DECREMPS, Henri.
Natuurlyk toverboek, behelzende de verbaazendste geheimen van natuur en konst, opgehelderd met plaaten.
Amsterdam, Johannes Allart; Harlingen, Volkert van der Plaats, 1791-1794. 8 parts in 4 volumes. 8vo. With an engraved frontispiece by P.H. Jonxis after J. Buys in the first volume, and 12 engraved plates (including 9 folding), each depicting several figures and 1 including 4 lines of engraved music (round-headed notes on a 5-line staff). Contemporary half calf, gold-tooled spines. [2], 174 [1], [1 blank]; 104; [2], 159, [1]; 176; [2], 164; 123, [1 blank]; [2], 130; 243, [1 blank] pp.
€ 4,800
First edition of a Dutch encyclopedic textbook on the art of conjuring, anonymously published in 4 volumes over 4 years. The book contains information on "white magic", based on many earlier published works of that time, describing and explaining numerous conjuring tricks with ropes, knives, watches, playing cards, etc, most of them clarified in the illustrations. Also explained are various disappearing tricks, mind reading, chemical tricks, number and word tricks, secret alphabets, etc. The author gives 13 basic rules for performing magicians, which derive from the Testament de Jerome Sharp, which was included in Henri Decremps's La magie blanche dévoilée.
Bindings slightly rubbed along the extremities. Otherwise in very good condition. Buijnsters, Verzamelen van boeken, p. 222; Nijhoff, Sale cat., Oct. 1900 (coll. J.L. Beijers), item 1796; STCN 160528283.
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