Categories
Shopping cart (0 items € 0)
Embedded Image
Advanced search ▾

Early Printing & Manuscripts / Cartography & Exploration

The book that opened America

ACOSTA, José de. Historie naturael ende morael van de Westersche Indien.
Enkhuizen, Jacob Lenaertsz. Meyn (colophon: Haarlem, printed by Gillis Rooman), 1598. 8vo. With a woodcut decoration on the title-page. Vellum (ca. 1700?). [7], 398, [8] ll. Full description
€ 7,500
Anthropology & Ethnography Early Printing - 16th century Earth Sciences Economic History & Trade Faunas & General Zoology Geology Latin America Mexico Middle America Mineralogy & Gems North America Peru South America Travel & Voyages North America Travel & Voyages South America
Order Inquire Terms of sale

Rare early edition of a popular book of botanical, mineralogical and zoological wonders,
with a large woodcut of the author among his books

ALBERTUS MAGNUS (pseudo). Liber secretorum ... De virtutibus herbarum: & animalium quorundam. Eiusdemq[ue] liber De mirabilibus mundi: & etiam de quibusdam effectibus causatis a quibusdam animalibus &c.
(Colophon: Venice, Johan Baptist Sessa, 12 February 1502). Small 4to (21 x 15.5 cm). With a large woodcut portrait of the author at his desk. Gold-tooled maroon morocco (ca. 1870/90?) for James Carnegie, 9th Earl of Southesk (1827-1905), gilt edges. 16 ll. Full description
€ 12,500
Alchemy Bindings Early Printing - 16th century Mineralogy & Gems
Order Inquire Terms of sale

Largest assembly of natural history illustrations published before the 18th century

ALDROVANDI (ALDOVANDUS), Ulisse. [Opera omnia].
Bologna, 1599-1668. 13 volumes. Folio (35 x 24 cm). With engraved title-page to each volume, engraved full-page portrait of Aldrovandi in 3 volumes and several thousand woodcut illustrations in text, mostly after designs by J. Ligozzi and many full-page. Blind-tooled vellum (ca. 1645 & ca. 1670), with a large centrepiece on each board (the 11 volumes dated 1599-1642 from a single block; the 2 volumes dated 1648 & 1667 from a different block), the spines uniformly gold-tooled in the 18th-century. Full description
€ 150,000
Arboriculture & Dendrology Birds - Ornithology Early Printing - 16th century Faunas & General Zoology Fossils / Palaeontology Insects & Spiders Mammals Mineralogy & Gems Museums & Wunderkammer Shells & other Invertebrates
Order Inquire Terms of sale

First Latin edition, printed by Plantin, of Belon's illutrated oriental travel account, with 43 woodcuts

BELON, Pierre. Plurimarum singularium & memorabilium rerum in Graecia, Asia, Aegypto, Judaea, Arabia, aliisq. exteris provinciis ab ipso conspectarum observationes, tribus libris expressae.
(2) BELON, Pierre. De neglecta stirpium cultura, atque earum cognitione libellus: edocens qua ratione silvestres arbores cicurari & mitescere queant. Antwerp, Christoffel Plantin, 1589. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. With Plantins woodcut compasses device on each title-page, 43 woodcuts in text (6 full-page), woodcut decorated initials. With an unrecorded 2-page corrigenda leaf. Contemporary overlapping limp vellum. [16], 495, [1 blank]; "78" [= 87], [1 blank], [2] pp. Full description
€ 4,750
Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Arboriculture & Dendrology Balkan & Greece Early Printing - 16th century Herbals & Medical Botany Mediterranean Regions Travel & Voyages Europe Travel & Voyages Middle East Turkey & Ottoman Empire
Order Inquire Terms of sale

The greatest collection of travel writings on the Americas assembled in early modern Europe

BRY, Theodor de. [The great voyages in Latin].
Frankfurt am Main and Oppenheim, Johann Wechel, Matthias Becker, Johann Feyrabend, Hieronymus Galle and Johannes Hofer, 1590-1620. 11 parts in 3 volumes. Folio (ca. 33 x 23.8 cm). With 11 maps (mostly folding), 300 engraved plates (double-page, full-page and in text), engraved title-pages to each part, numerous decorated woodcut initials, and numerous woodcut head- and tailpieces. 18th-century gold-tooled Dutch red morocco, bound by the Double Drawer Handle Bindery in Amsterdam, gold-tooled spines, with green morocco title-labels lettered in gold, marbled edges, marbled endpapers. Full description
€ 375,000
Bindings Early Printing - 16th century North America South America Travel & Voyages North America Travel & Voyages South America
Order Inquire Terms of sale

Very rare and little known collection of Italian Renaissance merchant voyages to India

CIGNANO, Ludovico. Quieta solitudine di varii ragionamenti, discorsi, et concetti, ove si narra quattro navigationi ...
Bologna, Alessandro Benacci, 1587. Small 4to. With the woodcut coat of arms of the dedicatee Giovanni Luigi Scappi, elaborately helmed, crested and mantled, on the title-page, a woodcut tailpiece (plus 1 repeat), woodcut decorated initials (at least 4 series), decorations built up from cast typographic ornaments.
Goatskin morocco (ca. 1870/80?), richly gold-tooled spine and turn-ins, signed in foot of front turn-in by the Paris bookbinders "DARLAUD FRÈRES", gold fillets on sides and board edges, combed curl-marbled endpapers, edges gilt over marbling, headbands worked in white and beige, and a yellow, red and green ribbon marker. 166 pp. Full description
€ 45,000
Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Early Printing - 16th century Economic History & Trade North Africa & Egypt Travel & Voyages Africa Travel & Voyages Asia Travel & Voyages Middle East Turkey & Ottoman Empire West Asia
Order Inquire Terms of sale

Francis Drake’s failed attempt to depose the King of Spain and Portugal

DRAKE, Francis (subject). Brevis & fida narratio, et continuatio rerum omnium a Drako et Norreysio (post ex Occidentalibus Insulis, reditum) in sua expeditione Portugallensi singulis diebus gestarum.
Frankfurt am Main, Paul Brachfeldt, 1590. 4to. With the woodcut arms on the title-page, the upper related to that of Queen Elizabeth of England and the lower that of King Philip I of Portugal (Philip II of Spain), each supported by putti, a full-page woodcut standing soldier with sword and spear, perhaps intended as Francis Drake. Gold-tooled green morocco (2nd half of 19th century). [2], 29, [1 blank] pp. Full description
€ 15,000
Military History (16th Century) Portugal UK - United Kingdom
Order Inquire Terms of sale

Well-illustrated encyclopaedia of astronomical and surveying instruments from the time of Galileo,
with a world map in two hemispheres, and 3 volvelles

GALLUCCI, Giovanni Paolo. Della fabrica et uso di diversi stromenti di astronomia, et cosmografia, ove si vede la somma della teorica, et pratica di queste due nobilissime scienze.
Venice, Roberto Meietti, 1598. 4to (22 x 16.5 cm). With engraved title-page, folding woodcut plate, 3 woodcut volvelles with moving parts, and numerous woodcut illustrations in text. Including a world map in two hemispheres (incl. America and a scattering of islands at the location of Australia) on two facing pages, they reappear with volvelle attachments on both sides of leaf 149 and leaf 153. Contemporary limp sheepskin parchment. [8], 228 ll. Full description
€ 35,000
Astronomy & Cosmography Charts & Maps Early Printing - 16th century Instruments & Microscopy Navigation Technology
Order Inquire Terms of sale

Important description of Russia from the early 16th century

GIOVIO, Paolo. Operetta dell'ambascieria de Moschoviti, nella qual si narra il sito della provincia di Moschovia gli costumi ricchezze, il modo della religione, & l'arte militar di quegli. Nuovamente tradotta di latino in lingua volgare.
Venice, (colophon: Bartholomeo detto l'Imperatore), 1545. 8vo. With a woodcut title vignette of a Christian warrior with banner and an eagle on an orb. Later paper boards. 16 ll. Full description
€ 15,000
Anthropology & Ethnography Early Printing - 16th century Eastern Europe Russia (incl. Siberia)
Order Inquire Terms of sale

Very rare Dutch edition of "one of the most influential early books on China"

GONZÁLEZ DE MENDOZA, Juan. De historie ofte beschijvinghe van het groote rijck van China.
Amsterdam, Cornelis Claesz. [printed by Jacob Cornelisz Vennecool, Delft], "1595" [= 1596/99]. 8vo. Modern polished tan calf, gold-tooled spine. 197, [1 blank] pp. Full description
€ 12,500
China Early Printing - 16th century Japan & Far East Philippines Travel & Voyages Asia Travel & Voyages East Asia
Order Inquire Terms of sale

A collection of Venetian voyages to the Near and Middle East, printed at the Aldine press

[MANUZIO, Antonio (ed.)]. Viaggi fatti da Vinetia, alla Tana, in Persia, in India, et in Costantinopoli: con la descrittione particolare di città, luoghi, siti, costumi, & della porta del Gran Turco: & di tutte le intrate, spese, & modo di governo suo, & della ultima impresa contra Portoghesi.
Venice, sons of Aldus Manutius, 1545. 8vo. With Alduss woodcut anchor device on the title-page. 18th-century English polished calf. 163 ll. Full description
€ 7,500
Aldine Press Early Printing - 16th century India & Sri Lanka Iran / Persia Travel & Voyages Asia Travel & Voyages Middle East Travel & Voyages Southern Asia Turkey & Ottoman Empire
Order Inquire Terms of sale

The first Roman geography of the world, including the Arabian peninsula and the Gulf,
in the rare 1502 edition of its first accurate printed text

MELA, Pomponius. De situ orbis Hermolai Barbari fideliter emendatus.
[Venice], (colophon: printed by Albertino da Vercelli, 14 May 1502). Small 4to (20.5 x 15.5 cm). With printed guide letters left for manuscript initials (not filled in). Gold-tooled red half sheepskin (ca. 1820?). XXIIII ll. Full description
€ 6,500
Classical Antiquity Early Printing - 16th century Geography
Order Inquire Terms of sale

An early treatise on sundials, together with an influential work on geography

MÜNSTER, Sebastian. Compositio horologiorum, in plano, muro, truncis, anulo, con concavo, cylindro & variis quadrantibus, cum signorum zodiaci & diversarum horarum inscriptionibus: ...
Basel, Henricus Petrus, 1531 (changed in manuscript to 1535). With woodcut on title-page showing sundials of various kinds, Petri's woodcut device on last page, large folding woodcut plate (31.5 x 40.5 cm) of a wall sundial, and 56 woodcut illustrations in the text (many full-page).
With: (2) GLAREAN(US), Heinrich. De geographia liber unus, ab ipso authore iam tertio recognitus.
Freiburg im Breisgau, (colophon: Joannis Faber), 1533. With Faber's device on title-page with a larger version on last page, and 21 woodcut illustrations in the text (several full-page). 2 works in 1 volume. 4to. Contemporary sheepskin parchment. [8], 198, [2] pp.; 35, [1] ll. Full description
€ 19,500
Aldine Press Atlases & Globes Early Printing - 16th century Geography Instruments & Microscopy Technology
Order Inquire Terms of sale

One of the earliest sources on the Congo and central Africa, complete with all plates and maps

PIGAFETTA, Filippo and Duarte LOPEZ. Relatione del reame di Congo et delle circonvicine contrade tratta dalli scritti & ragionamenti di Odoardo Lopez.
Rome, Bartolomeo Grassi, [1591]. 4to. With an integral engraved architectural title-page (with the coat of arms of the dedicatee Antonio Migliore, Bishop of San Marco), large folding engraved general map of Africa (64×44 cm), large folding engraved map of the Congo (43.5×51.5 cm) and 8 numbered folding engraved plates of plants, animals and inhabitants of the country, by Natalis Bonifazio. Contemporary limp sheepskin parchment. [8], 82, [1], [1 blank] pp. Full description
€ 60,000
Anthropology & Ethnography Central Africa Charts & Maps City Plans, Topography & Views Early Printing - 16th century Fishes Travel & Voyages Africa
Order Inquire Terms of sale

First English edition of Varthema’s travels in the Middle East and beyond

[VARTHEMA, Ludovico di, Pietro Martire d’ANGHIERA and others]. The history of travayle in the West and East Indies, ...
London, Richard Jugge, 1577. Narrow 4to (19 x 13.5 cm). With a woodcut celestial map of the South Polar sky in the text. With 14 leaves in a 19th-century facsimile. Gold- and blind-tooled maroon morocco (ca. 1860?), in allusive style. In a modern clam-shell box. [10], 466, [6] ll. Full description
€ 120,000
Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Ceylon Early Printing - 16th century Eastern Mediterranean & Cyprus India & Sri Lanka Iran / Persia Islamic Art, Culture & Science Travel & Voyages Asia Travel & Voyages Europe Travel & Voyages Middle East Travel & Voyages Southern Asia West Asia
Order Inquire Terms of sale

In search of a northeast passage

VEER, Gerrit de. Tre navigationi fatte dagli Olandesi, e Zelandesi al settentrione nella Norvegia, Moscovia, e Tartaria verso il Catai, e regno de' Sini, doue scopersero il Mare di Veygatz, la Nuova Zembla.
Venice, Giovanni Battista Ciotti, 1599. 4to. With an engraved plate on title-page, full-page engraving of a compass and 31 half-page engraved maps and plates in text. Later vellum. [4] 79 ll. Full description
€ 8,500
Charts & Maps Early Printing - 16th century Eastern Europe Russia (incl. Siberia) Scandinavia Travel & Voyages Europe
Order Inquire Terms of sale
17 books books found / Show pages