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[Oertl, Hieronymus].Der christlich Glaube mit Gottseligen christlichen und hoch tröstlichen Gebeten wie ein jeder Christ Täglich vor den Augen des Herrn seines Gottes erscheinen mag., [ca. 1600]. [Nuremberg].A book for eternity
Unique prayer book manuscript on vellum, containing sixteen full-page illuminated engravings after Marten de Vos: a highly expressive devotional work of the waning 16th century. One of only eight known manuscripts by Hieronymus Oertl, it provides a “unique example of the art of book arts around 1600” (Baeyer, p. 6), highlighting the transitory period between the Middle Ages and the Baroque, between manuscript and printed book.
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Gutenberg, Johann[Biblia Latina], [ca. 1455]. [Mainz]. [Johann Gutenberg & Johann Fust].A leaf from the Gutenberg Bible, “in many ways the greatest of all printed books”(PMM 1) – Ordering the second making of the Tablets with the Commandments and the Ark
First edition, a textually significant leaf from the first substantial book printed from movable type in the western world, now known simply as the Gutenberg Bible, or the 42-line Bible: “in many ways the greatest of all printed books” (PMM 1). This leaf is a particularly interesting one, as it contains Deuteronomy IX and most of X, commanding the making of the Tablets after the destruction of the first.
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[Illustrated incunable Ars Moriendi]Ars moriendi ex varijs scripturarum sententiis collecta/cu(m) figuris ad resistendii in mortis agone dyabolice sugestioni, S.a. [1495/98]. Leipzig. Conrad Kachelofen.The Dyson Perrins-Hermann Marx copy of the Ars Moriendi.
Fascinating illustrated incunable Ars Moriendi, or Art of Dying, with a wonderful and rarely seen striking set of woodcuts, a medieval best seller, and one of the great themes of medieval life, inspired in the woodblock books. As with all early editions, this edition is rare. This is a very fine, nearly uncut copy of the Ars Moriendi, which comes from two of the greatest English libraries of the 20th century. -
[Roman marble funerary plaque]A Roman marble funerary plaque inscribed for the freedwoman Quirinia Felicula, Rome, 1st half of 1st century CE.To the memory of a formerly enslaved woman, freed by her mistress
A tablet of marble engraved with five lines within a double-rule border, commemorating the dedication of a funerary urn to Quirina Felicula, who had been born a slave and was freed by her mistress. The plaque reads, in full: "Quiriniae [mulieris] l[ibertae] / Feliclae / ollam dat / C[aius] Valerius / Pylodamus", that is to say: "Gaius Valerius Pylodamus (= Philodamus?) dedicated this burial urn for the freedwoman Quirinia Felicla (= Felicula)". -
Saxony, Ludolph of; Gerson, Jean; and others.A complete five-volume version of Ludolph of Saxony’s influential Life of Christ in Latin, with Jean Gerson’s Passion Sermon in French, and other short works, Produced likely Lyon or Colombier-le-Cardinal. Early 15th century (after 1403).Extraordinary and monumental French medieval manuscript on vellum Life of Christ by Ludolph of Saxony, with other texts, including some by Jean Gerson
An exceptional large medieval manuscript on vellum, extending over 5 volumes, containing Saxony´s powerful and influential Life of Christ, with other texts, coming to us with an exceptional medieval provenance, and later in the collections of three prominent 19th century English booksellers and collectors (including Sir Thomas Phillips). The Vita Christi occupies roughly 90% of the 5 volumes, it is one of the most important works of literature of the Christian world.
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Saint Augustin (Augustinus, Aurelius).Epistolae, not after 1471. Strasburg. Johann Mentelin.First edition of St. Augustine’s Letters.
Editio princeps of Saint Augustin’s influential collection of Letters, of significant historical and theological importance, instrumental in shaping the relationship between church and state and in arguing for a universal church against local particularism; his Letters are, along with the Civitate Dei and the Confessions (of which it later becomes a part of), the most important writings of Saint Augustine. -
Ulrich Pinder and Geiler von KaysersbergExceptional sammelband of first editions by Ulrich Pinder and Geiler von Kaysersberg, most important illustrated works in the contemporary binding., I. Pinder, Ulrich. Speculum passionis domini nostri Ihesu Christi. 30 August 1507. Nuremberg. [Friedrich Peypus at the author’s press]; II. Geiler von Kaysersberg, Johannes. Passionis Christi unum ex quattuor evangelistis textum (edited by Philesius RingmGreat woodcut art from the time of Durer: a collection of two splendid illustrated books and a historical work.
Rare first editions of Pinder and von Kaysersberg’s remarkable illustrated works, along with Coccius Sabellicus’ Hebrew history, all housed in the contemporary binding, and in exceptional condition. -
[Medieval miniature illuminated manuscript on vellum]Book of Hours for the use of Paris, France, probably Paris, ca. 1325.Probably the smallest medieval miniature manuscript recorded
Exceptional medieval minuscule manuscript, one of the smallest known of the Middle Ages, and perhaps the smallest known today compared to the other minuscule manuscripts that have been catalogued so far; this kind of minuscule manuscripts, which were often held in reliquiaries, have been largely destroyed and are thus of extreme rarity today. This survival offers a unique chance to examine an extraordinarily rare side of manuscript production of the Middle Ages.
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[Early print; Master of the Berlin Passion]Saint Augustine with the Eagle of St John and St Bridget as a small supporting figure., Ca. 1480-1500.Sole copy known.
Sole example known, a beautiful, if crude, woodcut portraying Saint Augustin and Saint Bridget, which leads us to believe it was created in or for a Bridgettine Monastery. The depiction is a free copy after an engraving by the so-called Master of the Berlin Passion. Schreiber assumes that it was created in a Dutch or Flemish Bridgettine monastery around 1480-1500.
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[Holy Shroud of Turin]Il vero ritratto del Santissimo Sudario del nostro salvatore Giesu Christo. Reliquia santissima et gran thesoro della serenissima casa di Savoia, c. 1578-1604. Torino, a instanza di Bernardino Silva.Rare and dramatic image of the Holy Shroud of Turin with explanatory text.
Fine and vivid print depicting the Holy Shroud or Shroud of Turin, the image is composed of several woodcuts in black ink, with the image of the Shroud in red ink; this is apparently the only known copy, state unknown. The image conveys a sentiment of veneration towards the relic, which is accompanied by an oration, and small portraits of the Savoy family to whom it belonged.
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[Garland Sutra]Tripitaka - Dafangguang Fo Huayan Jing, Beijing. Yongle 17 [1419 CE]. (Early Ming Dynasty).Pre-Gutenberg Chinese printing and silk weaving: a consecutive set of five volumes of the Garland Sutra in original brocade bindings
An extremely early Chinese block-printed suite of the Garland Sutra, beautifully preserved in the original, museum-quality medieval brocade bindings: an outstanding and near-unique example of Buddhist culture and the Chinese art of silk weaving as well as printing in the earliest decades of the 15th century.
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Meynradus von EinsiedelnPassio Sancti Meynradi martyris et heremite. Ed. Sebastian Brant, Basel. Michael Furter, XII. kal. octobris [= 20 Sept.] 1496.The legend of the Swiss Saint Meinrad and the foundation of Einsiedeln Abbey.
First Latin edition, this small incunable contains the account of the life and martyrdom of St. Meinrad of Einsiedeln, illustrated with 21 fine, large woodcuts. Sebastian Brant's rare Latin edition is based on a 12th century manuscript.
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Perez de Valentia, JacobCommentaria in psalmos, 6 September 1484. Valencia. Alfonso Fernández de Córdoba.Bound in contemporary Spanish Mudejar bindings, one of the first Spanish works to adhere to the Ptolemaic geographical vision of the World, used by 15th century explorers such as Columbus
First edition of a cosmographically-relevant Spanish work, apparently the first published in Spain to adhere to the Ptolemaic theory of the world, printed at the first press established Valencia (Spain), in a fascinating strictly contemporary Spanish “Mudejar” style binding.
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Breydenbach, Bernard vonPeregrinatio in Terram Sanctam, 29 July 1490. [Spire]. Peter Drach.“The first illustrated book of travel ever printed” (Fairfax Murray), the first artist’s book, and the first printed travel report of the Middle East.
Fabulous example, complete with all the folding views and in a contemporary binding, of one of the most famous illustrated incunables, Breydenbach’s is the first work ever to feature folding plates and the first illustrated travel book, it is also the first time an Arabic alphabet appears; this is the first edition printed by Peter Drach, and is illustrated with the original engravings of the Mainz edition, this is the second Latin edition.
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Pseudo-Hieronymus[Vitas patrum] Der altväter leben., 25 September 1482. Augsburg. Anton Sorg.Exceptional early Vitas Patrum, with a set of 275 woodcut illustrations in contemporary color, here used for the time for this work
The first edition with this illustration cycle, each woodcut in vibrant contemporary coloring, of this influential early work on the lives of the Saints of Christendom; second German edition overall. -
Miro, Joan; Assis, Saint FrancisCantic del Sol, 1975. Barcelona. Gustau Gili.Remarkable work by Miro in the original binding.
Remarkable illustrated work by Miro, number 105 from 220, signed Miro in pencil, with the complete suite of 33 original color etching (in and hors-text) for the ´Canticle of the Sun´ by Saint Francis of Assisi, in excellent condition. The Cantic del Sol, or song to the Sun is an admired production by Miro.
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Evans, JohnA front view of the Temple of Solomon, with its Holy Vessels also Tabernacle of Moses with its appurtenances taken from the modell erected at Hamborough at the Expence of the Learned and Judicious Councellor Schott, and lately brought into England & shown, 1798. London. Evans.English large 18th century engraving showing of the "Hamburg Temple Model"
Striking example of English 18th century print making, this is John Evan's edition of Gerhard Schott's remarkable three-dimensional model of Solomon's Temple, which has come to be known as the Hamburg Temple Model.
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[Bible]Biblia Germanica, 17 February 1483. Nuremberg: Anton Koberger.The famous illustrated incunable Bible by Koberger, one of the most beautiful Bibles produced in the 15th century
Koberger´s famous and influential illustrated Bible, with hand-coloured woodcuts and initials, a fabulous publication containing 109 large woodcuts, and the first printed in Nuremberg. This edition is also known as the ninth edition of the Bible in German, one of the most important illustrated incunabular Bible editions. This edition influenced, amongst others, Durer´s Apocalypse, also published by Koberger. The succeeding five editions of the German Bible depend textually on this Koberger edition. -
Enriquez de Rivera, FadriqueEste libro es de el viaje q hize a Ierusalem de todas las cosas que en me pasaron desde que sali de mi casa de Bornos miercoles 24 de noviembre de 518 hasta 20 de otubre de 520 que entre en Sevilla. , 1606. Seville. Francisco Perez, en las casas de el duque de Alcala.A rare Spanish account of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, unlocated in the United States.
Second edition, extremely rare, of the account of the pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1518 by the Marquis of Tarifa accompanied by Juan del Encina, one of the earliest Spanish accounts of a voyage to Middle East, and one of the rarest accounts of a Holy Land pilgrimage, an interesting addition to the corpus of better-known accounts of voyages of the Holy Land. The narrative details the journey through the south of Europe and the Middle East on the way to Jerusalem. During the trip, the Marquis contacted local noblemen, merchants, and acquired books for his library, including works by Boccaccio and Marco Polo. The book is extraordinarily rare, as is the first edition printed in 1580 in Lisbon, of which no copy is located in OCLC.
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Hans HolbeinImagines mortis, Duodecim Imaginibus praeter priores, totidemque inscriptionibus, praeter epigrammata e Gallicis a Georgio Aemylio in Latinum versa, cumulatae, 1547. Lyon. Jean Frellon.Fine copy of this intriguing work on the dance of death by Holbein, with a remarkable chain of provenance
One of two 1547 Latin editions, with woodcuts by Hans Lützelburger after Holbein, depicting Death in numerous entertaining scenes of contemporary life. Of the 53 woodcuts included in this edition, 41 are from the previous 1538 edition; one, the beggar, was added for the 1545 edition, and eleven are new subjects: Soldier, Gamblers, Drunkards, Fool, Robber, Blind man, Carter, and four woodcuts of children. The King, who is taken by death as he banquets, is here depicted as François I.
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Bergame, Nicolas de; AesopDyalogus Creaturarum Moralisatus, 11 April 1491. Antwerp. Gerard Leeu.Illustrated incunable Fable Book, with a fascinating contemporary English provenance.
Early illustrated fable-book with 121 popular fables in prose—some of which derive from Aesop—each accompanied by 121 woodcuts from 119 blocks; bound in is a recipe written in English from the second half of the 15th century. “One of the most disarming of early printed books” (Yale, University Gazette, 1968). First published in 1480 in Gouda, birthplace of Gerard Leeu (c.1450–1492), regarded as the most important printer of the Pays Bas and friends with Erasmus; the work was again printed by him, here already in its fifth edition (after those of Cologne, Stockholm, Lyon).