Rare books from Antiquariaat FORUM BV

Characteristic original watercolour botanical drawing by Johanna Helena Herolt (1668-1728), the eldest daughter of Maria Sibylla Merian and Johann Andreas Graff. It shows a branch of French roses (Rosa gallica) with three large, fully-opened flowers and five buds or partly opened flowers, four ants (one winged) and probably a hoverfly (Syrphidae). She probably drew it in Amsterdam around 1700. Though she still remains in the shadow of her mother, she was a fine flower and insect artist in her own right and there is growing appreciation of her work. Her watercolours, more baroque than her mother's and often with brighter colours, radiate vigour and vivacity: the flowers, painted with intensity in every detail, really come to life. A series of Herolt's works from 1698 in the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum in Braunschweig includes similar sheets of roses (nos. 10, 26, 28, etc.). Reitsma, p. 135, notes that the prices for the flower watercolours increased with the number of insects.In the finest state of… Read More

Unique harness maker's colour-drawn sample book, with each drawing depicting a horse in elaborate carriage horse tack. The drawings were executed by Michael Fölsch himself, one of the foremost Viennese makers and sellers of luxury tack in the early 19th century, to show prospective clients possible designs for their carriage horses. Each drawing is signed by Fölsch as artist. His talent for draughtsmanship and colouring was hitherto unknown and is remarkable for a leather craftsman who probably never received training as a painter. The variety and complexity of the designs, and the use of gold and silver, is impressive, suggesting that such bespoke equipment was intended for the wealthy elite.From the equestrian library of the Imperial stable master Franz Wenzel Schleichart von Wiesenthal (ca. 1730?-post 1800), with his engraved armorial bookplate upside down on the back of the box. He was a leading figure in a great dynasty of stable masters and horse breakers. Thereafter in the collection of… Read More

Beautifully hand-coloured proof states, with occasional additions in ink, of the very rare first instalment of a series of prints of the Duke of Braunschweig's (1804-1873) stud horses, plus an additional view of the Harzburg stud farm not included in the list of plates printed on the back wrapper. The first horse depicted is Mirza, a "Silver grey national Arabian with red spots on his left shoulder, presented to the King of England by the Shah of Persia in 1819. As the Persian envoy assured the King, this was the noblest and most excellent Arabian ever to have stood in his master's stables". The other illustrations show mainly descendants of Mirza, who was transferred to the Ducal stables in 1821.The plate of Mirza would finally appear newly lithographed in reverse with a completely different background, two others would have their background changed and the other three would have only minor changes to the background or none at all. Only plate three contains its final plate number. Even the… Read More

[20], 302, [2], 149; 164, [10]; [2], 66 ll.Extra-illustrated large folio edition of the Dutch Statenbijbel (States Bible) with 6 maps and 336 illustrations hand-coloured, the translation officially authorized by the Dutch Reformed Church and published with a privilege from the States General of the Dutch Republic. The 1619 Synod of Dordrecht established a committee to prepare the new translation, and leading Dutch scholars worked on it for nearly twenty years before Paulus Aertsz. van Ravesteyn (ca. 1586-1655) published the first edition in 1637. The 6 maps and the engraved illustrations were produced to be inserted into Van Ravesteyn's folio editions. The series of 336 illustrations by Claes Jansz. Visscher with eight to one leaf, are engraved by Cornelis Danckerts. With some browning, but still generally in good condition and with large margins. The binding has been rebacked, as noted, and the "sharkskin" on the boards has some cracks and wear, but the silver furnishings and gauffered edges are… Read More

[10], 466, [6] ll.First English edition of Ludovico di Varthema's famous account of travels to Arabia, Syria, Persia, Ethiopia, India and the East Indies: a highly important and adventurous narrative including his 1503 visit to Mecca and Medina, the first recorded visit of a European (probably of any non-Muslim) to the Islamic holy cities. "Varthema's Itinerario, first published in 1510, had an enormous impact at the time, and in some respects determined the course of European expansion towards the Orient" (Howgego). It is here combined with various other travel accounts, including some taken from a collection by d'Anghiera. Varthema's account became a bestseller as soon as it appeared in 1510 and went through about twenty editions in various languages in the next fifty years. It certainly provided many Europeans with their first glimpse of Islamic culture and of non-European cultures in general.With a contemporary manuscript table of contents and an occasional marginal manuscript note in the same… Read More

[1 blank, 3], "136" [= 135 (of 136)], [1] ll.The second Dutch edition of Otto von Passau's religious instructive work, first published at Utrecht in 1480. The golden throne of the 24 elders is the only work known to survive by Otto von Passau, a Franciscan preacher who lived in the second half of the 14th century. It has been dated ca. 1383 and represents a subtle mixture of Christian and Pagan wisdom. It is divided into 24 chapters, each containing a lecture about the Apocalypse by one of the male elders. It is supposed to teach nuns and brothers of lay orders a way of life that will lead them to the "Golden Throne" of eternal bliss. Each lecture has its own theme, like the essence of God and man, mourning, confession and penance, love, hope, the sacraments, friendship, death, the chosen, hell, the last things, etc. The work remained popular into the beginning of the 17th century. The present edition is well printed in two columns, with 39 lines of textura type to each column. It is also most… Read More

First edition of the extraordinary coloured plates of quadrupeds by the well-known French-American naturalist and painter John James Audubon (1785-1851), who, for this publication, worked together with his sons John Woodhouse and Victor Audubon. The plates are considered the finest animal prints published in America to this day. Unlike the Birds of America, it was produced entirely in the United States, making it the "largest successful color plate book project of 19th-century America" (Reese).After the publication of his highly acclaimed Birds of America, Audubon settled on the Hudson River and began working on the present series to document the animal life of North America. The plates were first published in 30 parts of 5 plates each and three separately published accompanying text volumes, written by John Bachman, appeared between 1846-1854. A second edition was published in 1856, but "the first edition is by far the best" (Sabin).Title-pages with some small scuff marks, a few plates with minor… Read More

[140] ll.Splendid copy of the famous first edition of the original Greek text of the works of Herodotus (ca. 484 BC- ca. 425 BC), "the father of history," published and edited by Aldus Manutius at Venice on the basis of many manuscripts. By promoting Herodotus as a key to ancient history and society and providing a reliable text, it set the stage for his popularity in the 16th century. It covers the growth of the Persian Empire, the history of Egypt, Persian incursions into Greece, the defeat of the Persians in 490 BC, the Persian king Xerxes's attempt to avenge the Persian defeat and their defeat once again in 479 BC. But perhaps of greatest interest are the strange and fantastic tales and anecdotes, including the circumnavigation of Africa."Herodotus is the earliest historian; his predecessors were by contrast chroniclers. He was the first to collect his materials systematically, to test their accuracy as far as he could, and to arrange his story so as to appeal to, as well as inform, his readers.… Read More

[2 blank], [34]; [5 blank], [62 incl. a few blank], [1 blank] pp. plus 8 double leaves of decorated paper and [36], [4 blank]; [2], [2 blank] pp. of 18th-century additions.A unique, fascinating and unpublished manuscript containing the account of a diplomatic mission to Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire in the year 1570. De Braeckle (1540-1571), a Flemish physician, assisted Charles Rijm (Karl Rym), Baron de Bellem (ca. 1533-1584), Maximilian II's ambassador to Constantinople, probably as his secretary. He wrote an account of his journey, which contains fascinating details about the places he visited, the manners and customs of the inhabitants, incidents, etc. Leaving Prague on 13 March 1570, the delegation passed through Vienna, Hungary and Czechoslovakia before entering Ottoman territory, where they visited the mosques and caravanserais (inns) of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (ca. 1505-1579), Grand Vizier of Sultan Selim II (1524-1574) who ruled the Turks at the time of Rijm and Braeckle's journey. From… Read More

Folio-edition of Van der Aa's voluminous collection of important voyages to the East and West Indies and other countries, undertaken by all European countries, other than the Dutch. Including voyages by Acosta, Balby, Cabot, Cavendish, Chester, Columbus, Cortes, Coutinho, Da Cunha, Drake, Evesko, Frobisher, Gallonye, Da Gama, Garay, Garcia, Gilbert, Jenkinson, Harcourt, Herberer, Magallanes, Mildenhal and Cartwright, Mouette, Petelin and Andrasko, Raleigh, Saris, De Soto, etc.The work is partly based on Johan Lodewijk Gottfried's rare Historia antipodum (1631), but largely extended by Pieter van der Aa, known for his ambitious projects. Where other publishers were primarily concerned about the profits, Van der Aa wanted to publish outstanding books. For the present series of travels he either reused and revised older Dutch translations or had the original accounts translated for the first time into Dutch. In 1706 he already started publishing the translated voyages both in small (8vo) and large… Read More

[4], 197 ll.First Dutch edition of Otto van Passau's devotional work (dated 20 days after the original German edition), the first Dutch book extensively illustrated with woodcuts. The Gouda Dialogus Creaturarum was published a month or two later, in June 1480. Each of the 24 chapters opens with a woodcut illustration, showing a pious woman (the loving soul) taking advice from a king (the 24 elders of the Apocalypse). In each chapter one of 24 biblical wise men (the elders of the Apocalypse) teaches the soul how to live as a good Christian. Our copy is richly and beautifully adorned with decorated initials supplied by hand and is rubricated throughout. The work was immensely popular and there are many manuscripts and early editions in both German and Dutch. Our first edition of the Dutch translation is of the utmost importance for the history of the text: serving as the source for all subsequent Dutch editions (as well as manuscripts). Some library stamps at foot of first leaf. In very good condition,… Read More

Exceptionally large armillary sphere with rich calligraphical and ornamental decoration as an image of the universe. The celestial sphere is surrounded in the centre by rings with the signs of the zodiac (outside) and various planet symbols. The names of the zodiac signs and months are engraved in Arabic. Signed and dated by the artist, an "Alexander", in the year 1125 AH. A nearly identical object is kept at the Globe Museum of the Austrian National Library at Vienna (item GL. 214), there classified as "Persian/Arabic". While simple celestial globes are not uncommon in the trade, elaborate specimens of the present size (53 cms) are very rare. Slightly soiled and corroded, but hardly rubbed.

[10], [8], [11] ll.Magnificent copy of one of the rare 1608 editions, with the German title, English dedication and note to the reader and text in English, French, German and Dutch. Known in English as The exercise of arms, it was written and illustrated by Jacques de Gheyn and quickly became a famous pictorial army manual for use of officers to teach the young recruits how to handle their weapons: the arquebus (part 1), musket (part 2) and pike (part 3).It gives an excellent picture of the successful army of the Dutch Republic after its reform by Prince Maurits, who (re)introduced exercises and discipline. It also immortalizes Prince Maurits as a military thinker and commander of the most disciplined army of his age.The book met immediate success and makes a considerable contribution to our knowledge of military history. Fully coloured copies like the present were produced largely for princes and other important persons and were probably coloured by De Gheyn himself who was certainly responsible for… Read More

The first map of the Arabian peninsula ever printed, from a woodcut, here finely coloured by a contemporary hand and adorned with unique, hand-drawn illumination added by a contemporary artist. The map was published in the first atlas printed outside Italy, the first atlas to be illustrated with woodcut maps. Remarkably, the hand-drawn vignette illustrations include a depiction of the relief of Makkah (Mecca), besieged by Abrahah, through the Ababeel birds, who pelted the attacking army of war elephants with burning stones from the pits of the fires of hell. The image shows a gigantic blue-and-gold Ababeel bird above the city, engulfed in flames - not only one of the earliest depictions of Makkah but also an amazing example of cross-cultural exchange of narratives during the early Renaissance, proving a Western illustrator’s familiarity with a Middle Eastern tradition famously referenced in the Qur’an (sura 105, known as al-Fil, The Elephant): "Wa ’arsala ’Aalayhim tayran ’Ababeel, Tarmeehim… Read More

The West-Indische Paskaert engraved by Pieter Goos, in its rare first state, a nautical chart prepared for the Dutch West India Company (WIC) as an aid to crossing the Atlantic Ocean to the trading regions of the Americas and visiting trading posts in Africa. It shows parts of the east coast of North America, both coasts of South America, Mediterranean Europe and the west coast of Africa. Many West-Indische Paskaerten, as these navigational charts were called, were reprinted over and over from new states of the copperplates. For more than a century Dutch and foreign sea farers profited from their use on transatlantic journeys. The great cartographer Willem Jansz. Blaeu (1571-1638) published the first West-Indische Paskaert around 1630 using manuscript charts and other documents of the Atlantic and its coasts, including information provided by the Dutch WIC navigators who sailed these routes. Being one of the first practical uses of the Mercator projection, Blaeu's small-scale nautical chart was the… Read More