Parley's Child's Own Library by PARLEY, Peter"" [i.e. Samuel Griswold GOODRICH (1793-1860)]

Probably one of the most interesting books available to the scholar of ancient Egypt, who is also interested in some of the more mystical aspects of life.
This is the story of Margeret Eady, who became known as Omm Sety. She was, she claimed a reincarnated priestess from the temple of Abydos, who fell in love with king Sety 1 and later passed very young.
An interesting tale and sure to move even the most cynical who strive to know more about reincarnation.

From the last of the highly decorative steel engraved atlases of the 19th century.
Decorative foliate border with nine vignettes of Cossaks, Esquimaux Dog-sledge, Mount Hekla, Beavers, Niagara Falls, Convoy of Diamonds, Ancient Monument Mexico, North American Indians, Wapiti Deer.
The map has original outline colour of boundaries added by hand. Centre fold as issued. Top and bottom margins trimmed hard, just touching the border decoration, but otherwise in excellent condition, a crisp impression. Verso blank. Unconditionally guaranteed original. Image area c.330 x 260 mm.

An original post incunable leaf with splendid woodcut headers and initials from the gazetteer of a French edition of the "Geographica".
The most popular geographical work to be printed from movable type in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries was Ptolemy's Geographica or Cosmography. Originally compiled by the Alexandrian geographer, astronomer, and mathematician Claudius Ptolemy in the second century A.D., it was translated from Greek into Latin in Florence, Italy about 1410. Ptolemy lived from approximately 90 to 170 AD and worked in the library at Alexandria from 127 to 150 AD.
Verso: A leaf from Book 8 with a woodcut page header which depicts an angel supporting a scroll bearing Ptolemy's name and two scholars at either end with dividers and a rule. One 7-line woodcut initial "E" with an elaborate internal foliate design. Printed on laid paper in a roman typeface, paginated 148, marginal notes in an italic font.
Recto: As Verso, with three four-line woodcut initials and a slightly different… Read More

Until this book I had thought I had seen all the books on the pyramids ever printed - I was wrong! This wonderful tome fills the period between the age of Petrie survey's and more modern works by Meddleson and Rehner.
With excellent black and white photos and maps, good comprehensive text of all the major pyramids, Abu Rauwash, Giza, Zawyet el Aryan, Abu Sir, Saqqara, Dahshur, Lisht and Maidum and the Faiyum are all covered well.
As an added bonus signed by the author with a short inscription to Mrs Lake Barnett.

This Venetian edition of "Commentaria in Bibliam" brings together all of St. Jerome's biblical commentaries dating from the fourth and fifth centuries. Even though Jerome's works were hugely popular in the 15th century, this leaf is from the only complete edition of the work printed during that period. It was edited for the de Gregoris brothers by Bernardinus Gadolus.
Recto:61lines of text printed in Gothic and Roman type on laid rag paper. Heading: Prologus Super Ezechielem (Prologue On Ezekiel). Pilcrows indicate new paragraphs. A splendid fourteen-line, (57x47 mm.), woodcut initial 'P' of Saint Jerome seated at his desk, writing the Commentaries. A window to his right provides light, his bishop's mitre is placed on a ledge in front of him and three books are distributed around the scriptorium.
Verso: As Recto with the heading Liber sextus.c.xviii. (Book Six, Chapter eighteen).
A "catchword" mee sunt in the bottom margin.
Origin: Venice, Italy. Printed by Giovanni and Gregorio de Gregoriis, de… Read More

Artist: Kuniteru II (1829 - 1874)
Title: "The First Steam Train in Japan".
Date:1872.
Medium: Colour woodblock print on washi paper.
Notes: This 2-4-0 tank engine was the one that started the railway age in Japan. It was one of a group of ten locomotives built by various manufacturers in Great Britain to work Japan's first railway opened between Shimbashi (Tokyo) and Yokohama in 1871. It was built by the Vulcan Foundry of Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, and still survives today in the Japanese railway museum. This woodblock print portrays it as it appeared when it first ran. It is widely believed that the Imperial Japanese Government Railways used a livery of light brown or golden ochre for its locomotives imported from Britain.
Japanese artists, including Hiroshige, were fascinated by this technological marvel and Kuniteru II produced several woodblock prints of this momentous event in Japan's history.
Condition: The print is in fair/good condition. The paper has darkened over the years, there are… Read More

This book was translated from French by Warren R Dawson and is an early just pre the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb. One can imagine it was rushed to press in English to take advantage of the fever pitch of interest in Ancient Egypt in the 1920's.
Well illustrated and bringing up sites and art that is not generally talked about even today, with references to Borchardt, Petrie, Gardiner, Quibel ect this well researched book is both interesting and a delight to own.
Will only become more valuable.

"Greatest is Catherine, Virgin of Siena..."
Recto:7 lines of music notation in square and diamond shaped neumes and text in Latin written in a gothic bookhand on parchment. Five line staves with a key signature. Rubrics in red. One large decorative initial, 'M' in orange with internal foliate designs.
Verso: As Recto, with a similar decorative initial 'O'.
Origin: Spain.
Date: c.1600.
Content: The initial ''M' on Recto begins the Magnificat antiphon to Catherine:
Maxima est catharine virginis senensis praestati a que incolumitatem languentibus et vitam mortuis restituere potuit, alleluia.
(Greatest is Catherine, Virgin of Siena, through whom He was able to restore safety to the sick and life to the dead, alleluia.)
Verso includes another antiphon to Catherine:
O Virgo maxima gloria a praestans...
(O virgin, outstanding with the highest honour, all the world celebrates on this day your appointed solemnities. The angels extol you with praises...)
Condition:The leaf is in excellent condition. Recto is in… Read More

Verso:7 lines of music notation in square and diamond shaped neumes and text in Latin written in a gothic bookhand on parchment. Five line staves with a key signature. Rubrics in red. Two large decorative initials, 'A' in red with internal foliate designs and an elaborate 'F' in red outlined in black.. Hair follicles of the animal used for the parchment are clearly visible in the top and bottom margins.
Recto: As Verso, with a large initial 'G' in red outlined in black. Paginated 3 in a later hand.
Origin: Spain.
Date: c.1600.
Content: The initial 'A' on Verso begins the antiphon:
Angelus [Domini] ad pastores ait: annuntio vobis gaudium magnum, quia natus est vobis hodie Salvator mundi. Alleluia.
(The angel [of the lord] said to the shepherds: I bring you good tiding of great joy, for this day is born to you the Saviour of the world. Alleluia.)
The red initial 'F' then begins the antiphon:
Facta est cum angelo multitudo caelestis exercitus laudantium Deum et dicentium: Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in… Read More

London: Hodder & Stoughton. No Date[1913]. Quarto Size [approx 24cm x 30.5cm]. Very Good condition. Tan boards with gilt and blue decorations. Light rubbing to spine ends and corner. Mild offset to free endpapers. Previous owner's name to front free endpaper. Nineteen 189 pages. Ten full page tipped-in colour plates with captioned tissue guards intact. Nineteen inlaid small colour plates and numerous line illustrations in blue introduce each quatrain. Each quatrain is printed on a single page. The full-page colour plates are bordered with gold decorations and the inlays with black or blue decorations. All plates are present and in lovely condition. Rene Bull was a talented artist and cartoonist and was noted for his great abilities as a comic draughtsman and a brilliant illustrator of fairy tales. . 1st Trade Edition. Hardback.