Libri Duo Maccabaeorum. by Martin Luther - 1565: D. Marti. Luthe. in Novum Testamentum

Basel: Adam Petri de Langendorff. Second Latin edition, 1517. Hardcover. Good. Fine border of cherubs riding dragons, nudes, men in armour, foliage, columns etc. signed Urs Graf (U.G.) and with date 1516.. Folio bevelled wooden covers with wide rolled pigskin spine handsomely blind stamped with rampant lions in lozenges between parallel strands of vines & flowers. TP is printed in red & black. Spines with three raised bands and diamond shaped alternating with stylized flower tools (lacks clasps/some worm holes to wood and vellum) Fore-edge lettered Simon de Cassea (14)+469 leaves + colophon with large printer's mark for Alantsee of 2 griffons suporting a shield with cipher ALT and supporting an oak tree above (total fatness of book just under 11cm) TP with three ownerships (2 on top margin one with a single line through it the 3rd to side of text) Fore-edge of TP slightly rough & tanned. Some large foliated initial capitals and fine double column typography of this near incunabulum. Some worm holes… Read More

Lyon: Iohnnes Clein, 1515. Hardcover. See Description. [c.1515]. 4to. pp. [280]. p.[280 blank]. Colophon dated "nono kale[n]das Octobris" (23 Sept.). Title page printed in red and black inside woodcut architectural border. Woodcut printer's device (Sylvestre 132). Printed in Roman font with the surrounding commentaries printed in Gothic. Text contains decorative initials. Bound in contemporary blind stamped paneled calf boards; re-backed preserving original spine. Later antique endpapers with inscription on front-free endpaper dated "1925"; front and rear blank fly-leaves worn. Pages are generally clean with occasional marginalia in an old hand (i.e. several small inscriptions written on the title page); minor spotting; lower corner of leaf c7 clipped in margin; The hinges and inner margins to the first gathering are neatly strengthened / repaired. The outer edges to this same gathering show some wear - i.e. a few marginal tears (sealed), and light soiling. The bottom margins… Read More

Venice: Comin da Trino di Monferrato, 1558. Hardcover. See Description. Third Edition. 4to in 8’s. ff. [8], 168. Including decorative initials and 84 woodcut illustrations with the text. Title within woodcut border depicting a variety of metallurgical and mining equipment. Final leaf (recto) contains a printer’s device and colophon - "In Vinegia per Comin da Trino di Monferrato MDLIX" [1559]. Attractive copy. Pages are generally clean and fresh with occasional mild spotting / staining. An old bookplate from the "Royal Military College" is located on the inside front cover. The bookplate is stamped "Sold by H.M Stationery Office." Bound in original limp vellum (minus thong fore-edge ties). Minus binder’s blank fly-leaf in the rear. Vannoccio Biringuccio (1480-1539?) was a Siennese nobleman, engineer and metallurgist. His "Pirotechnia" (first published in Venice, 1540) is considered the earliest detailed hand-book on metallurgy. The work contains… Read More

Venetiis: Apud Aldum. [Figurato Aldina] (cm.15,8) ottima solida piena pergamena XVIII secolo, tassello in pelle con titolo e fregio in oro.-- cc. 124 nn.(di cui l' ultima bianca), pp. 676, cc. 136. Con 20 xilografie n.t. di cui 7 a piena pagina + 2 tavv. f.t. ripiegate con la Spagna e la Francia. Ritratto di Aldo Manuzio al frontis con al verso grande stemma di Massimiliano II, il tutto in xilografia. Importante edizione basata sulla celeberrima del 1513. Il pregio di questa nostra stà nel fatto che i rami sono stati incisi nuovamente e pertanto si tratta di incisioni nuove: illustrano fauna, fortificazioni, sbarramenti, sistemi di difesa terrestri e fluviali, muraglie, costruzione di ponti nonchè le due carte geografiche della Gallia e della Spagna. In una lettera al Muretus, Aldo Manuzio scrive: " Faccio anche fare le figure di nuovo, per essere le vecchie troppo vergognose ". A queste incisioni si è anche ispirato il Palladio nell' edizione del 1575 tradotta… Read More

Venice: Giunta (colophon: in officina haeredum Lucaeantonii Iunctae), 1563. Leather. Very Good. Folio (38 cm); [2], 152, 12 leaves. Text in two columns, printed in red and black ink. Printer's device in red on title page (Camerini, I, 143, third variant). About 99 woodcut illustrations in text (some repeated), including full-page crucifixion, repeated seven times, and 10-panel historiated woodcut border to facing page, also repeated seven times. Rotunda, roman, and italic type. Music with notes in black on red staves. Bound in paneled calf, roughly contemporary, ruled in gilt with gilt fleurs-de-lis at corners. Binding worn with signs of old repairs. Text toned on some leaves, but remarkably fresh and free of blemishes overall. References: Mortimer, Italian, 304; Amiet, Repertorium, 2:101; Camerini, 673; RELICS, 2859. In the 1560s, the brothers Tommaso and Giovan Maria Giunta were trying to recover financially from the fire that destroyed their Venice workshop in 1557. Taking few… Read More

Paris: Rob. Stephani, 1544. Hardcover. See Description. First and only Estienne edition. 8vo. pp. 208, [32]. Title page with Estienne device [Renouard Typographiques #294]. Latin text printed in italic. The title page shows some mild spotting; a faint monogram is also written in an old hand on either side of the printer’s device. Interior pages are clean and crisp. Bound in early 19th century straight grained red morocco with spots of rubbing to the extremities. The outer joints are professionally strengthened. The upper corner tip to the front cover is neatly patched. All edges are gilt. The inside front cover contains the heraldic book plate and the monogrammed ticket of English book collector Sir John Hayford Thorold (1773-1831) [See De Ricci, "English Collectors…" plate VIII, also pp. 159-160]. An additional heraldic plate from another owner is located on the marbled fly-leaf. Contents include the extant historical works of the Roman statesman and author Caius Crispus… Read More

ANTUERPIAE: APUD IOANNEM BELLERUM SUB AQUILA AUREA. In 24. Dim. 13x8 cm. Pp. (36)+370+(24).Rarissima edizione senza data ma del 1580 della nota leggenda "Barlaam Iosaphat". Il racconto, attribuito a San Giovanni Damasceno (676-749) e popolarissimo in età medievale narra la conversione di Iosafat per merito del Santo eremita Barlaam. Sembra che la storia venne in realtà ricalcata sul modello della vicenda della conversione del Buddha. San Giovanni Damasceno venne dichiarato dottore della chiesa nel 1890. Opera redatta a cura di Georges Trapezuntius. Alla fine del volume la breve opera "De comparatione regis et monachi" di Giovanni Cristostomo a cura di Germain Brice. Antica firma al frontespizio e sottolineature all'interno. Bella legatura in piena pergamena coeva con titolo manoscritto al dorso. Rarissimo, solo sette copie censite su ICCU. Collazionato e risultato completo. Copertina in piena pergamena molle seicentesca con titolo manoscritto al dorso in buone… Read More

Strassburg: Samuel Emmel, 1556 Book. Good. Full vellum. [12], ccclxxxvi, [18]; [12], clxxxiii, [8] leaves. Browning and staining throughout. Some ink lines and a few marginal notes. Old owners' names to the title page. Leaf xcviii has a tear to the margin which affects a printed side note, some other tears to margins and corners, but not affecting the text. Title written in ink to the fore edge of the text block. Bound in modern full vellum which is not lettered. Vellum is soiled. Pages at the rear are frayed at the edges- there are paper repairs to the edges of the final 6 leaves. Remains of old paper tabs to the fore edges of some pages. Text in German throughout. A heavy volume, extra postage may be required to send outside the UK..

Libellus sodalitatis: hoc estChristianarum institutionum libri quinque, in gratiam sodalitatis B. Virginis Mariae. Auctore R.P. Francisco Costero. Eiusdem De cantico Salve Regina, meditationes septem R.P. Francisco Costero(François de Coster) (Brotherhood Book, five books of the Catholic institutions, by the grace of the Illustrious Brotherhood of Our Blessed Lady) – In Latin language.
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Antverpiæ, Officina Davidis Sartorij, Ingolstadii, 1586.
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Book about the institutions of the Roman Catholic Church by the Belgian Jesuit theologian Francis Coster (Frans de Costere). Contains five books (parts), each one describing one part of the institutions of the Brotherhood of Our Blessed Lady (Illustere Lieve-Vrouwe-Broederschap), one of the most influential brotherhoods in Belgium during the 15th and 16th century. Extremly rare book. Worldcat locates only 5 copies of this edition of whom only 3 of them are printed in Antwerp like this one.
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Pp.: (30) + 493 + (1). Size: 16 x 10,4 cm.
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Binding:… Read More

Hardcover, 1554 Paris edition. Condition is very good. 19th century full leather binding, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. Paginates by leaves (1 leaf=2 pages): 127, plus 1 leaf index. 2 blanks front and back look like they are from the old rebind. Title page and last page of index are pages with the most wear: title page has old ownership stamp, and a few stains. All other pages are near fine or fine. Paper is excellent quality: supple, lightly toned, not fragile. Binding is sound. Front blank endpaper has two inscriptions in Spanish. One is dated April 23, 1880. The other is earlier and signed by Alfredo Chavero (same as ownership stamp). No other writing or markings. A small book approximately 4.5 x 3.25 inches. Please see scans of the book you will receive. Feel free to inquire. Notes: I think first edition of this collection is 1530 (see OCLC: 925369798). And just so you know: the English translation of the title is my own and could be completely wrong.