages Middle East Travel & Voyages Southeast Asia Travel & Voyages Southern Asia Turkey & Ottoman Empire West Asia

Promissory note for Venetian customs taxes in Damascus in 1488

[DAMASCUS – VENETIAN TAXES]. [Promissory note for Venetian customs taxes on goods from Damascus].
Venice, 22 Feb. / 5 March 1488. Italian notarial document on vellum (44.5 x 16 cm; text block ca. 27 x 14 cm). Written in two fine cursive hands. Full description

€ 7,500

Economic History & Trade Egypt Italy Manuscripts & Documents North Africa

A scarce Arabic bestiary

DAMIRI, Muhammad ibn Musa al-. Kitab Hayat al-Hayawan [= Book of the life of animals].
Meknes, Morocco, 1267 AH [= 1851 CE]. 4to (19 x 23 cm). Arabic manuscript on paper, brown maghribi script in two hands with important words and phrases in red and blue. With an illuminated head-piece at the start of the text in red, blue, green, and gold. Contemporary gold-tooled red leather with a fore-edge flap. 62 ll. Full description

€ 7,500

Faunas & General Zoology Islamic Art, Culture & Science Manuscripts & Documents Medicine & Pharmacy (19th Century)

Unique hand-coloured copy of Dapper's famous description of Africa

DAPPER, Olfert. Naukeurige beschrijvinge der Afrikaensche gewesten van Egypten, Barbaryen, Lybien, Biledulgerid, Negroslant, Guinea, Ethiopiën, Abyssinie: vertoont in de benamingen, grenspalen, revieren, steden, gewassen, dieren, zeeden, drachten, talen, rijkdommen, godsdiensten en heerschappyen. ...
Including: Naukeurige beschrijvinge der Afrikaensche eylanden ...
Amsterdam, Jacob van Meurs, 1676. 3 works in 1 volume. Folio (33 x 22 cm). With a richly engraved allegorical frontispiece, a large folding engraved map of Africa (44.5 x 56 cm), 14 double-page engraved maps of parts of Africa and the adjacent islands, 27 double-page and 1 larger folding engraved plates and views, and 55 half-page engraved views, plans, illustrations of costumes, animals, plants, etc. in the text. All illustrations coloured by a contemporary hand. Contemporary vellum at a later date with elaborate blind-tooled decorations, including oriental portraits. With 2 decorated brass clasps, signed B-I. [6], 428, 349, [16]; [1], 121, [4] pp. Full description

€ 85,000

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Central Africa Charts & Maps City Plans, Topography & Views East Africa Egypt Geography Malta North Africa Southern Africa West Africa

Major source of information on the Islamic world in the seventeenth century

DAPPER, Olfert. Naukeurige beschryving van Asie: behelsende de gewesten van Mesopotamie, Babylonie, Assyrie, Anatolie, of Klein Asie. Beneffens eene volkome beschrijving van gansch gelukkigh, woest, en petreesch of steenigh Arabie.
Amsterdam, Jacob Meurs, 1680. 2 parts in 1 volume. Folio. With engraved frontispiece, title-page printed in red and black, 16 engraved views and maps (2 folding, 14 double-page; 4 drawn by Charles Vasteau), and 22 engraved illustrations in the text (3 signed by Johannes Kip), further with 5 woodcut decorated initials (3 series) plus repeats and a woodcut headpiece and tailpiece. Contemporary blind-tooled vellum, gold-tooled title in red morocco to spine. [8], 357, [3], 324, [4] pp. Full description

€ 4,500

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Turkey & Ottoman Empire

Major source of information on the Muslim world in the 17th century

DAPPER, Olfert. Naukeurige beschryving van Asie: behelsende de gewesten van Mesopotamie, Babylonie, Assyrie, Anatolie, of Klein Asie: beneffens eene volkome beschrijving van gantsch gelukkigh, woest, en petreesch of steenigh Arabie. Vertoont in een bondigh ontwerp van 's lands benamingen, bepalingen, . . . inzonderheit die van d'oude Arabieren, Mahomet en Mahometanen.
Amsterdam, Jacob van Meurs, 1680. Folio. With engraved frontispiece, 3 double-page maps (of Basra and surroundings, Anatolia and the Arabian Peninsula), 12 double-page or folding views (partly drawn by Charles Vasteau). Near contemporary blind-stamped vellum. [8], 357, [3], 324, [4] pp. Full description

€ 9,500

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Charts & Maps Costumes & Uniforms Turkey & Ottoman Empire

The first periodical of the Arab world: an extremely rare, complete set

[DÉCADE ÉGYPTIENNE]. La décade égyptienne. Journal littéraire et déconomie politique.
Cairo, Imprimerie Nationale, an VII-VIII [1798-1801]. 3 volumes. Small 4to. Set in roman, italic and naskh Arabic types. Near-contemporary half calf, gold-tooled spines, green paper sides. [2], 300; [2], 300 pp. 316 pp. Full description