Bindings
An interesting genealogical study conducted into the origins of the Lusignans
An interesting genealogical study conducted into the origins of the Lusignans.
A precious copy bound with the arms and cipher of Henri-Jacques-Nompar de Caumont.
Paris, 1587.
LUSIGNAN DE CYPRE, le R.P. Estienne de. Les généalogies de soixante et sept très nobles et très illustres maisons, partie de France, partie étrangères, issues de Meroüée, fils de Theodoric 2, Roy d’Austrasie, Bourgongne, &c.
Paris, Guillaume Le Noir, 1587.
[Following:] -Les droicts, autoritez et prerogatives que pretendent au Royaume de Hierusalem, les Princes & Seigneurs Spirituels & Temporels cy apres nommez : Le Pape, Patriarche, Empereur, Rois de France, Angleterre, Arragon, Naples, Hongrie, Cypre et Armenie, …
Paris, Guillaume Le Noir, 1586.
4to [225 x 150 mm] of: I/ (1) bl.l., (4) ll. for the title, the epistle and the table, 128 ll.; II/ (8) ll. for the title, the foreword and the table, 40 ll., (1) bl.l. Restoration at the right lower corner of the first leaf.
Bound in full marbled calf from the end of the 17th century, arms stamped in gilt in the centre of the covers, spine ribbed and decorated with a crowned cipher repeated in the panels, red morocco lettering-piece, mottled edges.
I/ Interesting genealogical study conducted in the 16th century by the Greek historian Etienne de Chypre on the origins of his family.
Brunet, III, 1239.
Etienne de Lusignan, who doesn’t hide his disdain for the legends related to the origins of his family, proposes to find its source far before Melusine, who he places only at the eleventh generation.
« The word “genealogist” appears in the French language in the middle of the 17th century, and not less than 130 legendary and historical genealogies have been published, according to Lenglet de Fresnoy, during the first modernity in France…
The nobility appreciates these genealogies which maintain the cult of lineage, as much as the heraldry. This massive but ambivalent use of the research of ancestors led the historians to search its meaning. For a long time we saw in this genealogical infatuation a material and recognition crisis of nobility, today strongly protested. Competed with the ascent of officers, discredited during the religious wars, finally unable to appear as holder of virtue, the great nobility would carry out with the participation of the monarchy a social jamming withdrawing into its rank…
Like the Dominican Étienne de Chypre emphasizes, the function of these genealogies for the families is to ‘show themselves as being from time immemorial’. »
(J.-M. Le Gall, Vieux saint et grande noblesse à l’époque moderne: Saint-Denis, les Montmorency et les Guise, Revue d’histoire moderne et contemporaine).
The Lusignans were a feudal dynasty from the Poitou, maybe related to the one of the Lusignans from the Agenais, which became famous with the legend of Melusine. We don’t know well the origin, and its continuation is sure only from the 10th century (towards 967). We name: Hugues IV, called le Brun (until towards 1030); Hugues V, treacherously killed in 1080, Hughes VI, called the Devil, who takes part in the first crusade, Hugues VII who follows Louis VII to the East, finally Hugues VIII, from whom the counts de la Marche and d’Angouleme are descendents on the first hand, and on the other hand the kings of Cyprus and Jerusalem are also descendents, and by these latter, the Lusignans of the Armenian Kingdom of Cicilia.
The dedication of the present work is addressed to François de Luxembourg, Duc de Piney.
The first text is illustrated at the verso of the table with a beautiful full-page woodcut showing Melusine carrying the coat-of-arms of the Lusignans, kings of Jerusalem, Cyprus, Armenia and of the Luxembourgs, emperor kings of Bohemia and Hungary.
II/ Rare first edition of the second text, in which Lusignan lists the various pretenders to the title, to the crown and the possession of the kingdom of Jerusalem.
« Etienne de Lusignan is a Greek historian born in 1537 in Nicosia (on the island of Cyprus), dead in 1590. He took holy orders of Saint Dominic, and changed his Christian name at this moment from Jacques to Etienne. In 1570 he came to Rome, and as the island of Cyprus was invaded by the Turks the following year, he stayed a while in Naples, from where he went to Paris in 1577. He lived ten years in this city. On April 27th 1578 the Pope Sixtus V appointed him bishop incumbent of Limassol. » (Biographie générale, 31, 278)
A precious copy bound with the arms and cipher of Henri-Jacques-Nompar de Caumont, duc de la Force, peer of France, born on March 5th 1675, dead on July 22nd 1726.
« He was kidnapped from his parents who were Protestants in order to be raised in the college of the Jesuits; he even became an ardent persecutor of the Protestants in Saintonge and in Guyenne, when appointed colonel of a regiment; when his father died in 1699, the duc de Caumont inherited the title of duc de la Force and of the high position of peer of France; appointed member at the Académie Française on January 18th 1715, appointed vice-president of the council of finance in 1716, then member of the council of regency, he promoted the adoption of Law’s system. He died in July 1726. He married Anne-Marie de Beuzelin de Bosmelet on June 18th 1698, with who he had no child. » (Olivier, planche 1726; Guigard, Armorial du Bibliophile, 120-121)
Price: € 6 500
The most important book from the 18th century dedicated to the Ottoman Empire
First edition of the most important work from the 18th century
dedicated to the Ottoman Empire.
Prestigious copy with the first volume contemporary bound with the posthumous arms
of Maria Theresa of Austria, Holy Roman Empress and queen of Hungary and Bohemia.
MOURADJA D’OHSSON, Ignace de. Tableau général de l’empire Othoman, divisé en deux parties, dont l’une comprend la Législation Mahométane ; l’autre, l’Histoire de l’Empire Othoman. Dédié au roi de Suède.
Paris, de l’imprimerie de Monsieur, 1787-1790.
2 parts in 2 volumes large folio (505 x 330 mm) of: I/(4) ll. including the frontispiece, x pp., (1) l., 324 pp., (2) ll., 2 charts on double-page (marked A and AA), 1 folding-pl. (B), 1 pl. of writings (C), and 23 plates out of pagination representing 37 figures including 3 on double-page; II/ (1) l., viii pp., 357, 41 plates including 4 folding plates representing the subjects 41 to 137.
Part 1 bound in contemporary red Russian young goat , triple gilt filet on borders of the covers, arms gilt-stamped in the centre, spine ribbed and decorated, green morocco lettering-pieces, inner gilt border, blue watered silk doublures and endpapers, gilt edges. Part 2 bound in contemporary green quarter-calf, spine ribbed.
First edition of this fundamental work for the understanding of the Ottoman Empire.
Brunet, III, 1932 ; Cohen 763 ; Graesse 618 ; Blackmer 1164 ; Atabey 846.
« The only perfect source of information regarding the laws and constitution of the Turkish Empire ». Burckhardt
The second volume is dedicated to the Muslim religion and its rituals. It comprises details about the two holy cities and the pilgrimages, and shows a superb view of the Mecca.
« A very well executed work. The first two volumes deal with religion and Mahometan legislation. [… »] (Brunet)
« For Turkey, the excellent work of Mouradja d’Ohsson must not be omitted. The plates are beautifully executed in the line manner, and the testimony of Burckhardt to the valuable and interesting information this work contains, should alone secure it a place in every well chosen library. It is a noble work in all respects, and I give it an earnest and hearty recommendation to every collector of spirit and taste” (T. Frognall Dibdin, The Library Companion, p. 436).
Mouradja d’Ohsson, born in Constantinople, was the secretary and first interpreter of the Swedish ambassador in Constantinople. He became a chargé d’affaires in 1782 and was appointed chevalier of the order of Wasa, then plenipotentiary minister and extraordinary envoy.
« He offered to write Selim II’s reign, but soon he conceived the plan of a ‘Tableau général de l’empire ottoman’, from then he devoted himself without reservation to this venture. In 1784, as d’Ohsson had managed to obtain not without difficulty a definite knowledge about uses, habits, customs, internal practices of the seraglio that had always missed to the rest of Europe, about a nation that has always been unable to become familiar with, he went to Paris to implement his rich materials. In 1788 he published the first folio volume of the ‘Tableau général de l’empire ottoman’; he published the second one the following year. The revolution that arose in France suspended his literary enterprise; he went to Constantinople […]. This work was about to be finished when d’Ohsson died in 1807, and this great project was let incomplete. » (Peignot, Dictionnaire biographique et bibliographique, 557)
A third volume, published by courtesy of the author’s son desirous to continue the project of his father, will appear 30 years later, in 1820.
The excellent and abundant illustration comprises 1 frontispiece and 68 plates representing 138 subjects, including 9 on double-page and 2 folding. A large part of the illustrations was engraved after drawings by J. B. Hilaire, the artist who went with Choiseul-Gouffier in 1776. Other plates are engraved after drawings by Moreau le jeune and Cochin.
As plates 13, 19 and 36 of the first volume were printed late, and consequently delivered after the publication of the volume, they are not present in our copy that was bound as soon as the printing of the volume ended.
« As plates 13, 19 and 36 of the first part were executed after the volume, they are missing […]. » (Brunet)
« This work has not been finished. The first volume encloses besides an engraved title and 4 plates marked A, AA, B and C 40 plates numbered 1-40 (pl. 13, 19 and 36 have been executed after the volume and are usually missing), the second one pl. 41-137 ». (Graesse)
« Plates 13, 19 and 36 are missing in many copies » (Cohen).
A prestigious copy of the most important publication from the 18th century dedicated to the Ottoman Empire. The first volume that was published shortly after the death of Maria Theresa of Austria was contemporary bound in red morocco with her posthumous arms.
Maria Theresa of Austria (1717-1780) has been Holy Roman empress, archduchess of Austria, and queen of Hungary and Bohemia. She led the War of the Bavarian Succession (1740-1748) against Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony as well as France and Spain. This war made her lose Silesia. In 1745, she had her husband Francis I elected Holy Roman emperor, because she could not officially have this title. Impressed by her outdoing personality her contemporaries soon named her « the great Maria Theresa ». Then she led the war against Frederick II in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1762), in order to get back Silesia, but she failed. Maria Theresa of Austria is the mother of 16 children, including Marie-Antoinette, who married Louis XVI in 1770.
The second volume which was published at a later date was bound in a simple green quarter-calf binding.
Price: € 19 500
Tropical butterflies from around the world
First edition of the most beautiful book ever published about butterflies,
illustrated with more than 1650 contemporary hand-coloured specimens.
CRAMER, Pierre. Papillons exotiques des trois parties du monde l’Asie, l’Afrique et l’Amérique.
A Amsterdam, chez S.J. Baalde, à Utrecht, chez Barthelemy Wild, [1775-] 1779-1782 [-1784].
[With:] -STOLL, Caspar. Supplément à l’ouvrage, intitulé les Papillons exotiques, des trois parties du monde l’Asie, l’Afrique et l’Amérique ; par M. Pierre Cramer.
Amsterdam, chez Nic. Th. Gravius, [1787-] 1791.
5 volumes 4to [296 x 228 mm] bound in red straight-grained full morocco, wide foliage border on covers, arms in the centre, spines ribbed lightly faded and decorated with fleurons and gold dots, gilt edges, sea green doublures and endpapers. Bozérian jeune.
First edition of this masterpiece of entomology.
Nissen 985; Graesse, Trésor de livres rares et précieux, 294; Sabin 17382; Cohen, 262; Brunet, II, 404.
It is the first work dealing with tropical butterflies to be arranged in accordance with the Linnaean system. It contains the description of more than 1650 butterflies species, most of them being described here for the first time.
It is a « great work which was highly expensive at the end of the 18th century » emphasizes Cohen.
Pierre Cramer (1721-1776) was a rich wool dealer and a great entomologist collector. He formed a magnificent natural history cabinet abounding with butterflies coming from all around the world, enlarged thanks to his relations with the Dutch traders and settlers established abroad and the sailors of the Compagnie des Indes.
When Cramer undertakes the catalogue of his collection, he calls on the painter G. W. Lambertz to draw the specimens he owns, as well as some from other cabinets.
Cramer dies in 1776, after the publication of the eighth part, and the work is then continued by Stoll.
Caspar Stoll gives the description from nature of caterpillars and chrysalis of Surinam bred by Renaud, an amateur who stayed for a long time in these countries, as well as by Vaillant, collected during his travels to the Cape of Good Hope. He also shows butterflies and phalenes, some of which described for the first time, from Surinam, Guinea Cost, Brazil …
The supplement, published 9 years after the fourth volume of the Papillons exotiques, is rare and is missing from most copies.
The superb and rich illustration contains 2 frontispieces engraved by Th. Koning and C.J. de Huyser, and 442 outstanding plates (including 42 in the supplement) representing 2709 full-size species, drawn from the originals by Lambertz and copperplate engraved. All the illustrations were finely contemporary hand-coloured under the supervision of Cramer himself.
« Pierre Cramer, from Amsterdam, published in Dutch and French 400 plates of exotic butterflies from the three parts of the world. It is a splendid work for the sharpness and elegance of the figures. It is much sought-after by natural history lovers. » (F. Cuvier, Dictionnaire des sciences naturelles, 34)
A very beautiful copy of the most beautiful book ever published about butterflies, complete with the rare supplement and uniformly bound at the time in straight-grained red morocco by Bozérian jeune.
Provenance: arms of Pavée de Vendeuvre stamped towards 1830 on covers. Pavée de Vendeuvre was a deputy under the Restoration and he was peer of France in 1837.
Price: € 45 000
The Duke of Orleans’ travel through Algeria
One of the rare dedication copies contemporary bound with the Duke of Orleans’ monogram
of the Journal de l’Expédition des Portes de Fer.
From Henri Beraldi’s collection.
NODIER, Charles. Journal de l’Expédition des Portes de Fer rédigé par Charles Nodier de l’Académie française.
Paris, Imprimerie Royale, 1844.
Large 8vo [270 x 177 mm] of (1) bl. l., (2) ll. for the half-title and the title, XVI pp., 329 pp., (1) bl. l. 40 plates out of pagination and 1 folding map. Slight foxing.
Bound in green shagreen, covers decorated with important gilt corner patterns joined with filets, with two gilt filets and another wide blind-stamped on covers, crowned gilt monogram in the centre of covers, spine ribbed and decorated, inner gilt filets, white paper doublures and fly-leaves, gilt edges. Binding signed Andrieux.
First issue of the historical account written by the writer Charles Nodier on the Duke of Orleans’ demand meant to be offered to his companions in arms.
Sole edition of this remarkable work which was not issued for sale, one of only 1520 copies printed.
Carteret 434-437.
« In 1839, the Duke of Orleans, the elder son of king Louis-Philippe, had accomplished a long, difficult and sometimes dangerous journey through barely conquered and still not pacified Algeria. The young prince had brought back some notes from this expedition; then he asked the master writer Charles Nodier to write this ‘Expédition des Portes de Fer’.
The book’s printing was entrusted to the Imprimerie Royale and the illustration to masters like Raffet, Decamps and Dauzats[…]
The incurred expense was of 91 205 fr. 35 cents, an important sum at the time.
The work, a private book, familiar, written for a few, was meant for the members of the royal family, State dignitaries, dignitaries of the Court, officers, non-commissioned officers and for soldiers who took part in the expedition. […] Time has passed and copies became scarce, mainly dedication copies bearing a name, that you shouldn’t let escape. »Carteret.
The illustration is composed of around 150 vignettes in the text, 40 out of pagination woodcuts after Raffet, Dauzats and Decamps, printed before the letter on China paper and mounted on thick vellum, and of a folding map representing « la route de Philippeville à Alger suivie par la colonne expéditionnaire » in October 1839.
Each out of pagination engraving is protected by a captioned silky paper.
One of the rare copies having a binding decorated with special tools and with a monogram.
« Few copies were contemporary bound in red morocco or shagreen with special tools; they are very scarce and preferable to the copies presented in the original cased binding. » Carteret.
A precious copy contemporary bound by andrieux with the Duke of Orleans’ monogram and offered by him to his friend Scheffer.
In front of the title-page is written this dedication: « Donné au nom de Monseigneur le duc d’Orléans à son ami Monsieur A. Scheffer ».
The present copy comes from the great bibliophile and expert’s collection, Henri Beraldi and figured in the catalogue of his auction in 1934 (Vente III, 1934, n°360).
It was described in it like a « very beautiful copy», preserved in a « fine and rare binding of Andrieux, with the Duke of Orleans’ monogram » that was reproduced in full page.
Price: € 8 500
236 towns of the Renaissance finely contemporary hand-coloured
An exceptional copy of the Braun & Hogenberg
preserved in its contemporary uniform decorated bindings.
Cologne, 1575-1588.
BRAUN, Georg and HOGENBERG, Franz. Civitates Orbis Terrarum.
Cologne, G. von Kempen, 1575-1588.
4 volumes folio bound in contemporary full calf, spines decorated with gilt fleurons, later arms gilt-stamped in the center of covers. Contemporary uniform bindings.
1 preliminary. leaf of volume 4 bound in volume 3, pl. 43 of volume 1 and 25 of volume 4 come from another copy and were bound in the present copy a long time ago, slight browning and waterstaining, pl. 31 and 1 of volume 4 slightly stained, loss in the margin of pl. 54 of volume 2.
The earliest printed book showing all the Western and Mediterranean towns at the end of the Renaissance.
Koeman, II, B & H 1-4.
Volumes 2 and 4 are from the first edition, volumes 3 and 1 are from the second and the fifth Latin editions respectively.
Two other volumes were published few years later, between 1598 and 1617.
The illustration consists of 4 frontispieces and 236 engravings depicting 374 views of towns and plans.
All the engravings were finely contemporary hand-coloured.
The authors of this work are Georg Braun (1541-1622) from Cologne and the engraver Franz Hogenberg (1540-1590).
The “Civitates” were one of the major works from the last quarter of the 16th Century. The publication of this great work spread over 45 years and most of recorded copies are incomplete.
The present work describes towns of France, Italy, Spain and the Levant (volume 1), from the Netherlands, the Channel Islands, Central Europe and Russia (volume 2).
« The supreme value of this work lies in its survey of European towns and cities jus tat the time when draughtsmen were capable of conveying a wealth of information in a single portrayal ».
The earliest, the most beautiful and the most spectacular book of architecture from the Renaissance, dedicated to the representation of towns of Western and Mediterranean world, coloured at the time.
An exceptional copy, complete with all the engravings, preserved in its contemporary uniform decorated bindings, with the frontispieces and the 236 plates finely contemporary hand-coloured.
Provenance: ex libris and arms of the Tempsford Hall Library (from 19th Century).
Price: €275 000
Turkey, Syria, Palestine.
Turkey, Syria, Palestine.
First edition printed in Paris in 1518.
MAMEROT, Sébastien. Les passages doultremer faitz par les francoys. Nouvellement imprimé.
[A la fin : Cy finist les passages doultremer faictz par les francoys avecques plusieurs addicions recueillies de plussieurs operations dudict voyage et faictz darmes faictz par les dictz francoys et aultres seigneurs ayans eu la devotion de deffendre ladicte terre Saincte.
Paris, le vingtseptiesme iour de Novembre Lan mil cinq cens et dixhuyt. Par Michel le Noir libraire…]. (Paris, Michel Le Noir, 1518).
Small folio [257 x 186 mm], (6) ff., 227, (1) l. with Michel Le Noir’s mark on the back. A small restoration in the upper margin of the title-page without loss and in one page of tables.
Bound in English 18th Century calf, gilt fillet on covers, crowned arms gilt-stamped in the center, spine ribbed and decorated, red morocco lettering-piece, sprinkled edges.
Rare first edition of this important book about Turkey, Syria and Palestine.
Catalogue des livres rares du Baron Ruble, 377 ; Rahir, La Bibliothèque de l’amateur, 587 ; Brunet, IV, 415 ; Brun, Le livre français illustré de la Renaissance, 243 ; Mortimer, Harvard French, 363 ; Roehricht, 371.
That’s a chronicle of the expeditions to the Holy Land since Charlemagne until the fall of Constantinople to Mahomet II.
Mamerot visited holy places in Jerusalem and on his return in 1488 he wrote his description of the countries he had seen. He describes Venice, Cyprus, Jerusalem, …
The superb illustration consists of an engraved title-page, 6 vignettes of battles in the text and 6 other woodcuts showing Breydenbach’s alphabets.
The last leaf bears Michel Le Noir’s mark on its back.
A precious copy of this rare volume, bound in the 18th century for George John Spencer, the 2nd Earl Spencer, with his crowned coat of arms in the center of covers.
Only five copies are recorded in worldwide institutions: 2 in France, 1 at the NYPL, 1 at the Koninklijke Bibliothek and 1 at the British Library.
Only another complete copy of this work has appeared at auction in the past 30 years.
Harvard’s copy described by Mortimer had the title-page in facsimile.
Provenance: George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer (1758-1834) (the copy was bound with his arms), George Horace (1882-1960) and Alison Johnstone, Trewithan (with their ex libris dated 1933).
Price: €25 000
The Tapestries ordered by Louis XIV
The Tapestries ordered by Louis XIV for his apartments in Versailles,
a precious copy bound in red morocco with the king’s arms and monogram.
Tapisseries du Roi, où sont représentez les quatre éléments et les quatre saisons.
A Paris, de l’Imprimerie Royale, 1670.
Large folio [560 x 405 mm], (4) ff., 43 pp., (1) bl.l., (1) l., 47 pp., (1) p., 8 double-page plates.
Bound in contemporary red morocco, wide gilt border on covers, arms gilt-stamped in the center, spine ribbed and decorated with the crowned monogram, inner gilt border, edges gilt.
First state of this wonderful collection of engravings executed on the order of louis XIV in order to celebrate his glory.
Brunet, II, 727 ; Lipperheide, 3757 ; Catalogue de la Bibliothèque Pichon, 473.
In 1663, the academy recently started by Colbert was made responsible for choosing the emblems that would be represented on the tapestries ordered by the king for his apartments.
The present volume contains 3 frontispieces engraved by Bailly and Sébastien Le Clerc, 8 large plates after Le Brun, engraved by Sébastien Le clerc and Goyton, 10 fleurons and tailpieces by Sébastien Le Clerc and Bailly and 32 figures of emblems with French verses by Perrault, Chapelain, Charpentier, … at the bottom of the plate.
A magnificent copy illustrated with the tapestries ordered by the king Louis XIV for his apartments of Versailles, contemporary bound in red morocco with his arms and monogram.
Price: €15 000
Tavernier’s six journeys in Asia
Tavernier’s six journeys, the collection of accounts in Persia,
Indies, Japan, Tonkin and Asia,
preserved in a beautiful 18th Century apple green morocco binding.
TAVERNIER, Jean-Baptiste. Les six voyages de Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, en Turquie, en Perse, et aux Indes. Recueil de plusieurs Relations et Traitez singuliers & curieux […] qui n’ont point esté mis dans ses six premiers Voyages. Divisé en cinq parties. I. Une Relation du Japon ; II. Relation de ce qui s’est passé dans la Negociation des Deputes qui ont esté en Perse & aux Indes ;III. Observations sur le Commerce des Indes Orientales ; IV. Relation nouvelle & singulière du Royaume de Tonquin ; V. Histoire de la conduite des Hollandais en Asie. Avec la Relation de l’intérieur du Serrail du Grand Seigneur.
Suivant la Copie, imprimée à Paris (Hollande), 1692.
3 volumes 12mo[148 x 87 mm] bound in 18th Century apple green morocco, gilt borders and gold dots on covers, flat spine decorated with grotesques, inner gilt border, edges gilt.
A fine edition printed in Holland of Tavernier’s six journeys and of the “Recueil de plusieurs Relations” – of Japan, Persia, Indies, Tonkin and Asia.
Brunet, V, 681 ; Catalogue des livres de M. le baron de Rothschild, II, 1932 (pour l’édition de 1675 de la Relation du Serrail) ; Chadenat, 6139 (pour l’édition de 1679).
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689) travelled through every European country, and then he explored Turkey, Persia, India and Asia Minor. On his return from his sixth trip, he wrote his “Relations”.
The interesting illustration consists of 1 fine frontispiece, 1 portrait of the author engraved by Causé, 44 plates of which 37 are folded and 2 large folding maps of Tonkin and Japan Islands.
A handsome copy preserved in its beautiful 18th century apple green morocco, with the spines finely decorated with grotesques.
Seventeenth century editions of Tavernier’s travels bound in fine old morocco are very rare.
Price: €16 500
Euripides’ tragedies translated into Latin by Melanchton
Euripides’ tragedies translated into Latin by Melanchton.
A beautiful copy preserved in its contemporary blind-stamped pigskin.
EURIPIDES. Tragoediae, quae hodie extant, omnes, Latine soluta oratione redditae, ita ut versus versui respondeat. E praelectionibus Philippi Melanthonis. Cum praefatione Guilielmi Xylandri Augustani …
Francofurti, apud Ludovicum Lucium, 1562.
8vo [160 x 120 mm], (1) bl.l., (4) ff., pp. 17-1049, (1) bl.l. [a4 b-z8, A-Z8, Aa-Tt8, Vu4]. Old owner’s mark on the title-page. Ornamental initials decorated with flowers and animals.
Bound in contemporary blind-stamped pigskin over wooden boards. The front cover is illustrated with the Last Judgement and a frieze of figures in the border. This cover bears a monogram and a date: “AZC 1570” and the inscription: “Venit hora in qua omnes qui in monuments sunt audient vocem filii dei Jorg Bernutz”. The back cover is decorated with an allegory entitled: “Os Homini sublime dedit coelum que videre: Jussit Et Erectos At Coleum Tollere Vultus J. Bernutz”. Spine ribbed and decorated, 2 clasps.
An important edition of Euripides’ 18 tragedies translated by Melanchton, the first to be published after his death.
VD 16 E 4222, Adams E 1040.
The text is preceded with a preface by Wilhelm Xylander, a German humanist and Greek master at the University of Heidelberg. 
The tragedies contained in this volume are: Hecuba, Orestes, the Phoenician Womens, Medea, Hippolytus, Alcestis, Andromache, the Suppliant Women, Iphigenia in Aulis, Iphigenia in Tauris, the Trojan Women, the Bacchae, the Cyclops, the Heracleidae, Helen, Ion, Heracles and Electra.
Philippe Melanchton (1497-1560) was one of the earliest thinkers of the Lutheran reform.
A fine wide-margined copy preserved in its original condition, in contemporary blind-stamped pigskin.
Price: €7 500
Father Labat’s journey to the West Indies
The rare first edition of Father Labat’s journey to the West Indies,
contemporary bound with the arms of the Duc de La Rochefoucauld.
LABAT, Jean-Baptiste. Nouveau Voyage aux Isles de l’Amérique, contenant l’Histoire Naturelle de ces Pays, l’origine, les mœurs, la religion & le gouvernement des habitans anciens et modernes. Les guerres & les événements singuliers qui y sont arrivez pendant le long séjour que l’auteur y a fait.
Paris, 1722.
6 volumes 12mo [169 x 100 mm] bound in contemporary brown calf, arms gilt-stamped in the center of covers, spines ribbed and decorated, red morocco lettering-pieces, mottled edges. Some discreet restorations to the bindings.
The rare first edition of one of the most interesting works about the French West Indies.
It’s so rare that neither Brunet nor Leclerc knew this original edition.
Sabin 38409 ; Nissen ZBI 2330 ; Field, An essay towards an Indian Bibliography, 843 ; Leclerc, Bibliotheca americana, 1323 (pour l’édition de 1724) ; Sowerby, Jefferson Library, 4150.
Father Labat (1663-1738) leaves France to go to the West Indies in 1693 and he explores the whole archipelago: Martinique, Guadeloupe, Santo Domingo, Grenada, … He spent 10 years in Martinique, from 1694.
In 1722 Father Labat publishes this travel story in which he deals with the living conditions of the colonists and slaves, relates the historical events that he witnesses in the Caribbean, and describes the geography, fauna and flora of the West Indies. This text is of the utmost interest because it’s one of the earliest evidences about the beginning of colonization in the West Indies.
« The principal interest of these volumes is found in Chapters ii and iii of vol. II in which the author gives an account of the prominent characteristics of the Caribs, the last surviving remnant of whom on the island on Martinique he visited in 1694. The destruction of the race had proceeded so far at that time that he found only 47 persons alive. Since then the last of the tribes has disappeared » (Field).
The work is profusely illustrated with 102 copper engravings.
A fine copy of this rare work preserved in its contemporary uniform bindings with the arms of the Duc de La Rochefoucauld.
Price: €15 000