Law.- Norwich lawyer's copy.- Fitzherbert (Sir Anthony) 1577. La graunde abridgement, collecte par le iudge tresreuerend mo[n]sieur Anthony Fitzherbert, 2 parts in 1, black letter, titles within ornate woodcut architectural borders, woodcut historiated initials, occasional contemporary ink marginalia, first title with short split within central title (without loss), faded ink stamp and small repair to upper margin and little creased, part 2 fol.7 misbound after title, some spotting / light foxing, occasional light staining, lightly browned, contemporary blind-stamped calf, covers with arabesque centre-pieces, sympathetically rebacked, edges little worn, rubbed, [STC 10957], small folio, Richard Tottel, 1577.⁂ An important work of its time (first published between 1514 and 1517), it was 'an enormous enterprise for its day, a massive digest of 13,845 cases from the year-books arranged under alphabetical headings' (ODNB).Provenance: Myles Branthwaite (1557-1612), successful Norwich lawyer, who lived at Hethel Hall, and acquired five other manors in the area.
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![Prophesies.- [Atwood (William)] Wonderful Predictions of Nostredamus, Grebner, David Pareus, and Antonius Torquatus. Wherein](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/0c5be023-91b9-447b-ad4d-ae1d00a00107/8f421dcf-db3e-40fc-9ef9-ae1d00a2b449/468x382.jpg)
Prophesies.- [Atwood (William)] Wonderful Predictions of Nostredamus, Grebner, David Pareus, and Antonius Torquatus. Wherein the Grandeur of Their Present Majesties, The Happiness of England, and Downfall of France and Rome, are Plainly Delineated, first edition, title within double-rule border, small holes and rust-holes to F1, F2 & H1 with loss to 1 or 2 letters of text, occasional light foxing, some light dampstaining to upper corners, 20th century half morocco, [Wing N1401], for J. Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard, T. Fox in Westminster-hall, and M. Wotton at the Three Daggers in Fleet-street, 1689.⁂ Scarce..
*** Please note, the description of this lot has changed *** Kafka (Franz) The Metamorphosis, translated by A.L. Lloyd, first edition in English, original cloth-backed boards, paper label to upper cover, light rubbing and bumping to spine tips and corners, original glassine dust-jacket with 3/6 printed price to upper flap, spine broken, light toning to spine, chipping to spine ends and head of upper panel, portion of loss to foot of upper panel, 8vo, Parton Press, 1937.⁂ Kafka's most celebrated work, rare in the fragile jacket.
Watts (Isaac).- Butler (Joseph) The Analogy of Religion Natural and Revealed, to the Constitution and Course of Nature, first edition, Isaac Watts' copy with his ink ownership inscription dated 1736 laid onto endpaper and marginal marks and annotations in Watts' hand throughout, half-title, very occasional light foxing, contemporary calf, neat and sympathetic early reback, rubbed,, light wear to extremities, 4to, John and Paul Knapton, 1736.⁂ An important work of 18th century theology annotated by a prominent theologian and logician. Watts (1674-1748) prolific hymn writer, logician, theologian and astronomer. His annotations both celebrate and critique Butler's work and include mention of Locke whose theory of personal identity Butler famously critiques in the appendix. Provenance: Ink note to rear endpaper initialled "C.S." and dated March, 1766, states: "I bought this book from ?Paterson Auctiiers London at the sale of the Library of Nathanael Neil Esq. Son of the author of History of the Puritans. It belonged originally to Dr. Isaac Watts whose name is in his own handwriting & also notes in the margin, exemplifying his his directions in his book on the improvement of the mind".
Donaueschingen copy.- Herodotus. Herodoti Libri Novem, edited by Joachim Camerarius, collation: α6 β4 a-z, Aa-Cc6, initial spaces with guide-letters, woodcut historiated initials and printer's device to otherwise blank final f., Basel, Heirs of Johann Hervagius, [1541] bound with Thucydides. Thucydides cum scholiis, edited by Joachim Camerarius, collation: α*6 β*6 α6 b-z A-D6 E8 F10, woodcut decorative initials, t6 blank, colophon f., lacking final f. (with woodcut printer's device, otherwise blank), Basel, Heirs of Johann Hervagius, 1540, together 2 works in 1 vol., titles in Greek and Latin, text in Greek, titles with large section of lower blank corner repaired, spotting and mostly light staining, lightly browned, lacking front pastedown, contemporary ornately blind-stamped panelled pigskin over wooden boards, metal clasps, spine in compartments and with later ink title, short split to pigskin of lower cover, a few small ink stains, lightly soiled, folio (312 x 200mm., binding 326 x 220mm.)⁂ The Donaueschingen copy of the first Herwagen editions of these Greek historians; the Herodotus being the second Greek edition overall and the Thucydides the third. With regards to the binding the second borders and centre panels with blind rolls of half figures (prophets on upper cover, virtues on the lower) are signed 'A F'. According to Haebler (I, 110), three potential candidates for rolls thus signed are the two Leipzig binders Andreas Ficker (1542-92) and Andreas Francke (c. 1530), and Andreas Franckow, of Wittenberg (c.1534). Provenance: F.F. Hofbibliothek Donaueschingen (small blue ink stamp to verso of first title, slight show through). Literature: Adams H395; Adams T664.
Aristotle.- Michael (Ephesius) Scholia, id est, brevis sed erudita atque utilis interpretatio in IIII. Libros Aristotelis de partibus animalium, translated by Domenico Montesauro, collation: A-V8 X10, woodcut printer's device to to title, woodcut historiated initials, final f. blank, some mostly light staining, occasional spotting, lightly browned, contemporary limp vellum, some staining, 8vo (173 x 109mm.), Basel, Peter Perna, 1559.⁂ Rare edition in commerce of this commentary on Aristotle's 'On the parts of animals'. Michael was one of the principal Aristotelian scholars in a group assembled by the Empress Anna Comnena in Constantinople. Provenance: Convent of Santa Maria Inviolata, Riva del Garda (?17th century ink inscription to title)Literature: Adams M1395; VD 16 M 5134.
Porta (Giovanni Baptista della) De Distillatione lib. IX, first edition, woodcut printer's device on verso of final leaf, epigrams in Hebrew, Greek, Chaldean, Arabic, Slavonic, and Armenian, each with Latin translation, full-page engraved portrait of the author within elaborate frame by Giacomo Lauri, woodcut ornaments and initials and 35 illustrations in text, contemporary ink inscription and small circular ink stamp on title, a few leaves browned, some spotting and light water-staining, contemporary limp vellum, [cf.Ferguson II 216, Strasbourg edition of 1609, "the Roman edition is much the finer book"], 4to, Rome, Camera Apostolica, 1608.⁂ Important treatise which represents the most comprehensive view of the applications of distillation in the sixteenth century. The distillation process, as applied to every conceivable substance, was the basis of alchemical research and as such was the beginning of experimental chemistry. The nine parts of this work deal with the various kinds of distillation, including methods of extraction, the preparation of scented distilled waters, oils distilled from resins, oils distilled from woods, the distillation of corrosive mineral acids, the properties of these acids, distillation of alcohol from wine, and the preparation of various ointments.
Rowling (J.K.) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, first paperback edition, first printing, very slight marginal toning, original pictorial wrappers, light creasing and very slight sunning to spine, light rubbing to extremities with slight lifting to laminate on lower cover but a bright, near-fine example otherwise, 8vo, 1997.⁂ A bright example of the first paperback edition, this copy with noticeably less marginal browning than is usually found.
Descartes (René) Le Monde de Mr Descartes, ou, le Traité de la Lumiere...avec un Discours de l'Action des Corps, & un autre des Fièvres..., first edition, second issue, title with woodcut device of bird with snake in its beak, woodcut head- & tail-pieces and initials, woodcut diagrams/illustrations in text, with final blank, contemporary ink signature to head of title crossed out and another to foot, light browning, a couple of illustrations shaved at edge, lacking front free endpaper, contemporary calf, spine gilt, rubbed and slightly stained, joints split, spine ends and corners worn, [Guibert p.211 no.1; Tchemerzine IV p.311 imprint b; Norman 629, later issue with Girard imprint], 8vo, Paris, Michel Bobin & Nicolas le Gas, 1664.⁂ Posthumous work, written in the author's youth but suppressed following the trial of Galileo in 1633, which presents a more or less complete statement of Descartes' cosmology. His great achievement was to develop a system of physics based on a simple theory of matter and a few simple laws - very similar to Newton's laws of motion - which also allowed him to account for all the known properties of light.
Carleton (William) Traits and Stories of The Irish Peasantry, 2 vol. first edition, half-titles, etched frontispieces and 4 plates, occasional foxing and some light offsetting, original boards, neatly and sympathetically rebacked, spine labels browned, chipped and restored, corners a little bumped but an attractive set overall, [Sadleir 520; Wolff 1121], 8vo, Dublin, William Curry, Jun. and Company, 1830.⁂ Carleton's most famous work and the book that established his reputation. Though it ran to numerous editions, the first edition is rare and we can trace only a handful of copies at auction and no copies currently online. Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry is a-typical of Anglo-Irish literature of the time in its focus on the lower social classes of Irish society, it had a profound influence on the young W. B. Yeats.
![[Austen (Jane)] Northanger Abbey: and Persuasion. By the Author of "Pride and Prejudice", "Mansfield-Park" &c. With a Bio](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/0c5be023-91b9-447b-ad4d-ae1d00a00107/cf475226-e1da-416f-8a7c-ae1d00a3439d/468x382.jpg)
[Austen (Jane)] Northanger Abbey: and Persuasion. By the Author of "Pride and Prejudice", "Mansfield-Park" &c. With a Biographical Notice of he Author, 4 vol., first edition, half-titles to vol. 1 & 4 only (that in vol. 4 misbound before general title), lacking final two blanks in vol. 4, occasional light foxing or browning, heavier to vol. 3 & 4, a copy with good margins generally, bookplate of Campbell family to pastedowns, contemporary speckled half calf, green morocco labels to spines, some cracking to joints but holding firm, covers rubbed, [Gilson A9], 12mo, John Murray, 1818.⁂ First edition of both novels, published posthumously. Northanger Abbey, a Gothic novel parody, had been drafted fifteen years earlier under a working title of 'Susan', but was abandoned when another novel of the same name appeared in 1809. Persuasion was completed by Austen in the summer of 1816, shortly before she was forced to stop writing due to ill-health.
Wells.- Garnier (Abdon-Jacques-Frambourg) De l'Art du Fontenier Sondeur et des Puits Artésiens, first edition, half-title, title with printed slip pasted over imprint, folding engraved map and 18 plates by Le Blanc after Garnier, light foxing to plates, mostly marginal, attractive contemporary sheep-backed green boards resembling straight-grain morocco, gilt decorative border, spine gilt with red label, a little rubbed, 4to, Paris, 1822.⁂ Important work on Artesian wells, named after Artois in France, where very pure water in limestone strata comes to the surface under its own pressure, without pumping. Such wells are obviously of great economic importance and for this reason a number of bodies in France offered prizes for the best essay on the subject. Garnier's essay won the prize of 3000 francs offered by the Société d'Encouragement pour l'Industrie Nationale.
Dickens (Charles).- Card game.- The Characters of Charles Dickens. An interesting game, 52 playing cards printed in red and black and with purple backs, lacking rules card, occasional spotting or light staining, original pictorial board box and plain slip-case, 980 x 740mm., Jaques & Son, Hatton Garden, [c.1870]. ⁂ Rare (WorldCat records only two sets (Harvard and Chicago)) and in an excellent state of preservation. The 52 cards consist of 13 groups of four characters from the works of Dickens. Of these 13 groups, ten feature an image and description of a character (Oliver Twist, Barnaby Rudge, Curiosity Shop (sic), Chuzzlewit, Pickwick, Dombey & Son, The Chimes, Cricket on the Hearth, The Haunted Man and Bleak House), and three feature text only (Little Dorrit, David Copperfield and The Christmas Books).
'Spanish Vasari' (The).- Palomino de Castro y Velasco (Antonio) El museo pictorico, y escala optica. Teorica de la pintura, 3 parts in 2 vol., second edition, 2 fine engraved additional pictorial titles and 17 folding plates, some water-staining (heaviest at end of vol.2) and mostly light foxing (heavier to a few ff.), occasional spotting, lightly browned, contemporary Spanish mottled calf, richly gilt spines in compartments and with later (but to style) red and olive leather labels, corners worn, rubbed, [Palau 210735], 4to, Madrid, Sancha, 1795-1797.⁂ The second and best edition of the 'Spanish Vasari'. First published in 1715-1724, and here edited and enlarged by Sancha. It is the most important eighteenth-century Spanish book in its field, collecting together the lives of the Spanish painters and theoretical treatises. Provenance: John Waldie (1781-1862), Hendersyde Park, Kelso (engraved armorial bookplates). The library at Hendersyde was consulted by Sir Walter Scott.
Dickens (Charles) A Christmas Carol, fifth or sixth edition, title printed in red & blue, half-title and verso of title printed in blue, 4 hand-coloured etched plates by & after Leech and 4 plain woodcut vignettes by Linton after Leech, 2pp. advertisements, some light offsetting but an unusually clean copy generally, edition statement neatly erased from title, yellow endpapers, original cloth, spine darkened, spine ends chipped, corners a little bumped, split to foot of upper joint, g.e., [Smith part II, p.25], 1844; and rebacked first editions of The Haunted Man and The Battle of Life, 8vo (3)
Law.- Brant (Sebastian) De modo studendi in utroque jure expositiones sive declarationes omnium titulorum juris tam civilis q[uam] canonici, 2 parts in 1, collation: a-z8 A-G8 a b8, Gothic letter, large woodcut printer's device to title, initial spaces with guide-letters, woodcut device at end, G8 and final f. blank, early ink marginalia, more extensive at start, some spotting / light foxing, lightly browned, later speckled calf, spine in compartments and with leather label, upper cover detached, edges worn, rubbed and marked, varnished, 8vo (153 x 101mm.), [Basel], [Gregor Bartholomaeus], [1514].⁂ Scarce edition, here with evidence of early scholarship. Provenance: 'J.B. Brunner' (later ink inscription to foot of title); LA Law Library (large label to front pastedown).Literature: VD 16 B 7054.
![Music.- Cole (Benjamin, engraver) [Songs from The New Universal Magazine], 63 engraved song sheets (2 double-page) for voice](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/0c5be023-91b9-447b-ad4d-ae1d00a00107/1336429d-4cb6-456f-a261-ae1d00a29408/468x382.jpg)
Music.- Cole (Benjamin, engraver) [Songs from The New Universal Magazine], 63 engraved song sheets (2 double-page) for voice and continuo (figured bass), each with a fine engraved vignette at head, lower blank outer corner torn from first sheet, first 2 ff. neatly reinforced at gutter, 'Love & Freedom' torn at lower corner with loss of music, 'Plato's Advice' short tear repaired verso with tape (showing through), without loss of music, occasional spotting and light staining, lightly browned, contemporary calf, rebacked and recornered in later black calf, [M. Cooper], 1752-1758.⁂ We find two similar bound collections at the Bodleian. Songs include 'The Beer drinking Briton', 'The Sex', 'The Miller's Wedding' and 'The Unnatural Parent'. Provenance: 'Peter Ramsay, banker, Edinburgh' (engraved bookplate); Pencilled note to front pastedown recording the volume as being in the Tyssen sale at Leigh Sotheby, December 1801 (possibly Lot 2239 - 'Songs, with music and plates'). Provenance:
Mining.- Pettus (Sir John) Fodinae Regales. Or the History, Laws and Places of the Chief Mines and Mineral Works in England, Wales, and...Ireland, first edition, with initial blank, engraved portrait frontispiece by W.Sherwin, 2 engraved plates with letterpress key on verso, 2 engraved coats-of-arms in text, one with printed slip pasted beneath, corrigenda leaf at end, plates shaved at lower edge, occasional spotting, light staining to inner margin at foot, one or two minor marginal tears or defects, contemporary ink inscription of Samuel Fairclough of Gonville & Caius College Cambridge 1696 to front free endpaper, modern book-label of J.A.Freilich, contemporary sprinkled sheep, later manuscript paper label to spine (chipped), rubbed, lower cover scuffed and stained, corners worn, [Duveen p.468; Goldsmiths' 1930; Kress 1270; Neville II p.296; Wing P1908], by H[enry] L[loyd] and R[obert] B[attersby] for Thomas Basset, 1670.⁂ The standard 17th century English work on mining by the deputy governor of the Royal Mines, including the first dictionary in English of mining terms and considerable technical information on mining, metallurgy and coinage.
Millingen (James) Ancient Unedited Monuments. Painted Greek Vases; Statues, Busts, Bas-reliefs..., Series I & II bound in 1 vol., first edition, engraved title-vignettes and 62 engraved or lithographed plates, Series I with 40 fine aquatints of vases printed in terracotta and black with several finished by hand and 5 double-page, Series II with 22 plates of statues etc., some lithographed on india paper and mounted, others aquatint (one hand-coloured), 3 double-page, paper guards, with 5 additional engraved plates of coins bound in after dedication, a few pencil annotations, some foxing, mostly to text and final few plates, plates of vases generally very clean, contemporary half red morocco, g.e., a little rubbed, [Blackmer 1135], 4to, 1822-26. ⁂ This series was of considerable value in bringing to light the wealth of archaeological treasures in private collections in England. The archaeologist James Millingen had originally, and reluctantly, been a banker but willingly followed medical advice to ease his asthma with the Italian climate. "There he wrote and compiled valuable works in French and Italian on coins, medals, Etruscan vases, and related subjects, and also contributed articles to learned journals in Britain and on the continent. He bought antiquities with considerable discernment, and supplied private collections and most of the important museums of Europe, including the British Museum, with fine examples of ancient art." (DNB).
Law.- Blackstone (Sir William) Tracts, chiefly relating to the antiquities and laws of England, third edition, 3 engraved tables, of which 1 folding, a few engraved illustrations of seals, all but 2 leaves of those normally found after p.353 misbound at start, purple armorial ink stamp to title, some spotting and occasional light staining, lightly browned, contemporary calf, gilt, joints splitting, but holding firm, spine ends and corners worn, some staining, rubbed, 4to, Oxford, Printed at the Clarendon Press, 1771.⁂ Scarce copy at auction of the most complete edition of this work. Includes Magna Carta, the Charter of the Forest, and 'Observations on the Oxford press'.
Stonehenge.- Charleton (Walter) Chorea Gigantum; or, the Most Famous Antiquity of Great-Britain, Vulgarly Called Stone-Heng. Standing on Salisbury Plain, Restored to the Danes, first edition, imprimatur f., title printed in red and black, 2 folding woodcut plates, woodcut initials and headpieces, rust hole to H2, not affecting text, occasional light foxing or soiling, 5 woodcut and engraved views of Stonehenge loosely inserted, 19th century half calf, a little rubbed, [Wing C3665], small 4to, for Henry Herringman, at the sign of the Anchor in the lower walk of the New Exchange, 1663.⁂ First edition of Charelton's treatise on Stonehenge in which he argues that it was built by the Danes as a place of assembly and for the inauguration of kings. Including the first printing of a poem by Dryden "o my Honour'd Friend, Dr Charleton, on his learned and useful Works; and more particularly this of Stone-heng, by him restored to the true founders."
![[Austen (Jane)] Emma: A Novel... By the Author of "Pride and Prejudice" &c. &c. , 3 vol., first edition, lacking half](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/0c5be023-91b9-447b-ad4d-ae1d00a00107/d6d3f970-8616-45c3-b867-ae1d00a1c1e4/468x382.jpg)
[Austen (Jane)] Emma: A Novel... By the Author of "Pride and Prejudice" &c. &c. , 3 vol., first edition, lacking half-titles (that in vol.1 at end), B10 with paper flaw causing hole with without significant loss to letters, occasional light browning or soiling, some light corner creasing, ink ownership of Walter Campbell dated 1816 to titles, bookplate of Campbell family to pastedowns, contemporary half calf, some cracking to joints, vol. 1 spine repaired at head, vol. 2 upper joint repaired, vol. 3 with chip to head of spine, [Gilson A8], 12mo, Printed for John Murray, 1816.⁂ Austen's fourth novel, published in an edition of 2000 copies. Thomas Moore wrote to Samuel Rogers in June 1816: "Let me entreat you to read 'Emma' - it is the very perfection of novel-writing - and I cannot praise it more highly than by saying it is often extremely like your own method of describing things - so much effect, with so little effort!".
Declaration of the Independent State of Israel.- Iton Rishmi, Official Gazette of Israel, no. 1, bifolium, text in Hebrew, light creasing, faint toning, folio, Tel Aviv, 1948.⁂ The first printing of the Israeli Declaration of Independence. The declaration names all of the 37 members of the Provision Government, headed by David Ben-Gurion. It also contains the annulment of the infamous 1937 White Paper restricting Jewish immigration to Palestine.
Polar.- Arctic.- Kane (Elisha Kent) The U.S. Grinnell Expedition in Search of Sir John Franklin, first edition, mezzotint frontispiece and 4 plates, 8 tinted lithographed plates, 1 wood-engraved plate, 3 maps and charts (1 folding), wood-engraved illustrations in text, tissue guards (some browned and those between sigs. K&L torn), foxing, light yellow endpapers, original pictorial cloth, gilt, spine and joints repaired and starting, marked and rubbed, 8vo, New York, Harper & Brothers, 1853.⁂ The rare true first edition, copies having been denuded by a warehouse fire on 12th December, 1853. 'Among the many new books which were consumed is Dr. Kane's History of his Artic Explorations, a large octavo, profusely illustrated with engravings, which had been ready for some days, but was kept back until supply could be secured.' (The New York Times). A richly illustrated account by the senior medical officer of the first Grinnell Arctic Expedition (1850-51). It describes icebergs, narwhals, bears, birds, meteors, inuit kayaking techniques and the discovery of Franklin's first winter camp.
World.- Heylyn (Peter) Cosmographie in foure Books Contayning the Chorographie & Historie of the whole World, and all the Principall Kingdomes, Provinces, Seas, and Isles, Thereof, first edition, engraved additional title and 4 double-page maps by Henry Seile (slightly shaved as usual), letterpress Table of the Climates, woodcut initials head- and tail-pieces, engraved title a little discoloured and with a few small chips or tears to margins, last f. creased, chipped and holed, occasional light finger-soiling to margins, modern cloth, spine label, [Sabin 31655; Wing H1689], folio, for Henry Seile, and are to be sold at his shop over against Saint Dunstans Church in Fleetstreet, 1652.
York Whipmaker & Surveyor.- Tindall (James) Account and commonplace book, manuscript, c.180pp., occasional light spotting or staining, lightly browned, contemporary vellum, lightly soiled, small 4to, York, 1815-1831.⁂ Includes a 17 page valuation of stock begun on 3rd January 1815, which totals £432/6/6½.; prices of thongs (with costs, wholesale prices and profits); prices of making 35 varieties of whip (including by the dozen); and notes of rental incomes, land taxes, journeys to America by local families, harvest and farm records, servants' wages, and land surveys.
Toussaint (Franz, translator) Le Jardin des Caresses, number 266 of 400 copies on vélin, from an edition limited to 500, colour decorative additional title & title, 20 pochoir plates heightened with gold by Léon Carré, tissue guards, text with printed illuminations in colours and gold, occasional light marginal spotting, magnificently bound in purple morocco, by Otto Schulze & Co of Edinburgh, covers with rich Moorish design of central circle of onlaid green strapwork within onlaid terracotta frame and outer border of tan morocco, the whole elaborately tooled in gilt with flowers, rosettes & ornaments, spine titled in gilt and with compartments of similar tools and five raised bands, doublures of purple morocco containing onlaid centrepiece of pink morocco within border of pink & tan morocco all elaborately tooled in gilt, t.e.g., others uncut, signed at foot of front turn-in, original decorative wrapper bound in at end, spine very slightly faded, slight rubbing to joints and corners, split to lower joint, 4to (c.310 x 230mm.), Paris, 1914.
![Astronomy.- Wittie (Robert) Ouranoskopia [graece]. Or, a Survey of the Heavens. A Plain description of the admirable Fabrick](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/0c5be023-91b9-447b-ad4d-ae1d00a00107/f1c4b00c-75eb-4bb5-8449-ae1d00a1cd57/468x382.jpg)
Astronomy.- Wittie (Robert) Ouranoskopia [graece]. Or, a Survey of the Heavens. A Plain description of the admirable Fabrick and Motions of the Heavenly Bodies, as they are discovered to the Eye by the Telescope... To which is added the Gout-Raptures, first edition, title within double-rule border, with final advertisement f., lacking prelims a1-2 (dedicatory verses by Brian Fairfax and T. Guidott), some light marginal browning, later diced calf, gilt, neatly rebacked, retaining original backstrip, [Wing W3229], by J. M. for the author, and are to be sold by R. Clavell and J. Robinson in St Paul's Church-Yard, and R. Boulter at the Turks-head in Cornhil, 1681.⁂ Includes discussion of the telescopes of Hooke and Gallileo and the probability of other inhabited stars.
Tolstoy (Count Lev Nikolayevich "Leo") Anna Karenina, first English edition, with initial and final advertisement f., hinges cracked, creasing and tearing to pastedowns, original cloth, lettered in red and black, shelf-lean, light toning and vertical crease to spine, spine ends and corners bumped and a little worn, rubbed, [Woolf 6729], 8vo, Vizetelly & Co., 1887⁂ Rare first English edition of Tolstoy's most celebrated novel, first published in book form in Moscow, 1878.
Carleton (William) Valentine M'Clutchy, the Irish agent; or, The Chronicles of the Castle Cumber Property, 3 vol., first edition, A. L. s. from the author mentioning sending a copy of this novel to a friend loosely inserted, half-titles, light spotting, bookplate of Sir W. G. Gordon Cumming to pastedowns, morocco-backed limp cloth by Birdsall & Son, [Sadleir 521; Wolff 1126], 8vo, Dublin, James Duffy, 1845.⁂ Rare first edition of Carleton's novel dealing with an absentee Irish landlord. An edition illustrated by Phiz was published in 1847 and appears to be relatively commonplace, however we can trace only a couple of examples of the true first edition at auction.
Herbert (Frank) Dune, first English edition, original boards, light vertical crease to spine, light bumping to spine tips and corners, dust-jacket, light rubbing to head and foot, light creasing to lower corner of upper panel, lifting to laminate at joints, but a bright and excellent example overall, 8vo, 1966.⁂ The scarce first English edition of this science fiction classic, adapted for the screen twice, most recently by Denis Villeneuve in 2021.
Law.- Regis pie memorie Edwardi tertii a quadragesimo ad quinquagesimum, black letter, text in legal French, woodcut historiated title, woodcut decorative initials, contemporary ink ms. index to front free endpapers and marginalia throughout, occasional light staining (including a little ink), lightly browned, contemporary blind-stamped calf, covers with arabesque centre-pieces, spine ends and corners worn, joints splitting, but holding firm, a few ink spots, rubbed, [STC 9584], small folio, Richard Tottel, 1576.⁂ Year books 40 to 50.
Imaginary voyage.- Holberg (Ludvig, Baron) Voyage de Nicolas Klimius dans le Monde Souterrain, first edition in French, engraved portrait frontispiece, title printed in red and black, engraved folding map and 2 plates, some spotting and mostly light staining, lightly browned throughout, contemporary calf, blind-stamped decorated spine in compartments, head of spine and upper corners little worn, rubbed and marked, [Gove Imaginary Voyages, pp.303-305; Caillet II, 5228], 8vo, Copenhagen, Jacob Preuss, 1741.⁂ First published in Latin in the same year. It is the first satirical imaginary voyage to develop the trope of a hollow earth and satirises France and Russia in particular.
![Gardening.- [Bonnefons (Nicolas de)] The French Gardiner instructing how to cultivate all sorts of Fruit-Trees and Herbs for](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/0c5be023-91b9-447b-ad4d-ae1d00a00107/29a66aa9-cfeb-4a15-b2b0-ae1d00a2640f/468x382.jpg)
Gardening.- [Bonnefons (Nicolas de)] The French Gardiner instructing how to cultivate all sorts of Fruit-Trees and Herbs for the Garden, translated by John Evelyn, third edition, engraved additional title and 4 plates, one folding, title a little chipped and frayed, a few ff. closely shaved at head, affecting headlines, occasional light foxing or browning, occasional chips or loss to corners, without loss to text, bookplate to pastedown, 20th century calf, [Keynes 10; Wing B3602 & R1938], by T.R. & N.T. for B. Tooke, and are to be sold at the Ship in St. Pauls Church-yard, 1675.⁂ The first work on horticulture by Evelyn, dedicated to his friend Thomas Henshaw, at whose suggestion Evelyn undertook the translation.
Gruel (Léon, binder).- Barres (Maurice) Un Jardin sur l'Oronte, number 289 of 475 copies, title, head- & tail-pieces and decorations printed in black and gold, colour woodcut frontispiece, head-piece and 15 plates by André Suréda engraved by Robert Dill, some light offsetting, bound in turquoise morocco with pictorial inlays, by Gruel, covers with design of inlaid beige & dark green morocco flowers within border of strips & rules with triangular arabesque ornament to each side, spine titled in gilt with similar ornaments at head & foot, cream morocco doublures with all-over lattice design tooled in gilt within dark green strips and gilt rule border, gold flyleaves, g.e., signed at foot of front turn-in, original wrappers bound in, half calf chemise (rubbed at joints) and board slip-case (rubbed, one corner bumped), 4to (c.300 x 230mm.), Paris, 1927.
Descartes (René) Opuscula posthuma, physica et mathematica, edited by N.Poisson, 6 parts in 1, first edition, title with woodcut device, woodcut head- & tail-pieces and initials, woodcut illustrations and diagrams in text, light foxing to title and a few other leaves, tiny paper flaw hole to first line of H2 of 'Regulae' with loss of a couple of letters, later vellum, red roan label, a little rubbed, corners bumped, new endpapers, [Guibert p.221; Tchemerzine IV p.311], 4to, Amsterdam, P. & J.Blaeu, 1701.⁂ First edition of this collection of short tracts, the most important being the fourth part Regulae ad directionem ingenii, Descartes' earliest work on scientific method, composed between 1619 and 1628.
Carleton (William) The Fawn of Spring-Vale, the Clarionet, and Other Tales, 3 vol., signed presentation inscriptions from the author to titles, without half-titles (as issued), occasional light finger-soiling, original boards, , partly unopened, vol. 1 & 2 neatly and sympathetically rebacked, vol. 2 retaining original label and part of backstrip, vol. 3 joints cracked and lower cover detached, corners bumped, a little rubbed, preserved in custom drop-back box, [Sadleir 504; Wolff 1110], Dublin, William Curry, Jun. and Company, 1841.⁂ A presentation copy Carleton's rare collection of short stories. The book itself is among Carleton's rarest, Wolff states having only seen four copies and Sadleir did not himself own a copy, basing his entry on the rebound copies in the BL and the Bodleian. Presentation copies of any works by Carleton are especially rare - neither Sadleir's not Wolff's extensive collections of Carleton's works included an example.
Wells (H.G.) The First Men in the Moon, first English edition, first issue with black coated endpapers, frontispiece and 11 plates by Claude Shepperson, bookplate of Eric Quayle to pastedown, first state blue cloth stamped in gilt, very light sunning to spine, light rubbing and minor bumping to spine ends and corners, a bright and excellent copy overall, 8vo, Newnes, 1901.
Accademia del Cimento. Essayes of Natural Experiments made in the Academie del Cimento . . . translated by Richard Waller, first edition in English, engraved additional title and 17 plates, with initial imprimatur and final blank ff., light dampstaining, mostly marginal, but a crisp and clean copy generally, bookplate to pastedown, contemporary speckled calf, split to foot of upper joint, rubbing, [Wing A1616], 4to, for Benjamin Alsop at the Angel and Bible in the Poultrey, over-against the Church, 1684.⁂ First and only edition in English of this collection of papers describing experiments on light, sound and electricity, including the earliest account of the development of the mercury barometer and air pressure experiments that were a major influence on Robert Boyle.
![Milne (A. A.) [Collected Plays], 4 vol., comprising: First Plays; Second Plays; Three Plays; and Four Plays, first editions,](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/0c5be023-91b9-447b-ad4d-ae1d00a00107/3cf08649-9aa0-4b67-9100-ae1d00a4f09e/468x382.jpg)
Milne (A. A.) [Collected Plays], 4 vol., comprising: First Plays; Second Plays; Three Plays; and Four Plays, first editions, each signed and inscribed to his brother Ken on front free endpaper, 32pp. publisher's catalogue at end of first vol., occasional light foxing, original cloth, paper spine labels a little rubbed and browned, spare labels to vol.2-4, slight fading to strip at top of upper cover of vol.2, uncut, 8vo, 1919-21.⁂ The inscriptions vary from the brief "To K.J.M. from A.A.M. Sep. 1st 1919" in the first work, to "K.J.M. once again, and always affectionately from A.A.M. April 19th '26". Milne was very close to his brother Ken (1880-1929), who was the middle of three boys. The two occasionally collaborated on articles, using the combined initials 'AKM'. In his autobiography It's Too Late Now, 1939, Milne dedicated the book: "1880-1929 To the memory of Kenneth John Milne who bore the worst of me and made the best of me."
The Hoe copy.- De Rossi (Giovanni Gherardo) Pitture di Antonio Allegri detto Il Correggio esistenti in Parma nel Monistero di San Paolo, 3 parts in 1, text in Italian, French and Spanish, 35 stipple-engraved plates, all but one in sepia, by Francesco Rosaspina after Francisco Vieira, some light foxing, later red half morocco over marbled boards, spine gilt in compartments, t.e.g., extremities rubbed, upper joint cracked at foot, [Brooks 774], folio, Parma, Bodoni, 1800.⁂ One of Bodoni's most sophisticated and distinguished works, dedicated to the recently married Louis of Bourbon-Parma and the Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain. The work describes and the plates depict the frescoes by Renaissance painter Correggio in the Monastery of San Paolo, Parma. Although the Duke of Parma approved the project in 1790, the artists were not allowed into the Camera di San Paolo until 1795 where they spent one full day recording the frescoes before their drawings were supposed to be sent to Rome for engraving by Raffaello Sanzio Morghen. Much to the dissatisfaction of Bodoni's patron, Morghen could not undertake the project so Bodoni selected his friend Rosaspina, one of the artists allowed into the Camera in 1795. The resultant work is an exceptional one and this copy comes from the distinguished collection of Robert Hoe, with his bookplate and that of his son Arthur.
Puzzles.- Dodgson (Charles Lutwidge), "Lewis Carroll". Doublets. A World-Puzzle, first published edition, presentation copy from the author to Alice Hull, lightly browned, original red cloth, gilt, some light water-staining, small area of ink to lower cover, [Williams & Madan 105], small 8vo, Macmillan and Co., 1879.⁂ The presentation inscription reads 'Alice Hull from the author'. Dodgson had met the Hull family during his holidays at Eastbourne, which became a regular destination for him from 1876 onwards. The father was Henry Hull, a London barrister, but Dodgson's attention was largely taken by his four daughters, particularly Agnes Georgina, for whom he developed an infatuation that became disconcerting to its subject. A well-known acrostic was written for the latter, and his interaction with them followed an established pattern: he would draw and photograph them whilst offering in return entertainment of various types, including riddles, verse, and games.
![[Austen (Jane)] Sense and Sensibility: A Novel, 3 vol., second edition, half-titles, final blank ff., vol. 1 with occasional](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/0c5be023-91b9-447b-ad4d-ae1d00a00107/99d4744c-b9fe-448e-9027-ae1d00a4f5e1/468x382.jpg)
[Austen (Jane)] Sense and Sensibility: A Novel, 3 vol., second edition, half-titles, final blank ff., vol. 1 with occasional light damp-staining to foot and A9 with chip to lower margin, foxing (as usual) and occasional soiling, a few gatherings proud but holding firm, Campbell family bookplate to pastedowns, contemporary half calf, neatly rebacked, retaining original spine labels, rubbed, some light wear to extremities, [Gilson A2], 12mo, Printed for the Author, by C.Roworth...Published by T.Egerton, 1813.⁂ Sense and Sensibility was Austen's first published work, originally issued in 1811 with "By a Lady" on the title-page. By July 1813 it was sold out and the second edition was published in October of that year, with some alterations and revisions.
French school; circa 1680."Portrait of a gentleman.Oil on canvas. Re-coloured.It presents repainting and restorations.Measurements: 73 x 59 cm.With an intense look and a barely sketched smile, the main character of this work reveals us the vitality of youth, strength and determination. The author presents this young man to us through his bust, turned in three quarters, his figure occupying almost the whole of the space, without giving importance to the background, but to the character and his personality which is exposed through the gesture of his face, haughty, emphatic and at the same time accomplice of the spectator with his look. His hair, which frames his complexion, falls in curls over his shoulders, resting on the armour that serves as his clothing. The polished armour acts as a mirror, receiving the light and trapping it on its shiny surface. The ornamentation worn by the young man is remarkable, harmonising the solidity of the metal with a delicate silk ribbon around his neck, from the centre of which hangs a jewel, probably a sapphire set in gold. These characteristics indicate the artist's interest in capturing the qualities, showing great detail in the different textures that make up the scene, including the pearly young woman's skin, which reveals its softness.The French school stood out from all others for its consolidation of a strong tradition in portraiture. The rise of an absolutist and totalitarian monarchy laid the aesthetic foundations for court portraits, where a whole pattern was established in which the figure of the monarch, which was later extended to the entire court, was the main focus. This century saw the birth of a new concept of portraiture that would evolve throughout the century and unify all the national schools: the desire to capture the personality of the human being and his character, beyond his external reality and social rank, in his effigy. During this century, portraiture became firmly established among the upper classes and was no longer reserved solely for the court. As the 18th century progressed, and even more so in the 19th century, the formulas of the genre became more relaxed and moved away from the ostentatious and symbolic official representations typical of the Baroque apparatus. On the other hand, the 19th century reacted against the rigid etiquette of the previous century with a more human and individual conception of life, and this was reflected in all areas, from furniture, which became smaller and more comfortable, replacing the large gilded and carved pieces of furniture, to the portrait itself, which, as we see here, came to dispense with all scenographic elements to depict the individual rather than the personage.
Flemish school; early 17th century."Saint Hermenegild".Oil on canvas.Measurements: 104 x 125 cm.Saint Hermenegild was the son of the Visigoth king Leovigild. In 579 he confronted his father and married Ingund, the daughter of the Frankish king Sigebert I of Austrasia, who was a Christian. Later he started a rebellion, in which he tried to replace Arianism with Christianity. During the conflict Hermenegild fled to Seville and when it fell to a siege in 584, he made his way to Cordoba. After Leovigild paid 30,000 gold pieces, the Byzantines withdrew and took Ingund, his wife and son with them. Hermenegild sought refuge in a church and his father sent Recaredo, Hermenegild's brother, to offer peace. In this scene the artist depicts the saint kneeling, praying and turning his face towards the crucifix on the tree on the left-hand side of the composition. However, despite the pious subject matter of the scene, we are struck by the multitude of animals that share the composition with Saint Hermenegild: a white horse, from which he seems to have immediately dismounted as he is saddled, three dogs in the lower part of the foreground and a deer standing on a promontory, looking directly at the saint. This feature creates a confusing situation in the conception of the work, as it seems that Saint Hermenegild is also looking at the animal, to some extent losing sight of the presence of the deer.The painting belongs to the Flemish school, which can be deduced from certain characteristics associated with that school. In this painting, there is a realistic reaction to the fantasy of the international Gothic, it is a painting very influenced by the art of sculpture, oil painting is usually generalised, it is a painting with a great symbolic sense which allows us two readings, the symbolic and the realistic. There is an importance for detail, with a meticulous description of objects, nothing escapes the painter's eye, the presence of many details is evident, a painting in which real beings appear without idealistic intention. The portrait occupies an increasingly prominent place, there is a greater study of light, as well as a veracity of the sense of volume, depth is sought in space, achieving perspective in an intuitive manner.
Flemish school; mid-17th century."Ecce homo".Oil on oak panel. Engatillada.It has repainting and remains of old damage caused by xylophages.Brushed board.Measurements: 81 x 63 cm; 92 x 73 cm (frame).The golden and resplendent background conveys a message of timelessness typical of the discourse of the Christian religion. In the centre of the scene, a glorified figure shows the suffering and sacrifice that Jesus must have felt to save his faithful. In the foreground, facing the viewer, the suffering body of Christ is presented in a revealing bust that conveys and bears witness to the consequences of the Passion. With his arms crossed over his belly, still with the remains of the rope with which he was bound, and partially covered with a red cloak, symbol of the Passion, Jesus turns his face slightly, with his mouth half open, tears in his eyes and drops of blood running down his forehead, the result of the pressure exerted by the crown of thorns. All this, together with the elongation of the anatomy, is revealed to the faithful with the intention of awakening faith, emotion and empathising with him. The theme of Ecce Homo belongs to the cycle of the Passion, and immediately precedes the episode of the Crucifixion. Following this iconography, Jesus is presented at the moment when the soldiers mock him, after crowning him with thorns, dressing him in a purple robe and placing a reed in his hand, kneeling down and exclaiming "Hail, King of the Jews". The words "Ecce Homo" are those pronounced by Pilate when presenting Christ to the crowd; the translation is "behold the man", a phrase by which he mocks Jesus and implies that Christ's power was no match for that of the rulers who were judging him.This painting belongs to the Flemish school, which is evident from a number of aesthetic characteristics that are reflected in the present work. An example of this is the realistic reaction to the fantasy of International Gothic, of which certain reminiscences can be seen, such as the background; there is also a strong influence of a sculptural conception in this work, which is evident in the composition, and it is also a painting with a great symbolic sense that allows us two readings, the symbolic and the realistic. There is an importance for detail, with a meticulous description, nothing escapes the painter's eye, there are usually many details, refinement is also abandoned, real beings appear without idealistic intention. The portrait occupies an increasingly prominent place, there is a greater study of light, as well as a veracity of the sense of volume, depth is sought in space, and perspective is achieved intuitively.
Cretan school; 17th century."Virgin of the Milk and Saint John.Gilt tempera on panel. Engatillada.It presents repainting and slight jumps in the painting.Measurements: 37 x 31 cm.Image made in tempera representing the Virgin with the Child in her arms and the figure of Saint John next to them. It is a representation of the Virgin of the milk. Icons cannot be compared with other works of art in the usual sense of the word. Icons are not paintings. Paintings, with their features and colouring, speak of people and events of concrete reality. Icons, on the other hand, do not represent, but constitute in themselves another world. And they do so with special means of representation, developed over the centuries. In them, colour plays a significant role, that of a symbolic language that must express not the colour of things, but their luminosity, a light that comes from beyond the physical world. The golden spaces of the icons embody this unearthly light, and the golden background symbolises the space that is "not of this world". In the icons there are no shadows, because in the kingdom of God everything is full of light. There is no usual space in them either, just as there are no conventional events. The icon is an open window to a world of another nature, but this window opens only for those who have a spiritual vision. In order to approach the understanding of icons, it is necessary to see them through the eyes of the believer, for whom God is an undeniable reality. An omnipresent reality that lies behind every event, an invisible spectator and judge from whose gaze he can no longer hide anywhere. One of the advocates of icon veneration was John Damascene (675 - c.750), whose arguments influenced the decisions of the Seventh Ecumenical Council. Damascene taught that the Old Testament prohibition against making images of God was of a temporary nature: "In ancient times, no one made images of God. But now, after God has manifested himself in the flesh and lived among men, we make images of the visible God. I do not make the image of the invisible Godhead: I make the image of the body of God which I have seen..." John Damascene wrote that God had come for men in his son Jesus Christ, who enters the world of men and accepts the human body: "because we had need of what is like us". The visible does not convey the essence of the inconceivable God. But just as the body has its shadow, so every original has its copy: "the icon is memory". And just as Sacred Scripture is a verbal representation, an image of sacred history, so too icons are its representation, but not verbal, but made with the touches of the brush and with colours. That is why the icon - image - is not a copy of what is represented, but the symbol with the help of which we can reach the understanding of the Divine. The icon plays the role of mystical mediator between the earthly and the heavenly world, hence its crucial importance throughout the history of Eastern Christianity.
School of JOSÉ DE RIBERA (Xátiva, Valencia, 1591 - Naples, 1652), 17th century."Saint Matthew and the Angel".Oil on canvas. Relined.With frame of eighteenth century.Measurements: 98 x 73 cm; 120 x 96 cm (frame).Due to its subject and style we can place this painting within the baroque naturalist school of the 17th century around the figure of José de Ribera, a key painter belonging to the generation of the great masters of the Golden Age, trained in Italy in a self-taught way. This painting faithfully and skilfully follows the model that José de Ribera, known as El Españoleto, painted between 1613 and 1616 on the same theme. The original work "Saint Matthew and the Angel" was originally part of a series of the four apostles, painted by Ribera in Rome for Prince Marcantonio Doria di Genova, and paid for between 1616 and 1619. This information is published in the monograph on Ribera by Professor Nicola Spinosa, published by the Fundacion Arte Hispanico di Madrid.Ribera first came into contact with naturalism when he arrived in Rome in 1615, where he came into contact with the Nordic Caravaggists, from whom he adopted the smooth, hurried technique, ugliness and rigorous drawing, characteristics that shaped his style during his Roman period. However, in 1616 he moved to Naples and settled there permanently. In Naples Ribera became the leader of the group of Neapolitan naturalists and an important circle of painters grew up around him. Despite his stay in Italy, Ribera sent numerous works to Spain, and his language would play a key role in the development of the Baroque in our country. His work would bring tenebrism and, later, the full Baroque, long before the latter arrived directly in Spain, thus influencing the new generations of painters. On the other hand, once his Roman period was over, his painting was characterised by a very loose, Venetian-influenced brushstroke, which also marked the work of his followers. Thus, Ribera's school developed a style of dramatic, contrasting, clearly tenebrist lighting, which is nevertheless tinged by a Venetian brushstroke that is impastoed and fluid. Thus, here we see an artificial, directed spotlight that penetrates the scene from the upper right corner and directly illuminates the saint's face and hands, leaving the rest in semi-darkness. And we also find that totally modern brushstroke that models the saint by means of the light, that touch of pasty, expressive brushstroke that the artist learned directly from Ribera's work.
Painter Bamboccianti; 18th century."Camp of ruins with a pastoral scene".Oil on canvas.Measurements: 76 x 62 cm.In this canvas the author shows us a landscape clearly inspired in the Dutch school with two characters, placed in the centre of the composition, accompanied by animals, so we can deduce that they are peasants. The scene is set against a background of golden light in which various architectural constructions can be seen, particularly the ruins on the right. From the appearance of the ruins, it is possible that they are the apse of a church, which can be deduced from their oval structure and pointed openings, very typical of Gothic architecture.The author conceived this work in accordance with genre models, although he introduces a new and discordant element in the form of the ruin, which becomes the main feature of the image, even though its presence may go unnoticed. However, this is the main characteristic that indicates that the work is related to Romantic painting, which attempted to replace the large canvases with historical or religious themes by giving greater prominence to the landscape. They wanted the pure landscape, almost without figures or totally devoid of them, to attain the heroic significance of history painting. They were based on the idea that human feeling and nature should be complementary, one reflected in the other. In other words, landscape should arouse emotion and convey ideas. Thus, landscape painters such as the author of this painting tried to express their feelings through the landscape, rather than imitating it. The Romantic landscape had two main strands: the dramatic, with its turbulent and fantastic views, and the naturalistic, which emphasised images of a peaceful and serene nature.The Bamboccianti were genre painters, active in Rome from c. 1625 to the end of the 17th century. They were mostly Dutch and Flemish artists who brought to Italy the tradition of depicting genre subjects typical of 16th-century Dutch art. They generally created small cabinet works, or engravings of the everyday life of the lower classes in Rome and its countryside. Despite their humble subject matter, the works found appreciation among elite collectors.
Immaculate Conception; Granada School, ca. 1700.Polychrome and gilded wood.It has a base from a later period (20th century).Measurements: 72 x 26 x 23 cm; 25.5 x 30 cm (base).Stylistically, it is clear that this work is strongly influenced by 18th century Baroque models from the Granada school, and not only in the iconography, but also in the model chosen as an influence for it, in the decoration of the clothes, in the colouring, in the features of the face, etc. The Granada school, which was strongly influenced by the Renaissance period, included great figures such as Pablo de Rojas, Juan Martínez Montañés (who trained in the city with the former), Alonso de Mena, Alonso Cano, Pedro de Mena, Bernardo de Mora, Pedro Roldán, Torcuato Ruiz del Peral, etc. In general, the school does not neglect the beauty of the images and also follows naturalism, as was usual at the time, but it would always emphasise the intimacy and seclusion in delicate images which would be somewhat similar to the rest of the Andalusian schools in another series of details but which do not usually have the monumentality of the Sevillian ones.In this round sculpture, which depicts the Virgin in her invocation of the Immaculate Conception. Mary is shown standing on the lunar crescent, in the centre of which is the face of a seraphim. Dressed in a tunic and wearing a golden mantle, the Virgin joins her hands in prayer, which gives the mantle a naturalistic play of folds. Her hair falls loosely over her shoulders and back, and the features of her fine face and long neck add a notable elegance, stylising her demeanour. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception defends that the Virgin was conceived without Original Sin, and was defined and accepted by the Vatican in the Bull Ineffabilis Deus of 8 December 1854. However, Spain and all the kingdoms under its political dominion defended this belief earlier. Iconographically, the representation takes texts both from the Apocalypse (12: "A great sign appeared in heaven, a woman wrapped in the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars") and from the Lauretan Litany recited after the rosary and containing epithets of Mary taken from King David's Song of Songs. Combining the two texts, and following an evolution that began at the end of the Gothic period, we arrive at a very simple and recognisable typology that presents the Virgin on the lunar quarter, with the stars on her head and dressed in light (with a halo on her head only or all over her body), normally dressed in white and blue in allusion to purity and eternity (although she can also appear in red and blue, in relation then to the Passion), her hands on her breast almost always and generally depicted as a young woman.
MASTER OF ASTORGA (active in Astorga, León, ca. 1510-1530)."Risen Christ".Oil on panel.Inexportable work declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC).Measurements: 154 x 90.5 cm; 176 x 106.5 cm (frame).In this work we can see the risen Christ on his tomb and blessing, while with the other hand he holds a big golden cross. Next to the tomb a number of figures look on in astonishment, whose clothing suggests that they are Roman soldiers. The scene is completed by the figure of a figure at the lower left, with his back to the viewer who seems to be asleep, unaware of the scene unfolding in front of him. In the background, despite the mountains, a city is visible on the right, although the background composition is dominated by the landscape, which is emphasised by the use of a chromatic range of light colours. Despite the distortion of the anatomies of all the figures, typical of the period, the artist has managed to capture a great dynamism in the piece, which is achieved by the harmonisation of a clear triangular compositional structure. He portrays the figures with angular lines that intensify the sensation of movement.During the 15th century, the influence of the Flemish school of painting was key to the development of European art, especially in Spain, which was linked to the Netherlands by political and economic ties. At that time, Flemish painters established a stylistic model based on the search for reality, focusing on capturing the qualities of objects, giving special importance to secondary details and using a smooth, draughtsmanlike technique. In the 16th century, as a result of the introduction of the novelties of the Italian Renaissance, the Flemish style evolved towards a more classical and sculptural sense, while retaining its own characteristics. This change also affected the Hispano-Flemish school, which also had independent channels for the penetration of the Italian style. Influences mainly came to Spain from Raphael and his followers, through engravings, oil paintings and painters who travelled between the two countries, and the master from Astorga is considered one of the leading artists of Renaissance Castile. It is true that not much biographical information is known about the artist, so that his name is unknown, although he was active in León at the beginning of the 16th century. His work is known for the Altarpiece of Saint Michael in Astorga Cathedral, the Birth of Christ with Saint Dominic and Saint Lawrence and the History of Saint James, which is in the collection of the Museo Lázaro Galdiano, and the five panels in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
GIOVANNI BATTISTA PIRANESI (Mogliano Veneto, 1720 - Rome, 1778).Untitled.Etching.Size: 50 x 36 cm; 66 x 54 cm (passe-partout).MeasurementsPiranesi first arrived in Rome in 1740, and there he found an established market for the sale of views of the city as souvenirs of the Grand Tour. His Views, however, transcended topographical fidelity and became heroic and tragic visions of the power of Roman architecture. Piranesi's Venetian origins were decisive in this particular representation of the city; his training as an engineer and builder in stone (in the poetic effect of the ruin, for example), and his apprenticeship as a set designer (sensitivity to the effects of light and great skill in linear and atmospheric perspectives). The plates were printed and sold in single sheets or in collections, initially through his publishers, Bouchar and Gravier. Piranesi went to the former's establishment every evening to see which views sold best and to listen to the comments of the customers. In 1760, however, the artist opened his own establishment, in the Palazzo Tomati, and from then on took control of the entire business, from printing to sales. Over the next two decades he produced a large body of work, and after his death in 1778 the business only increased. His son Francesco Piranesi expanded his father's series of 135 plates by two, and continued to sell in Rome until 1799, when he settled in Paris. Francesco sold the first Paris edition between 1800 and 1807, and after his death in 1810 the plates were acquired by the house of Firmin-Didot, which continued to publish them between 1835 and 1839. After the latter date they were acquired by what is now the Royal Chalcography in Rome.Piranesi was an Italian engraver who produced more than 2,000 engravings of real and imaginary buildings, as well as Roman statues and reliefs. He studied architecture in Venice with his uncle, Matteo Lucchesi, where he learned about the works of Palladio, Vitruvius and the buildings of antiquity. In 1740 he moved to Rome, accompanied by the Pope's envoy in Venice, Marco Foscarini. In the Italian capital he was impressed by the Roman ruins and focused on depicting them, combining descriptive zeal and fantasy in a style that advanced Romanticism by a hundred years. In Rome he learned the technique of etching, and in 1743 he published his first large series of prints, "Prima Parte di Architettura e Propettiva". At the age of just twenty-three Piranesi already revealed his mastery as an engraver and his inventiveness. He opened his workshop opposite the French Academy in Rome, so he was always in close contact with French artists and scholars. His engravings enjoyed great commercial success, as they were sold to travellers as souvenirs of the Eternal City. In 1761 he became a member of the Accademia di San Luca in Rome. Prints by Piranesi are preserved in the world's leading museums, including the Hermitage in St Petersburg, the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the British Museum, and the Fine Arts Museums in Dallas, San Francisco, Detroit, Washington, Sydney and Montreal.
Andalusian school of the second half of the 17th century."The Adoration of the Shepherds".Oil on canvas. Re-coloured.With repainting and restorations.Measurements: 137 x 151 cm; 158 x 171 cm (frame).The painter of this canvas is interested in approaching the theme of the adoration in a naturalistic way, emphasising the humble environment that welcomes the birth of the Child Jesus in its bosom. It is a painting indirectly influenced by the soft, delicate style of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. The shepherds, devoid of any eloquent or ornate gestures, kneel or bow silently around the infant, whose small body rests on a bed of straw. The Virgin wraps the child in white cloths, and Saint Joseph, at her side, holds the lily wand, a characteristic attribute of his iconography. Jesus thus occupies the centre of the composition, and the contrasting light helps to arrange the figures and direct the viewer's gaze to each corner of the crib. In this canvas we see a theme that has been repeated many times throughout the history of art, and which experienced a notable boom during the Andalusian Baroque period. The humanity that pervades the scene made the faithful identify with it, an intention that would characterise Spanish religious art from the Counter-Reformation onwards.
Madrid school; circa 1780."Portrait of a lady laureate".Oil on canvas.The painting has some leaps and tears in the canvas.It has a golden frame from the 20th century.Measurements: 74 x 59 cm; 89 x 74 cm (frame).On a black background in complete darkness the figure of a young woman is cut out. She is presented to the spectator in a very close-up and standing, although her figure can only be seen up to her waist. Her white dress stands out against the background and her pearly skin adds light to the scene, softening the portrait of the young woman. With a penetrating gaze that fixes on the viewer, together with the richness of her dress and earrings, the sitter indicates her high social standing and wealthy status. A notable feature of the portrait is the bouquet of flowers hanging from her neckline and the wreath of laurel and flowers adorning her hair, which is largely due to an allegorical interest that may represent abundance or even fertility. It should be noted that during the 18th century portraits of ladies bearing allegorical attributes or even elements from classical antiquity became popular, in many cases portraying themselves as Greek or Roman goddesses.The establishment of the court in the city of Madrid led to a great development of portraiture, not only at a technical level influenced by the fashions and styles of each period, but also in relation to the painters' mastery of this genre and the impetus offered by the city's large clientele, who requested this type of work with the intention of immortalising their likeness as a sign of power and social relevance. Portraiture during this period was varied and wide-ranging, with numerous influences and largely determined by the tastes of both the clientele and the painter himself. However, this century saw the emergence of a new concept of portraiture that would evolve throughout the century and unify all the national schools: the desire to capture the personality and character of the human being, beyond his external reality and social rank, in effigy. During this century, portraiture had become consolidated among the upper classes and was no longer reserved solely for the court. For this reason, as the 18th and even more so in the 19th century, the formulas of the genre became more relaxed and moved away from the ostentatious and symbolic official representations typical of the Baroque apparatus.
Spanish school; 17th century."Christ on fire".Earthenware.Measurements: 36 x 28 x 12 cm.Round sculpture made of terracotta with a religious character. In this sculpture the author has reproduced the image of Christ with his hands crossed on his chest, a gesture that reminds us to a great extent of the iconography of Christ in prison, despite the fact that in the sculpture no detail can be seen that shows this attitude. The figure of Christ is dressed in a red cloak, symbolising the moment of the Passion. The sculpture stands out for the sobriety and austerity of the elements, thus confronting the viewer only with the figure of Christ. In which the sculptor has not only emphasised the monumentality through the elongation of the proportions, but also, with the polychromy, has managed to create an expressive image in which the suffering and the sufferings of Christ can be observed.Spanish Baroque sculpture is one of the most authentic and personal examples of our art, because its conception and form of expression arose from the people and their deepest feelings. With the economy of the state in ruins, the nobility in decline and the clergy heavily taxed, it was the monasteries, parishes and confraternities of clerics and laymen who encouraged its development, with the works sometimes being financed by popular subscription. Painting was thus obliged to express the prevailing ideals in these environments, which were none other than religious ones, at a time when Counter-Reformation doctrine demanded a realistic language from art so that the faithful could understand and identify with what was depicted, and an expression endowed with an intense emotional content to increase the fervour and devotion of the people. Religious themes were therefore the preferred subject matter of Spanish sculpture of this period, which in the early decades of the century was based on a priority interest in capturing the natural world, gradually intensifying over the course of the century in the depiction of expressive values, which was achieved through movement and the variety of gestures, the use of light resources and the representation of moods and feelings.
GOLDEN COCKEREL PRESS. Lawrence T. E. Crusader Castles. Ltd. ed. 821/1000. 2 vols. Titles in red. Illus., plates & plans after photographs & drawings. Loose maps not present. Quarto. Half red morocco by Sangorski & Sutcliffe. 1936. Ownership inscription to corner of front free endpaper of vol. 2 (believed to be Ronald Collet Norman). Soiling & light marking to cloth covered boards. Rubbing and creasing to rear spine
Target grade Lee Enfield No.4 .303 bolt action rifle, 25inch barrel with tunnel front sight and Parker Hale PH50 adjustable aperture rear sight, lengthened short pattern stock, serial number PF212485 to bolt, receiver and forend.UK RFD OR FIREARMS LICENCE REQUIRED WITH .303 RIFLE VARIATION TO BUY THIS LOT.114cm long Condition report: The rifle has seen a significant amount of use and would benefit from a good overhaul and clean up. There is light patches of corrosion scattered throughout the rifle, The action is stiff and when cleaned and oiled would run smoothly again. The stock has many dents and marks from its working life. The butt is an 'S' stamped short issue stock that has lengthened, there is an armourer's repair to the wood stock near the wrist joint to the action. The bore shows signs of wear but strong rifling still remains. as with the outside of the gun, the bore would benefit from a clean and polish.
Browning Gold 12 bore semi-automatic shotgun, 28 inch barrel with three multichokes and choke key, serial number K11NW02866.UK RFD OR SHOTGUN LICENCE REQUIRED TO BUY THIS LOT.124cm long Condition report: The shotgun has signs of use but not abuse and looks to have been well cared for. The stock has a surface split in the wood on the left side which can be seen in image 11 online. This fault does not show on the other side of the stock. Outside of this the stock and forend are free from splits or repairs but have lots of small varnish scratches and minor dents probably caused by buttons on clothing. The worst marks are a small light chip to the stock close to the butt plate on the right side and a scratch in the chequering on the same side, these can be seen in image 3 online. The bore is in good order with no pitting and there are no dents to the barrel. The finish to the action has some scratches and small marks similar to those on the stock. Whilst we have not test fired the shotgun the action appears to function correctly with snap caps.
W. Richards of Liverpool 12 bore side by side sidelock shotgun, 30 inch barrels choked 1/4 and 3/4, the rib engraved W. Richards Liverpool and Preston, fine scroll engraved actions, the well-figured stock with cast for a left-handed shooter, serial number 9818, fitted into leather travelling case initialled J.C.W.E containing cleaning equipment, oil bottle, snap caps, the red baize interior with W. Richards label.UK RFD OR SHOTGUN LICENCE REQUIRED TO BUY THIS LOT.122cm longCondition report: The gun is in very good condition generally. The bores gauge at .736 and .737 against a .729 proof. There are some light pitting marks in the left tube around the mid point of the barrel, the right tube has some minor marks around the breech. The exterior of the barrel has some pitting marks to the area around the underside of the forend. These marks are covered up when the forend is fitted. The barrels ring when tapped and are free from dents. The foreend has some minor pitting marks, there is a chip to the thinnest part of wood where it meets the barrel. The stock was rebuilt for the gun in the 1970s and has a cast for a left handed shooter. There is a clothing scratch to the butt. The trigger guard and lever have been reblued, the barrels reblacked. The barrels are on face and there is no wobble with the forend removed. The actions work correctly.
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