Search Results: Titles starting with P from Asher Rare Books

136 ll.First and only edition of a print series by Crispijn de Passe I (1564-1637) illustrating the Metamorphoses of Ovid, published as a book together with explanatory texts in letterpress verses in Latin and German by Willem Salsman (fl. 1607-1629), one of De Passe's main contributing poets in Cologne, summarizing the content of the prints. De Passe published the present 1607 edition together with Jan Jansz. (ca. 1560?-1630) in Arnhem (father of the great atlas printer Johannes Janssonius in Amsterdam). The engraved title-page refers to De Passe “chalcographium” and Jansz. “typographium” suggesting that Jansz. printed the letterpress in Arnhem and then De Passe printed the copperplates on the sheets in his Cologne workshop.De Passe had published this series of plates already in Cologne (where he worked and lived from 1589 to 1611) with the title: Metamorphoseoon Ovidianarum typi aliquot artificiosissime delineati, [1604], with one plate (no. 46) dated 1602 and another (no. 4) 1604, so he… Read More

[10], 88, [96] pp.Second edition of the edition of the Phaedrus Fables, originally published in Cambridge and London, in 1726 by the world-famous philologist and classical scholar Richard Bentley (1662-1742), Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, considered the ‘founder of historical philology’.Here this edition is included in Bentley’s edition of the Comedies of Terence. In the same year 1727 Burman launched his prestigious edition of Phaedrus (see nr. 31) attacking this Bentley edition rejecting many of the numerous frivolous emendations.Slight browning and foxing throughout.l Landwehr, F169; Schwabe/Barbier, 82-84.

[168] pp.Extremely rare first edition, published in a very limited edition, of one of the most famous art books on horses with descriptions by the veterinarian E.A.L. Quadekker and 41 chromo-lithographs after paintings by the celebrated Dutch animal painter Otto Eerelman (1839 - 1926). The chromo-lithographed plates were produced under supervision of the artist by J.L. Goffart, with the result that the plates resembled the original oil-paintings as closely as possible. The lifelike plates are indeed of impressive beauty, depicting the thoroughbreds of the world, such as Persian, Arabian, Turkish, Belgian, Andalusian and Lipizzaner horses. Each plate is accompanied by an extensive four-page account of the history, development, physics, breeding and training of the horse depicted.Some slight browning on the text pages; portfolio slightly worn. Very good and complete copy of a well-illustrated Dutch classic on horses.l Not in Podeschi.

[18] 140, 147, [3] pp.First and only edition of a small polyglot Bible. Although this only contains the first four chapters of Genesis, it does so in seven languages printed in five different scripts. The publication of polyglot bibles in the 16th and 17th centuries was an important aid in comparative Bible studies. By comparing the eldest versions of the Bible available, written in the languages in use in the Middle-East, scholars hoped to better understand the text. Most of the text in this edition was reprinted from the London Polyglot published in 1654-57, but apparently the Ethiopic text was published here for the first time.Georg Otho (1634-1713) was professor of Greek and Oriental languages at the University of Marburg and published a number of books on this subject. Contemporary ownership entries on the front pastedown; pencil marks in the second part; binding slightly worn; last ten leaves with small waterstains, somewhat browned. An interesting polyglot bible printed in five different… Read More

6 numbered views folded making 12 pages.Extremely rare leporello style-bound copy of a lithographic panorama of Rotterdam, the second largest city (regarding number of inhabitants) of the Netherlands which is at present home to the largest seaport in Europe. The view of the city from the river Maas (or Meuse) was made by the Dutch painter, illustrator and graphic artist (lithography etc.) Johan Conrad Greive (1837-1891). He was mainly known for his depictions of Dutch landscapes, including views of rivers and cityscapes. The present Panorama de Rotterdam shows this important Dutch port city from the river, captioning all main buildings, boats and other elements in print in the foot margin. The original lithographs were printed and published as 3 loose leaves showing 2 views each, thus each view is still numbered 1-6 in the top right corner in the illustration. Views 2, 4 and 6 are signed in the lower right corner by Greive "J.C. Greive fec.". Some prominent buildings and places depicted in the present… Read More

Fine panorama of Mazatlán, on the Pacific coast of Mexico showing the historical centre and harbour. By the mid-19th century a large group of immigrants had arrived, developing Mazatlán into a thriving commercial seaport, importing equipment for the nearby gold and silver mines.l Cf. Getty Research Institute, A nation emerges: 65 years of photography in Mexico (online research guide with photographs of Mexico from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century from the special collections of the Getty Research Institute).

37, [1 blank] pp.Rare compilation of papers for the parliament of the United Kingdom, commonly found bound in series, related to a plan concerning the rescue of shipwrecked persons. The proposal included the placement throughout the country of so-called "Manby mortars" throughout the country. This mortar fired a shot with a line to a wrecked ship and could be lighted with a special wind-proof pistol. The line could be used for communication purposes, as well as to connect to specially designed lifeboats.George William Manby (1765-1854) was an English author and inventor. Appointed barrack-master at Great Yarmouth in 1803, he witnessed the wrecking of the brig Snipe in 1807, with over 60 casualties. This tragedy inspired him to think about both the equipment available for rescue and the means of communication between a wrecked ship and the shore. Manby's inventions were brought before parliament in 1810 and an agreement to place them along the coast was finally reached in 1816.Water stain in foot… Read More

[2 blank], 357, [5 blank] pp.A rare first edition of a translation of the Book of Proverbs into Portuguese verse, with the Latin and Portuguese texts on opposing pages. José Eloi Ottoni (1764-1851) was born in Brazil, but studied and worked in Europe, because he was not satisfied with the positions and pay he was offered in his homeland. He returned to Brazil in 1825, after it had become independent, and worked as a secretary for the Navy. He was also an enthusiastic poet, however, and was friends with the famous Portuguese poet Manuel Maria Barbosa l'Hedois du Bocage (1765-1805). Ottoni seems to have been inspired by his friend, as the Bocage style can be seen in some of his poems. In addition to several short collections of poems and sonnets, Ottoni also completed multiple translations of Latin works. Apart from the Book of Proverbs, these include the book of Job and Virgil's Georgics.The Proverbs themselves are part of a genre called 'wisdom literature', which offered teachings about values,… Read More

A beautiful, large watercolour drawing of a blue passion flower (Passiflora caerula, image 42 x 27 cm), by the Haarlem painter Jan Jansz. van der Vinne (1734-1805), showing a vine with two flowers fully opened and another closed, as well as numerous leaves, buds and runners. The passion flower is indigenous to South America, but became a popular ornamental plant in Europe due to its exotic and spectacular appearance. Jan Jansz. van der Vinne no doubt learned to paint from his father Jan van der Vinne (1699-1753), a member of the Haarlem painters' guild best known for his flower and landscape drawings. Before Jan Jansz.'s botanical drawings came to light he was best known for his landscape drawings and etchings, but it now appears that his flower drawings were his most important work.In fine condition. A beautiful botanical watercolour, showing the spectacular passion flower.l Hans van Leeuwen collection II: 18th and early 19th century Dutch and Flemish master drawings, Amsterdam, ChristieÂ’s, 24… Read More

“103” [=203], [1 blank] pp.Rare First and only edition of a fierce attack on the brilliant French-born linguist and leading Protestant scholar Joseph Josephus Scaliger (1540-1609), professor at Leiden University, by Martin Antonio Delrio (1551-1608), a learned Jesuit jurist born in Antwerp as the son of a Spanish nobleman. In 1605, a war of words had broken out between Jesuits and Calvinists in a series of polemical works published under readily recognizable pseudonyms and with false imprints. One was an attack on Scaliger and others by the Jesuit Carolus Scribani. Scaliger joined in the fray under the pen-name M. de Lescalle with a Latin poem attacking Scribani, the Jesuit Society, Juan Maldonatus and Delrio. In the present work, with the text dated at the end 26 June 1606, but not published until 1609, Delrio responds with an satirical attack on Scaliger. The text set to the shape of a carafe or decanter is supposed to represent a drinking vessel containing humility and modesty, which Delrio… Read More

[I], [12] ll.Only known copy of the only known edition of a charming little devotional print series illustrating the life of Saint Dominic (ca. 1175-1221), who founded the Dominican order. It is printed on vellum from engraved plates, hand-coloured by a 17th-century hand and in a richly gold-tooled black morocco armorial binding. The engraved title-page opens with a dedication to Michael van Ophoven (1570-1637), Bishop of 's-Hertogenbosch, so the series must have been engraved after he became Bishop in June 1626 but probably before the Prince of Orange, Frederik Hendrik captured Den Bosch for the Dutch Republic in September 1629. Van Ophoven nominally remained Bishop to his death, but had to flee the city in 1629. The coat-of-arms on the binding is Italian, with dexter three crowned eagles (the Lente or Lenti family); and sinister a tree (the Della Rovere family) quartered with a field bendy with an eagle in the second bend (the city of Urbino and the Montefeltro family). These sinister arms were born… Read More

132 pp.Rare Latin treatise on the Greek Bacchanals with extensive source references. At some points a German translation of a word or sentence is included. At the end is added: "Dissertatiunculae Mantissa. Tentamen-juvenile este quod Autor In Principali-Salana A.D. M.D.C.I. Sub Decanatu D. Petri Piscatoris.. Sub censura D. Thomae Sagittarii", on Bacchus in verse. In good condition, occasionally foxed and slightly cut short at outer margin.l BMC 704 b 20 (1); VD 17, 14053903H.

11 ll.A beautiful monthly almanac arranged according to the Persian Jalali solar calendar, with a general horoscope for the Islamic year 1285. The first table offers astrological advice as to when in the year to perform or begin an activity, organized on the basis of the twelve signs of the zodiac, listing over 30 activities such as didan-e moluk (to see/witness rulers), ‘emarat kardan (to build a house), nikah (to marry), hotneh kardan (to have oneÂ’s son circumcised), nam nihadan (to name a child), safar kardan (to travel), and so forth. The boxes of the calendar itself are often marked with abbreviations or numeral expressions of Arabic words indicating the auspicious or inauspicious values of the astral conjunctions on a given day. Two short Persian poems on the final page, one of them entitled "Dar ahval-e kavakeb" ("On the prosperous moments of the planets"), the other in praise of the virtues and power of the signs of the zodiac, complete the manuscript.The Jalali solar calendar had been… Read More

[8], 189[=205], [1 blank] pp.First edition of a famous work on optics by the English natural philosopher and mathematician Roger Bacon (ca. 1220-ca. 1292). Bacon was well read in Arabic and ancient Greek sources on optics and perspective, a subject hardly studied in Europe during the earlier Middle Ages. The main sources for his theories were the writings of Euclid, Ptolemy and Alhazen (Ibn al-Haytham), and he followed Robert Grosseteste concerning the importance of light and in his emphasis on the use of lenses, not only for burning, but also for magnification to aid natural vision. Bacon advised magnifying glasses for old people as well as for people with weak eyes. The Perspectiva belonged to Bacon's Opus maius, compiled in manuscript in 1266-1267. The present edition was based on a medieval manuscript and was edited by Johann Combach (1585-1651), professor of philosophy at Marburg in GermanyWith a stain on the title-page and two on the last blank, probably from removing old stamps, browned… Read More

168, [44]; 196 pp.First editions of the two primary botanical works by Peter Lauremberg, a scientist from Rostock (1585-1639), feature copperplate illustrations engraved either by Matthäus Merian the Elder or from his workshop. These works provide guidance on garden design, including valuable explanations about soil science, fertilization, pest control, planting beds, fruit cultivation, and garden tools, among other topics. They are widely regarded as highly influential works during their time. Lauremberg describes his own experiments and experiences, offering numerous well-founded and scientific instructions for cultivating and planting a wide range of beneficial plants. Additionally, he discusses the cultivation of fruit, flower, and herb gardens, as well as topiary and mazes. Merian's exquisite copperplate illustrations showcase garden tools used in the garden, as well as decorative figures for trimming bushes, hedges, and mazes, along with lilies.This innovative horticultural treatise, featuring… Read More

XIII, [1 blank], 201 pp.First and only edition of a supplement to Alexander von Humboldt's work on the distribution of flora and their climatic classification, dedicated to Humboldt. The erratum leaf, printed with the preliminaries, has been bound at the end as intended, so that its conjugate is nearly detached, but still a good copy, with only slightly browned patches in the chart and occasional minor foxing. Binding rubbed and back-strip chipped. A supplememt to Alexander von Humboldt's work on the climatic distribution of flora.l BMC NH, p 125; Pritzel 578.

X, 203, [1 blank] pp.First and only edition of a collection of botanical and geological articles on the spa town Marienbad (Mariánské Láznì), now part of the Czech Republic. It contains a transcription of Goethe's manuscript catalogue of the geological specimens he collected in Marienbad in 1821, introduced by the local physician Karl Joseph Heidler, who also expanded Goethe’s notes. It further contains short botanical descriptions of the local flora by Friedrich August II, since 1836 King of Saxony, and several articles on various topics regarding the town and its mineral spas by Heidler himself.Foxed and with a marginal water stain through the first third of the book. Binding somewhat scuffed and with the front hinge restored with cloth. First and only edition of a collection of articles on Marienbad.l BMC NH, p. 621; Pritzel 3058.

IX, [1], 130, [4], [2 blank] pp.Rare first edition of the account of Siebold's second and final journey to, and stay in, Japan, from 1859 till 1861, written by his eldest son, Alexander von Siebold (1846-1911), who accompanied his father Philip Franz von Siebold (1796-1866) on the trip and gives a lively account of their experiences. They travelled first to Batavia and then to Japan, where they stayed in Von Siebold's home Narutaki near Nagasaki. Von Siebold practised medicine there as he had in the 1820s, and many of his old patients and students came to visit him. Von Siebold also continued to search for material for his botanical collection. Alexander's account informs the reader about religious customs and literature, his own experiences in learning to speak Malayan and Japanese, and mastering the difficult art of writing Japanese using the Chinese "kan" (kanji) characters, also discussing the Japanese hiragana and katakana syllabary systems. Besides the four pages of advertisements (by Kisak… Read More

[32], 151, [32] pp.Between 1718 and 1742 at least seven unillustrated editions of David Van HoogstratenÂ’s redaction of the Phaedrus fables in Latin verses were published in Amsterdam for use in the Latin Schools (Landwehr, F157-F162). This is the seventh. Apart from being a prolific Dutch and Neo-Latin poet, Van Hoogstraten (1658-1724) was an esteemed linguist and philologist who edited a number of classical authors. His annotated Latin Phaedrus edition of 1701 (see nr. 17) is considered his masterpiece.Some annotations in ink, some stains.l Landwehr, F162; not in Schwabe/Barbier.

119 pp.Apparently third edition of a little book containing only the text of the 94 Phaedrus Fables and the 34 Fables of the Appendix, including the fables found by Marquqtus Gudius (1635-1686), all in Latin verses, in the famous recension of Petrus Burmannus.After his studies of Law and the classical languages in Utrecht, his native city, and Leiden, Petrus Burman the Elder (1668-1741) was nominated to the professorship of eloquence and history at the Utrecht University. In 1715 he was appointed successor to the celebrated Perizonius, who had held the chair of history, Greek language and eloquence at Leiden. In 1724 he became the 9th Librarian of Leiden University. His numerous editorial and critical works spread his fame as a scholar throughout Europe, his Phaedrus edition being the first (1698; see nr. 15). The expression ‘Curante Burmanno’ became a household word.Some ownership’s entries on fly-leaves.l Schwabe/Barbier, 111.