Early Printing & Illustration

The 1568 Munich Ducal Wedding Fête Book, a fine copy in exceptional contemporary color

First edition and a superb copy fully coloured by a contemporary hand, of this remarkable Bavarian Fête book, considered to be one of the rarest, most significant and most lavish produced in 16th century Europe, the copy of the Court Library at Donaueschingen. It is illustrated with delicate copperplate engravings of festival scenes at the Court of Wilhelm V, Duke of Bavaria, (1548-1626) staged for his marriage to Renée, Duchess of Lorraine (1544-1602).

A work at the forefront of Renaissance ethnography, with woodcuts by Burgkmair

A pioneering work of Renaissance ethnography, in its rarer revised and augmented form, including the "Aggiunta" and additional woodcuts by the great German printmaker Hans Burgkmair that depict fantastical and legendary creatures believed to inhabit the far reaches of the world, as well as indigenous peoples of foreign lands in Africa, Arabia, etc. Arabia is pictured on both the Asia and the Africa map. An excellent copy of a pioneering work at the forefront of Renaissance ethnography and woodcut art.

The most important Spanish treatise on painting produced in the Siglo de Oro

First edition of this finely illustrated Spanish work on painting, very rare. This work has become extremely rare, "and is daily sought more and more by those addicted to the Fine Arts," according to Palau. It is a notable work on art by the Florentine painter to the Spanish King (Philip IV) and is considered the best Spanish book on the subject.

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.

The most important work about Spanish guitar of the 17th century and one of the best records we have in baroque guitar

First complete edition, of the “most comprehensive guitar treatise of its time” (TNG, xvi, 486), and the second book on guitar published in Spain, following a short treatise by Amat; to-date, an important record of what we know of classical guitar repertory and techniques. The first and second parts were published independently on 1674 and 1675; this is the first appearance of the third part and as a complete work.

Edmond de Goncourt's copy of One Hundred Views of Mt. Fuji, a landmark of Japanese illustration

First edition, first issue, very rare, an exceptional copy of one of the most famous of all illustrated books, the One Hundred Views of Mt. Fuji, known as the ‘Falcon Feather’ edition; this is the Goncourt copy in the rare Falcon Feather bindings. The plates in this first issue are in fine impressions, Hokusai's Fugaku Hyakkei is one of the best Japanese woodblock books ever created, it transcends its nationality and ranks amongst the highest tier of illustrated books from any date and any culture.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert's Breydenbach: the first printed travel report of the Middle East, including the first Arabic alphabet in print

Editio princeps of the first modern account of a journey from Venice to the Holy Land: Jean-Baptiste Colbert's copy, preserved in its elegant, 17th century marbled vellum binding, and later in the library of the Earls of Macclesfield.

Rare first edition of a magnificent series of armed riders in action, commissioned by Prince Maurice of Orange

Very rare first edition of this magnificent series of cavalrymen and lansquentes in various positions, bound for Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (1598-1612) with his coat-of-arms on the boards.

Graphically outstanding Württemberg Festbuch: author's copy.

Graphically outstanding and highly rare Festbuch, a superb example of early Baroque festival books: the monumental pictorial record of the Württemberg court celebrations for the baptism of Prince Ulrich, son of Duke John Frederick of Württemberg (1582-1628), and the wedding festivities for his brother Louis Frederick with Magdalena Elizabeth of Hesse. The double occasion, celebrated in Stuttgart over five days in July 1617, was elaborately staged with a ceremonial pageant, tournament, and splendid allegorical display. Guests of honour include Princess Elizabeth of England and her husband Friedrich, Elector of the Palatine. This was the last Württemberg court festival before the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War.