Rare books from Minotavros Books

London: Printed by Thomas Dawks, 1678. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/No Jacket. 8vo. [...Illustrated with the Preparations, Virtues and Uses of all Simple Medicaments, Vegitable, Animal and Mineral: Of all the Compounds, both Internal and External: And of all the Chymical Preperations now in Use. Together with several choice Medicines added by the Author. As also, the Praxis of Chymistry, As it is now Exercised, fitted to the meanest Capacity.] Paneled calf with framed in blind tooled lines. Title in gilt on new purple leather spine label, with new endpapers. [16] 896 p.p. Two small stains to upper front board. Some light rubbing to edges, boards. Some trimming to pages, not affecting text. Light foxing and browning to pages, otherwise a near fine copy of this scarce medical text by apothecary and 'doctor of physick' William Salmon [1644-1713], a prolific medical writer who owned an apothecary near St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, seeing patients who had been turned away. Salmon would treat… Read More

Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. 4to (266.7mm x 317.5mm). A collection of mid 17th century surgical woodcuts that appear in an early edition of The Works of that Famous Chirurgion Ambrose Pare Translated out of Latine and Compared with the French by Th[omas] Johnson (ESTC lists 4 editions printed between 1634 and 1678). Rebacked with new paper label on spine. [82] p.p. Includes 105 surgical woodcuts that show a variety of tools for sealing the wounds, scraping and extracting teeth; drawing out bullets; knives and saws used for dismemberment and amputation; treatment for and methods of setting fractures and dislocated shoulders and elbows, as well as woodcuts of facial prosthetics for the eyes and nose, and artificial limbs for a hand made with iron. Light rubbing to boards, edges with some spotted stains on front cover. Pages lightly foxed. Early ink stains and scribbling to leaves and endpapers with some offsetting from woodcuts. Otherwise in very good condition with interesting medical woodcuts of… Read More

[Amsterdam], 1725. Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. 18mo bound in 12s. Full vellum. Title on spine. Bound together with Pensees Secretes Divisees en deux Parties; Premiere Partie, Reflexiones sur la Religion, avec des Resolutions pratiques quie en sont tirees. Second Partie, Reflexiones sur la Vie Chretienne &c. Amsterdam: Wetseins & Smith, 1731. Book I: [30] 434 p.p., incl. frontis of Empiricus. Tear to title page previously repaired with new paper. Book II, Premiere Partie: xiv, [8], 245 p.p., incl. frontis; Second Partie: [14] 286 p.p. Title on spine slightly faded. Some yellow stains to front and rear board. Edges bumped. vellum slightly wowed along foredge.Pages browned with foxing. Lacks front and rear endpapers, but otherwise in very good condition. Sextus Empiricus Outlines of Pyrronism, or Pyrrhoniae Hypotyposes (PH) is divided into three books. "PH I is a complete description of Pyrrhonian Skepticism, stating what it is that makes one qualify as a Pyrrhonian skeptic (the possession of a… Read More

Paris: George Steinheil, 1888. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/No Jacket. 4to. 4to. Contemporary half vellum over marbled boards, red morocco labels on spines. Three volumes bound in two. This is a limited edition of 150 copies, this being No. 11. Volume 1: xxvjii, 284 p.p.; Volume 2: 458 p.p., Volume 3: x, 477 p.p. Illustrations throughout text of alchemtical symbols. Light rubbing to spine labels and extremities to boards. Slightly bumped edges. Light foxing throughout. Top edge gilt. A nice set in fine condition. Marcellin Berthelot (1827-1907) was a French scientist and professor at College de France in Paris. Berthelot believed that all chemical reactions depend on the physical forces that can be measured. He proved that organic compounds can be formed by ordinary methods of chemical manipulation and obey the same principles as inorganic substances. He was the recipient of the Davey Medal (1883) and the Copley Medal (1900) for his scientific achievements. Berthelot was interested in and… Read More

Black Sparrow Press: Santa Rosa, CA, 1997. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Robert Crumb. Folio. SIGNED BY ARTIST. Fine cream decorated cloth in red cloth slipcase. Number 36 of 175 numbered copies only, with 5 colour serigraphs, each signed by Robert Crumb.120 pp. Bukowski's last book, published three years after his death, in a nice edition in fine condition. The text is excerpts from his diaries, with entries focused on gambling, writing, aging, and everday life.

Antwerp: Christoffel Plantijn [printer], 1600. Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. With Typus Mundi in Quo Eius Calamitates et Pe ricula nec non Diuini Humanique Amoris Antipathia (R.R.C.S.I.A.). Antwerp, Johannes Cnobbaert, 1652.Third Edition. 32mo. Full calf binding. Morocco label on spine. In custom slip case. Book I: 319 p.p., text illustrated with beautiful b/w engravings of emblems throughout. Collation: A-D8, F-F8, E-I8, K-K8, L-T8, V-V8. Book II: 240 p.p., 2 p.p. publishing information, in-text illustrations throughout. Collation: A-F12. Bookplate 'Kirchen' on front pastedown endpaper, from the library of the Dukes of Arenberg, Germany. Second newer bookplate on front free endpaper, 'Bibliotheque I.G. Schorsch.' Minor rubbing to spine and extremities. Bumped edges. Some errors in pagination and stained pages, light foxing. In second book, some trimmed pages affecting text in a minor way. Tight boards. A scarce and near fine copy. Claudius Paradin and Gabriel Simeoni's book of heroic symbols and… Read More

Paris: Teriade Editeur, 1950. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine. Folio. Limited Edition. In original lithographed glassine wrappers.Three green fleur de lis illustrated on front cover, with poets name, and a larger fleur de lis on rear cover. This is copy number 1172 of 1200 signed by Matisse in pencil on colophon.100 colourful crayon and pencil lithographs on loose pages, printed on thick Velin d'Arches paper at the Mourlot workshop in Paris. Illustrated frontis of medieval poet Charles, Duke of Orleans [1394-1465], who, taken prisoner after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Many of his poems were written during his long captivity over a 25 year period. He wrote courtly and romantic poems set in ballad and rondeau forms. The poems are lithographed in Matisse own hand, with decorative borders with multiple colours. Wrappers yellowed, and stained along spine and joints of front cover. Rubbing to spine edges. Stain to inner hinge of rear pastedown endpaper and sporadic stains throughout interior, but… Read More

Ingolstadt: Gregorium Haenlin, Sumtu Ioannis Wagneri, 1647. Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo. Bound in full vellum with yapp edges. Two paper labels hand lettered, plus faded early hand lettering on spine. Remnants of ties on front and rear covers. [16], 636, [52] p.p. Vignette engraving of a creature by T. Kilian on title-page. Some soiling to boards and edges. Head of title page covered with small strip of paper [7mm] not affecting text. Closed tear to foot of title page, previously repaired with paper. Slight damp stain to lower corner of first 4 leaves. Early ownership inscription of Franz Siegfried Hoffmann von Thunau, a bailiff at Immenstadt, is dated 1702. Otherwise in very good condition. Georg Stengel [1584-1651] was a Jesuit Theologian and scholar who was a professor of theology at the University of Ingolstadt from 1618-1629, where he taught dogmatics and controversial theology. This work is a discussion of monsters and monstrosities, both physical and moral, and discusses mythical… Read More

Paris: Fernand Hazan, 1948. Soft cover. Near Fine. 4.5" x 7" 4th volume in the Bibliotheque Aldine des Arts Series. In glassine wrapper. Signed by Henri Matisse on the title page to 'a Monsieur Lionel Aucoin.' [12] p.p., plus 20 colour illustrations. Text in French. The book is enclosed in a stamped and typewritten envelope from Matisse at his apartment at 132 Montparnasse Paris, 52, France to collector Mr. Lionel Aucoin at 49 Chestnut Street in Spencer, Massachusetts with French stamps. Light rubbing to spine, covers. Small tears to edges of glassine wrapper Covers slightly yellowed but Interior clean. Envelope slightly browned, bruised at edges, but otherwise near fine.

Oxford: Printed by H.H., Printer to the University, for Ric Royston and Ric Davis, 1665. Hardcover. Near Fine/No Jacket. 32mo. Calf. [23] 155 p.p. Bumping to corners. Spine tilted. Wear and scratches to spine. Hinges bound tightly. Note in iron gall ink on leaf facing title page: "this Henry Hammond is thought to be the author of Whole Duty of Man.' The Whole Duty of Man is a Protestant devotional book that was published anonymously, with an introduction by Henry Hammond, though authorship was later attributed to Richard Allestree [1621-1681]. Henry Hammond [1605-1660] was a churchman, preacher, and Royalist sympathizer during the English Civil War. As a theologian, he produced several sermons and religious tracts, and compared texts of the New Testament in his book, "Paraphrase and Annotations Upon all the Books of the New Testament" [1653].

Venice: Gabriel Giolito de Ferrari, 1557. First Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/No Jacket. 8vo. Vellum. Title in gilt on green calf label on spine. [32] 740 p.p. Slightly bumped spine and edges. Some soiling to boards and extremities. Light foxing, some yellow staining to pages. Ex Libris Neathman Mill Library stamp on rear fly leaf. Tight boards, pages otherwise clean and crisp with decorated black and white initials. A near fine copy. A Dominican friar and writer, Remigio Nannini produced religious as well as secular works, and poetry. Nannini published "two collections of orations drawn by historians (the first, Military Orations collected by all the ancient and modern historians, Venice, 1557)" [Cantimori, Delio. Italian Encyclopedia, 1934]. Nannini also went on to publish the works of St. Thomas Aquinas (1570) at the request of Pope Pius the V.

Cologne: De L'imprimerie Jacob Stoer, 1625. Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo (super). Two volumes in one. Place of publication stamped out, with "Geneue" stamped below printer. On second title page, no placeof publication, but "Geneue" stamped in place. Bound in full vellum with red leather spine label, slightly raised bands. Text in French. Vol. I: [56] 533 p.p., plus table [219 p.p., unpaginated]; Vol. II: [22] 624 p.p. plus table [142 p.p. unpaginated]. Early doodles to front and rear boards. Vellum chipped to bottom corners with bruising to corners and spine ends. Doodles also to f.f.e. and fly leaves, with early ownership signature on title page of Vol. I. Light sporadic stains and smudges to pages. Some pages trimmed, with sporadic tears to edges and margins throughout. Noticeably on p. 103 (partially affecting text), and bottom corner of p. 441 in Vol. I, and in Vol. II small tear to p. 83 (partially affecting text), head of 167 and p. 361. Otherwise in very good condition. These two books… Read More

Paris: Ex museo Raphaelis Tricheti du Fresne, 1659. Hardcover. Hardcover/No Jacket. 8vo (impeial). Halfbound contemporary calf over marbled boards. A collection of [44] engravings by Antonio Tempesta [1555-1630] plus engraved title page, taken from the French Edition of Antonio Gallonio's work about the Tortures and Torments of the Christian Martyrs. Illustrations show images depicting human torture, devices, and various tools used throughout history. Early bookseller label of Henry March Gilbert [1845-1931] on upper left corner of front pastedown endpaper. Rubbing to corners and spine. Light staining to leaves and endpapers. Otherwise in very good condition. Atonio Gallonio [1556-1605] was a Roman priest in the Congregation of the Oratory. Interested in the Martyrs, Gallonio studied the various methods of torture they endured, resulting in a book on the subject, originally published in Italy in 1591. Later, he translated his work into Latin in 1594. These engravings are taken from the French… Read More

Helston: William Penaluna, 1824. Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. 4to (small). In Two Volumes. Calf binding, with gilt tooled border and gilt on spine. Vol. I: vi, 729 p.p. Features [5] plates of illustrations, incl. frontispiece; Vol. II: 710 p.p. With [7] plates of illustrations [1 folding], incl. frontispiece. The Bookplate of E.P. Wilkinson & D.C. Wilkinson in both volumes to front pastedown endpapers. Light rubbing, scratches to boards. Some wear to corners and spine ends. Small chip to fore edge of Vol. I and cup stain to rear board. Some trimming to pages, with light foxing throughout. Otherwise interior clean. In very good condition. First volume includes Religion of the Ancient Britons (including Druids, and circular stone monuments and architecture), a special section on the History of Prince (King) Arthur (p.p. 389-399), Customs and Manners of the Cornish, as well as agriculture, lakes, and rivers; the second volume feature a list of Parishes, a Historical Account of the Scilly Islands, an… Read More

London: William Pickering, 1825. Hardcover. Very Good. 3.5" x 2" Miniature edition of t he Plays of Shakespeare in 9 volumes, in custom slipcase. Vol 1: [vi] 306 p.p.; vol 2: 279 p.p; vol 3: 294 p.p; vol 4: 326 p.p; vol. 5: 321 p.p.; vol. 6: 348 p.p.; vol. 7: 320 p.p.; vol. 8: 315 p.p.; vol. 9: 279 p.p. [liv]. Full green morocco bindings, with some wear and scuffs. Spine rebacked with new black leather with original spine laid down on volume 1 only. Gilt titles on spines and gilt ruling on inner edges. 38 B&W plates, incl. frontis. engraved by Augustus Fox, from a picture painted by T. Stothard R.A. from the rare print by Droeshout. Browning to pages and illustrations, sporadic light foxing throughout. Water staining to volume 6, not affecting text. William Pickering was an English publisher notable for introducing cloth binding to British publishing. Dedicated to Earl R.H. George John Spencer, the 2nd Lord Spencer, noted for his interest in literature, particularly early examples of printing.… Read More