Religion & Spirituality

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.

First edition of the Desatir, containing large portions printed in a secret language – a fraudulent text of Zoroastrianism

First edition, the Desatir is a 16th century work claiming to date from the Sasanian period, one of several works originating from an Indian milieu of mystic Zoroastrianism which attempted to show that a mystical form of Zoroastrianism preceded the ‘historical’ form.

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.

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.

The first Hagadah with Marathi translation, printed in Bombay, along with a Jewish Calendar in Marathi

The first edition of the first Bene Israel Haggadah printed in Bombay (and thus the first Indian Haggadah), the first to include a Marathi translation, the indigenous language of the Bene Israel Community of India, and the first illustrated Indian Haggadah. The work is lithographed throughout and contains a very peculiar, yet naïve, set of illustrations. Prepared by Haim Joseph Hallegua of Cochin. Hebrew and Marathi on facing pages. Title flanked by Moses and Aaron, 13 vignette illustrations of the Seder procedure, with a final illustration displaying the required Seder ritual elements of the Seder plate, depicted in a distinctly Indian style. The second work in the sammelband is a Jewish Calendar, also printed in Bombay and translated into Marathi.

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.

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.

Early printing from Colombo on the education of children in the native language

Exceptionally rare early imprint from the Wesleyan Mission Press. The British Methodist Mission to Ceylon was initiated by Dr. Thomas Coke. Together with seven other missionaries he left Portsmouth in December 1813. Coke himself died on board the ship but in June 1814 the other missionaries arriving at Galle (at the southern tip of Ceylon). The Wesleyans acquired the presses and equipment of the Colombo Auxiliary Bible Society in 1816 and started to print publications under William Martin Harvard’s supervision. (Ref. Nigel Seeley).

Eighteenth century decorated manuscript from Macao

Exceptional decorated manuscript written in Macao in the first half of the 18th century on local paper, still under Portuguese colonial control, containing the constitutions for a charitable institution aimed at looking over the sick and the orphans.

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.

Certified copy of the Stabilimenta, printed in Salamanca, from the libraries of Baron Amherst, and Lyell

First Spanish edition of the Stabilimenta, and perhaps the first edition of Pope Clement VII’s Bull, which confirmed the gift of the Island of Malta to the Order, made by Emperor Charles V and his mother Juana de Castilla as monarchs of Sicily, prior to this, the Order remained without a territory of its own. This text reproduces the Papal Bull, and is here in a certified copy, completed in manuscript signed and sealed at the end by the apostolic notary. It is also a very rare Spanish illustrated printing from Salamanca, in which the first page of the Bull is enclosed by a fine woodcut border.

The first Hebrew Bible in Spanish, prepared for the Jewish population that fled Spain – the desired issue with the Hebrew names

First edition of the Hebrew Old Testament in Spanish, known as the Biblia de Ferrara, produced for the use of the Spanish-speaking population that had fled 60 years before from Spain, fine copy of the most desired issue: with the publisher and printer’s names in their Jewish form (instead of the Christian names) and the Jewish date of 5513 (instead of 1553).

Extremely rare catechism printed in Tamil by the VOC, one of the earliest books printed in Ceylon

Exceptionally rare first edition of this pioneering effort of the Ceylonese press and a milestone for missionary printing in Tamil, spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia (namely India and Sri Lanka), with overtones of colonial politics and the economic interests of the VOC. Tamil is one of the longest-surviving classical languages in the world.

Abu Rumi's complete translation of the Bible in Amharic

First edition of the Gospels in Amharic. Abu Rumi (ca. 1750-1819) is remembered as the translator of the first complete Bible in Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia. Previously, only partial Amharic translations had existed, and the Ethiopian Bible existed only in Ge'ez, the ancient liturgical language of Ethiopia. Abu Rumi's story is recorded by William Jowett: he was educated in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, but it is not clear if he was a monk, priest, or had any official status within the church.

Early edition of the Suma y Compendio, compiling uncommon works by Saint Teresa

Early edition of the Suma y Compendio, a collection of works mostly by Saint Teresa with added works, which includes the Suma y compendio de los grados de Oracion, the Siete meditaciones sobre el Pater Noster and Conceptos del Amor de Dios escritos por la S. Madre Theresa de Iesus, sobre algunas palabras de los cantares de Salomon. Rare, apparently no copy of this edition in the United States; second edition, which appears to be extended from the first.

Intriguing work condemning Sor Juana, purportedly written by a Nun to disguise a man

First Spanish edition of a condemnation of Sor Juana’s critique of the influential Jesuit Antonio Vieira (Padre Grande as known by the native population of Brazil), interestingly signed by a Nun, when in reality the attack is probably authored by a man, brother of the signing Nun.