/Collection
  • Two volumes, 168 x 106 mm each, uniformly bound in faux mottled calf ruled in gilt, marbled endpapers. Vol. 1: 3 blank leaves of wove paper, 3 blank leaves of laid paper, half-title/blank, blank/frontispiece, ‘engraved’ t.p./blank, both printed on laid paper watermarked “ARCHES A LA | MAIN”; ‘letterpress’ t.p.,/blank, pp.: [1] 2-115 [116 blank], 3 blank leaves of laid paper, 3 blank leaves of wove paper; collated 12mo: π2 A-I6 K4; total 60 leaves plus 16 ‘engraved’ plates, incl. t.p. and frontis. Vol. 2: 3 blank leaves of wove paper, 3 blank leaves of laid paper, half-title/blank, blank/frontispiece, ‘engraved’ t.p./blank, no watermark, ‘letterpress’ t.p.,/blank, pp.: 1-77 [78 blank], 2 blank leaves of laid paper, 3 blank leaves of wove paper; collated 12mo: π2 A-F6 G3; total 41 leaves plus 24 ‘engraved’ plates, incl. t.p. and frontis. Dutel (I): A-1089, p. 325: in-8 (probably by size only, no formula suggested), pagination 115 and 77 as here, 2 frontispieces, 2 engraved titles dated 1873, “et 36 belles gravures de Binet”. Cohen-DeRicci: p. 734 bottom: in-12, no pagination, no formula. "Thérèse" was offered by a French seller user-75d14f4 on the online auction platform CATAWIKI in December 2021. The seller's description of this two-volume set was: "Re-edition, the date of which I was unable to determine. (London, no name, 1782) 2 duodecimo volumes of 115 and 77 pp., very lovely marbled sheepskin pastiche bindings, gilded triple fillets, adorned spines, black title labels. This classic of 18th-century clandestine erotica was written in 1748 by an author who has remained anonymous, attributed at the time to Montigny, which led to his internment in the Bastille. It is now attributed to the Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d'Argens. Edition illustrated with 37 very unrestrained figures, engraved in intaglio after Borel, unsigned." I should have paid more attention to the first phase, about the re-edition, but I didn't. After a few bidding rounds, I won the book when the hammer price was 2,200 Euros. On the 28th of December, 2021, I paid for this little beauty $2,760. The book arrived a few days later.  The paper's quality and texture, the watermark, the absence of the platemark, and the lack of embossing on the back (text and plates) made me suspect it was a fake. The pages were absolutely flat to the touch!  I established clear evidence of a high-resolution 'xerox' copy using Celestron Micro Capture Pro micro-photography.  I wrote to the seller and the auction platform, explaining my doubts regarding its authenticity. To prove my point, I include a few micro photos of the "Thérèse" and some books printed at the end of the 18th century. I explained why I considered it a fake and requested a return/refund. After two months of email exchanges, the seller and the platform refused to pay me back. Today is the 2nd anniversary of the purchase. I still have the book. To celebrate my carelessness, I included it in my library to warn fellow book collectors about buying from an unknown dealer via certain online auction platforms. Ref.: Bamber Gascoigne. How to Identify Prints: A Complete Guide to Manual and Mechanical Processes from Woodcut to Ink. — Thames and Hudson, 1995.

    Thérèse philosophe, 1783.

    Late 18th century books

    Books used for comparison: [LIB-2743.2021] Restif de la Bretonne. Les parisiennes, ou XL caractères généraux pris dans les mœurs actuelles, propres à servir à l’instruction des personnes-du-sexe / 4 vol. — Neufchâtel, et Paris: Guillot, 1787. [LIB-3027.2022] [Héliodore d’Emèse]. Amours de Théagènes et Chariclée: Histoire Éthiopique / 2 vol. — Londres [i.e. Paris]: [s.n.], 1743. [LIB-3252.2023] [Nicolas Chorier.] Le Meursius françois, ou entretiens galans d’Aloysia, orné de figures. — Cythere [i.e. Paris: Cazin], 1782. Below is a Xerox copy for comparison.    
  • Copper tsuba of slightly elongated round form carved in low relief (usuniku-bori, katakiri bori) with the design of a mythical creature: a horse, however, with divided hoofs, with anthropomorphic (human-like) face though with a vertically positioned third eye on the forehead, and a corn. Certain elements of the image accentuated with gold iroe. On the back: flowers and grasses carved in katakiribori technique. Shakudō fukurin.

    Edo period.

    Dimensions: 70.7 x 70.2 x 3.7 mm In a custom wooden box.
  • A copper tsuba with ishime-ji ground carved and polished (migaki-ji) with sitting Daruma; his eyes are inlaid with shakudo and he has a golden earring. The reverse carved with four characters: 廓 然 無 性 (Kakunen-mushō). It is a Zen proverb that goes back to Bodhidharma (Daruma), meaning "boundless expanse and nothing that can be called holy." [Markus Sesko translation]. Shakudo fukurin.

    Unsigned.

    Edo period (circa 1800). Dimensions: 68.2 x 65.5 x 4.8 (center) x 3.2 (rim) mm
  • Copper tsuba of slightly elongated round form carved in low relief (shishiaibori and sukisagebori) and inlaid in gold, silver and shakudō with the design of dreaming Rosei (Lu Sheng): he is half-sitting by the pillow with his eyes closed, holding his fan, with a scroll by his feet, surrounded by flying butterflies.

    Edo period, first half of the 18th century.

    Dimensions: 70.8 x 67.1 x 5.0 mm. Signed on the reverse: Jōi (乗 意) + Kaō. Sugiura Jōi [杉 浦 乗 意] (1701-1761) was a master of Nara School in Edo; he was a student of Toshinaga [M. Sesko, ‘Genealogies’, p. 32]. “Sugiura Jōi (1701-1761) made many fuchigashira and kozuka, tsuba are rather rare.” [M. Sesko, The Japanese toso-kinko Schools, pp. 148-149]. On Rosei (Lu Sheng) dream's legend see Legend in Japanese Art by Henri L. Joly (1908 edition) on page 293.
  • Iron tsuba of ryō-mokko-gata form decorated with a spotted deer (Nara deer or sika deer) motif in low relief carving (sukidashi-bori) and flat silver inlay (hara-zōgan); deer's eyes and details in gold inlay. Signed on a copper cartouche: Noriyuki. Grass in low relief carving on the reverse. There were two Noriyuki in Hamano school - father (Noriyuki I, 1736-1787) and son (Noriyuki II, 1771-1852). Frankly speaking, I don't know which one made this particular piece. Edo period, late 18th or early 19th century.

    Size: 71.5 x 70.0 x 3.0 mm.

       
  • An iron tsuba of oval form decorated with a water plantain (omodaka) carved in low relief and water drops inlaid in gold.

    Signed: Bushū jū Masamitsu.

    Bushū-Itō school.

    Height: 71.8; Width: 67.3; Thickness: 3.6; Weight: 96 g.

    Mid to late Edo period; 18th-19th century.

    There were several tsuba artists with the name of Masamitsu. The one who worked with iron and spelled [正光] is mentioned at Markus Sesko's 'Genealogies' on page 106 in Akasaka School of Edo section as Masamitsu Gorōbei , student of Tadatoki, 4th generation Akasaka master. The name is not mentioned at Torigoye/Haynes 'Tsuba. An Aesthetic Study' in the list of Bushū-Itō family masters on page 181.
  • An iron tsuba of slightly vertically elongated circular form carved and pierced with a mass of ivy (tsuta) leaves and tendrils, details damascened with gold in nunome-zōgan technique. Hitsu-ana with raised rim.

    Unsigned.

    Chōshū school.

    Height: 72.0 mm; width: 69.0 mm; thickness: 4.7 mm; Weight: 92 g.

    According to John W. Dower, "ivy bears fairly close resemblance to both maple leaf and grape leaf". However, I consider this tsuba decorated with ivy leaves for several reasons, such as the lack of racemations in the presence of tendrils.
  • Iron tsuba of oval form carved with a landscape motif. Kogai-hitsu-ana plugged with shakudo. Sekigane of copper.

    Signed: Chōshū Hagi-jū Tomohisa saku (長州萩住友久作).

    Tomohisa, adopted son of Rokurō'emon, was 3rd generation master of Kawaji School from Hagi in Nagato (Chōshū), lived 1687-1743 [M. Sesko 'Genealogies', page 117].

    Edo period, circa 1700. Dimensions: 71.1 x 66.8 x 2.9 mm For his adopted son Hisatsugu work see TSU-0103 in this collection.  
  • Iron tsuba pierced and carved (marubori-sukashi) with the 'horse in the round' design. Possibly, Bushū-Ito school, 19th century (ca. 1800). Kogai-hitsu-ana plugged with shakudō.

    Size: 67.6 x 66.8 x 5.1 mm

    Unsigned.

    See:

      1. Robert E. Haynes. Study Collection of Japanese Sword Fittings. Nihon Art Publishers, 2010, p. 120: Iron plate carved and formed in the round as a tethered bull...Signed: Bushū jū Sadayasu saku.
      2. Robert E. Haynes. Masterpiece and highly important tsuba, etc... San Francisco, 1984 // Catalog #9.: Signed: Bushū jū Yoshifusa. Ca. 1800, H 6.7 cm, Th. 4.75 mm.
      3. The Hartman collection of Japanese metalwork. Christie's, 1976, p. 29, №59: Bushū type, 19th century. Reference to Takezawa, Nihon Toban Zuetsu №411 for a similar design signed Bushū Yoshifusa.

    Hartman collection, №59. 

    4. Japanese Sword Fittings from the R. B. Caldwell Collection. Sale LN4188 "HIGO". Sotheby's, 30th March 1994, p. 17, №24: An iron tsuba, by Heianjo Sadatsune, Edo period (18th century). In the form of a horse, standing with its head lowered and a rope halter attached to its bit and trailing beneath. Signed Heianjo Sadatsune, 7.3 cm. With NBTHK Tokubetsu kicho paper, dated Showa 49 (1974). GBP 600-700.

    The Caldwell Collection. Heianjo Sadatsune, Edo period (18th century).

     
  • Iron tsuba of mokkō-form with a pine and a frog on the face and a snail on the back, carved and inlaid with gold. Each figurative element of the design is signed on three inlaid cartouches: Masaharu (正春), Kazuyuki (一之), and Yoshikazu (良一) [read by Markus Sesko]. Snake, snail, and frog together make a design called "SANSUKUMI" - Three Cringing Ones [Merrily Baird]. The snail can poison the snake, the frog eats the snail, and the snake eats the frog. It's unclear whether the pine replaces the snake on this tsuba, or the snake is hiding in the pine? Anyway, the frog and the snail are clearly represented. "Maybe we have here a joint work with Masaharu (the silver cartouche next to the pine) being the master and making the plate and Kazuyuki and Yoshikazu as his students carving out the frog and the snail respectively". Copper sekigane.

    Dimensions: 70.9 x 67.2 x 3.0 mm. Edo period (18th century).

    Markus Sesko writes: "I agree, the frog and the snail most likely allude to the san-sukumi motif. It is possible that we have here an artist's choice to deliberately leave out the snake, maybe he thought that the motif is already obvious and there is no need to add a snake to make it clear that the tsuba shows the san-sukumi motif." [Markus Sesko].

    Kazuyuki (一之): adopted son of Kumagai Yoshiyuki, student of Ichijō (Gotō-Ichijō Scool) [M. Sesko 'Genealogies', page 19.] Masaharu (正春): Kasuya fam., student of Masamichi (1707-1757) who was the 4th generation Nomura School master in Edo. [M. Sesko 'Genealogies', page 49.]
  • Iron tsuba of circular form with a branch of loquat (biwa) pierced in positive silhouette (ji-sukashi) and carved in marubori technique (marubori-sukashi). Kozuka and kogai hitsu-ana are plugged with shakudo.

    Signature: Choshu Kawaji ju Hisatsugu saku. Chōshū school in Nagato province.

    According to M. Sesko 'Genealogies' Hisatsugu was a 4th generation Kawaji School master from Chōshū (present day Nagato), with the name Gonbei, formerly Toramatsu, adopted son of Tomohisa (1687-1743) [page 117]. For Tomohisa work see TSU-0104 in this collection.
  • Iron tsuba of round form decorated with the design of distant pines, torii, and crescent moon in openwork (sukashi). Copper sekigane.

    Size: 84.9 x 84.8 x 5.8 mm.

    Unsigned.

    Edo period, ca. 1750.

    Tosa Myochin or Akasaka school.

    Japanese Swords and Sword Fittings from the Collection of Dr. Walter Ames Compton (Part I). Christie's, New York, March 31, 1992, pp. 28-29, № 53:

    "A Tosa Myochin School Tsuba. Edo period (circa 1750), signed Toshu ju Kuniyoshi saku. The round iron plate pierced with a design of a temple gate (torii) and a pine tree. It has a round rim and there are some carved details on the surface of the design. The Tosa Myochin school, despite its foundation in the classic Myochin armor school tradition, worked mainly in the style of Akasaka school of Edo. [...] Many are equal to the mid to later Akasaka school work and the two types have frequently been confused. Signed examples are rare. Estimated price $1,500-2,000."

    Compton Collection, Vol. 1, №53

  • Large oval form tsuba decorated with two human figures (scholar and attendant) under the pine tree admiring a view of a waterfall on the face of the plate, and with stylized dragons carved on the reverse among the symbols of thunder inlaid in gold. The plate is carved in low relief with details inlaid with gold and silver.

    Signed: Yamashiro no kuni Fushimi no ju Kaneie [Kaneie of Fushimi in Yamashiro Province] [山城國伏見住金家], with Kaō. It is a fake signature (gimei).

    Size: Height: 91.9 mm; Width: 85.6 mm; Thickness: 3.4 mm; Weight: 169 g.

    This is a late Edo period, 19th-century export work to cater to the tastes of the European tsuba collectors. It does not have anything in common with the work of great Kaneie masters.

    SOLD
  • Silver Kozuka carved in kebori ("hair carving") with a ukiyo-e style half-length figure of a beautiful woman (possibly a courtesan) dressed in a splendid kimono and hair ornament (kanzashi). Signed on the back: Koreyasu/Zetai + kaō (是休「花押」)  - transcribed by Markus Sesko. Size: 96.8 mm (H) x 14.9 mm (W). Edo period, early 19th century. I managed so far to find the only mention of Koreyasu at Japanese sword-mounts. A descriptive catalogue of the collection of J. C. Hawkshaw, Esq., M.A., of Hollycombe, Liphook. Complied and illustrated by Henri L. Joly. London, 1910 [LIB-1439 in this collection], page 204: 2623. — F./v., nigurome, chased in relief and inlaid with Omori Hikoshichi (large faces). Signed : Koreyasu of Yedo. xix. 2624. — F.K., nigurome, chased and inlaid in relief with Omori Hikoshichi and the witch. Signed : Shinriusha Koreyasu. No pictures of items or signature provided.
  • Sentoku tsuba of oval form with Sennin (Chinese immortal) motif carved in low relief (katakiribori). The Sennin is depicted with a double gourd in his right hand and a child beside his left hip. A pine tree carved on the reverse.

    Signed: Sōmin saku (宗眠作) [M.Sesko]. Yokoya School (see The Japanese toso-kinko Schools by Markus Sesko, pp. 133-8).

    Edo period (second half of the 18th century). Dimensions: Height: 61.6 mm; Width: 56.4 mm; Thickness: 4.2 mm; Weight: 85 g.
  • Iron tsuba of round form decorated with design of keys to the storehouse of the gods in openwork (sukashi). Rounded rim. Copper sekigane.

    Unsigned. Early Edo period, 17th century.

    Size: 71.0 x 70.9 x 6.0 mm.

    Merrily Baird, Symbols..: The Key to the Storehouse of the Gods, one of the Myriad Treasures.

  • Iron tsuba of oval form pierced with design of slanting rays of light (shakoh), a Christian motif (Jesuit’s IHS symbol), and a pair of tassels in positive silhouette (ji-sukashi). Details on tassels carved in low relief. Traditional description of this kind of design is called “tokei”, or “clock gear”. Rounded rim.

    Unsigned.

    Edo period, 17th or 18th century. Possibly - Owari school.

    Size: 76.0 x 73.0 x 6.2 mm.
  • КУПИТЬ КНИГУ

    "Разговоры Макиавелли и Монтескье в царстве мертвых” (Dialogue aux Enfers entre Machiavel et Montesquieu) – это политический памфлет, направленный против Наполена III. В 25 диалогах представитель эпохи Просвещения благородный барон де Монтескье отстаивает позиции умеренного правления и соблюдения прав личности, а флорентийский политик Средневековья злокозненный Макиавелли берется доказать своему собеседнику, что управлять людьми можно только силой и хитростью, и что деспотия — это потребность современного общества. Собеседники заключают пари. Макиавелли шаг за шагом описывает те действия, которые предпринял Наполеон III для установления деспотии во Франции, и выигрывает пари.

    В начале XX века «Разговоры» Жоли были использованы в царской России для изготовления антисемитской фальшивки — печально знаменитых «Протоколов сионских мудрецов», книги, переведенной на все языки мира и своими тиражами уступающей только Библии. Плагиат был разоблачен корреспондентом газеты «Таймс» Филипом Грейвсом в 1921 г. Сравнением текстов “Разговоров” и “Протоколов”, равно как и поиском автора плагиата, занималось не одно поколение исследователей.
    В наше время о “Разговорах” знают в основном благодаря “Протоколам”, но книга Жоли представляет интерес отнюдь не только в связи с означенными “Протоколами”. Единственный до сих пор перевод “Разговоров” на русский язык был выпущен в 2004 году издательством “МК-Трейд” под названием “Диалог в аду между Макиавелли и Монтескье”. Это был перевод с немецкого перевода с французского языка. Предлагаемое читателю новое издание книги Жоли является переводом с французского оригинала, хотя и достаточно вольным, что отражено в заголовке: Разговоры Макиавелли и Монтескье в царстве мертвых, записанные злосчастным французом Морисом Жоли в правление императора Людовика-Наполеона и пересказанные полтора века спустя для русского читателя нашим современником. Морис Жоли писал о “политике макиавеллизма в XIX веке”. Однако теперь очевидно, что и в XXI веке политика макиавеллизма не претерпела существенных изменений. Старинный рецепт установления деспотии “в одной, отдельно взятой стране” хорош и по сей день.

    Published in San Francisco, California.

    Paperback, size: 110 x 148 x 10 mm

    КУПИТЬ КНИГУ

  • Two volumes, 32 x 24 cm each, uniformly bound in grey cloth with crimson morocco labels with gilt lettering to spine “Н. Обольяниновъ | КАТАЛОГЪ | иллюстриров. изданiй | 1725-1860 гг. | I (II)”, original wrappers preserved. To t.p. verso ink stamps “Latvijas PSR Zinātn̦u akadēmija Fundamentālā bibliotēka”, “1964”, “KATALOGS”, and “Z.A.B. Inv. № 80274”. Printed on laid paper, pagination throughout. 3,038 items with bibliographical descriptions. Title-page: КАТАЛОГЪ | РУССКИХЪ ИЛЛЮСТРИРОВАННЫХЪ | ИЗДАНIЙ | 1725—1860 гг. | — | СОСТАВИЛЪ | Н. Обольяниновъ. | Въ двухъ томахъ | Т. I (II). | ~ | МОСКВА – 1914 (1915). | Товарищество ТИПОГРАФIИ А. И. МАМОНТОВА, | Арбатская пл., Филипповский пер., д. № 11. || Vol. I: Collation: π6 1-424, total 174 leaves; pp.: [i-v] vi-xii, [1] 2-335 [336 errata] (total 348 pages); within green publisher’s wrappers. Vol. II: π2 1-444, total 178 leaves; pp.: [4] [337] 338-686 [687 errata], [688 blank] (total 356 pages); within green publisher’s wrappers. Provenance: Fundamental library of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Contributors: Николай Александрович Обольянинов (Russian, 1868 – 1916) – author. Анатолий Иванович Ма́монтов (Russian, 1839 – 1905) – publisher.
  • Fuchi: 38 x 22 x 12 mm. Kashira: 32 x 17 x 11 mm Main material: shakudo; surface treatment: nanako-ji; other metals: gold, shibuichi and copper; decorative technique: iroe takazogan. Signed: Nyudo Jounishi 人道 乗西 (possibly)
     
  • Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Block cutter: Horikō (Kiyomizu) Ryūzō [彫工 柳三]. Publisher: Ebisuya Shoshichi [恵比寿屋庄七], Kinshōdō (Japanese, fl. c. 1846 – 1883). Actor Morita Kan'ya XI as Saito Tarozaemon Toshiyuki (Morito Kan'ya, Saito Tarozaemon Toshiyuki) Signed Toyokuni ga within the artist's Toshidama cartouche, publisher's seal Sho, Kinshodo, carver's seal Horiko Ryusan, censor's seal aratame with date 1860, 3rd month. Date: 3/1860. Oban tate-e; 36.5 x 25.3 cm. The actor Morita Kan'ya XI (1802-1863) is in the role of Saito Tarozaemon Toshiyuki from the play Oto no Miya Asahi no Yoroi (Oto no Miyo and the Armor of the Rising Sun). The play picks up following the Genko War of 1331-33 in which Emperor Go-Daigo (1288-1339) led a failed uprising against the ruling Hojo clan. Tarozaemon was a Hojo warlord and is credited with much of the victory. After the conflict, his lord Norisada receives a summer festival lantern from the courtesan Sanmi-no-Tsubone, which bears a riddling inscription. He and Tarozaemon deliberate over the courtesan and her message for quite some time until they realize that she is attempting to manipulate Norisada in the hopes of returning the Emperor from exile. Following this revelation, Norisada reinterprets the message to mean kiriko, literally "to cut a child," and determines that Sanmi-no-Tsubone's son must be killed. He instructs Tarozaemon to do the deed. However, unbeknownst to Norisada and in spite of his allegiance to the Hojo clan, Tarozaemon is sympathetic to Sanmi-no-Tsubone and her son. At one time, his own daughter had served in the Imperial Palace and was spared execution only through Sanmi-no-Tsubone's intervention. As repayment of that debt, he kills his own grandson in the other boy's stead and returns to Norisada to report that he had accomplished the mission. This print is from a series of portraits that Kunisada undertook very late in life and has been named Kinshodo-ban yakusha okubi-e (Kinshodo's Large-Head Actor Portraits) in reference to the publisher, Ebisuya Shochochi of Kinshodo. The series depicted great actors from the past and present in their famous roles. Kunisada was guided by images from his own oeuvre: he recorded Kan'ya in this role in the 8th month of 1829. As this was meant to be Kunisada's grandest actor series, it was executed on thick paper with the best possible pigments and the highest level of craftsmanship. In this unusual frontal portrait, Kunisada presents Morita Kan'ya XI as the loyal Tarozaemon with his eyes rolling upward and his jaw set in grim determination to commit the unthinkable act in an ultimate display of samurai honour. Text by Scholten Japanese Art, New York. Ref.: Waseda University Theatre Museum (enpaku.waseda.ac.jp), accession no. 100-5261 (for 1829 portrait of the same); [LIB-1212.2017] Robert Schaap. Kunisada: Imaging, drama and beauty. — Leiden: Hotei Publishing, 2016, p. 165 (№ 16). Andreas Marks. Publishers of Japanese woodblock prints: A compendium. Ebisuya Shoshichi (1846-83) - P6032.
  • Iron tsuba of round form with design of ginger and double diamonds (myoga-ni-nigaibishi) in openwork (sukashi), details carved in kebori technique. Slightly rounded square rim. Copper sekigane. Shoami school. Early Edo period: Late 17th century (Kanbun/Enppo era). Height: 80.1 mm. Width: 79.8 mm. Rim thickness: 5.0 mm. Center thickness: 4.7 mm. Provenance: Sasano Masayuki Collection, № 110.  
  • Kozuka made of pure copper with Daruma motif. The engraving technique is known as katakibori ("half-cut carving"). Signed on the back: Yasuchika. Size: 96.5 (H) x 14.5 mm (W). Edo period (Late 18th century). The technique of Katakiribori was developed by  Yokoya school of artisans. Detailed account of Yasuchika family of kodōgo carvers is given at Japanese Sword Fittings from the Alexander G. Mosle Collection; Sebastian Izzard LLC, 2004 on page 64. The article ends with the following statement: "Given the popularity of his style and his many students, it is not surprising that a number of works bearing Yasuchika's signature are today disputed." S. Izzard attributes Yasuchika masters to Nara school. Yasuchika-signed kozuka in Important Japanese Swords and Sword Furniture and Works of Art [November 5, 1980, sales "Kotetsu". New York, Christie, Manson & Woods International Inc., 1980, pp.92-93, lot 172 and 173] are stylistically very different to our example. A shibuichi katakiribori kozuka, bearing the signature of Yashuchika, is illustrated at The Hartman Collection of Japanese Metalwork [sold at auction by Christie, Manson & Woods Ltd. June 30 and July 1, London, 1976] on page 82, lot 291. It depicts Daikoku and stylistically similar to ours. The description on page 83 says: "signed Yasuchika, and inscribed "drawn by Hanabusa Itcho" (Yasuchika IV, school of Iawamoto konkan, circa 1800)". A detailed account of Yasuchika signatures is presented at Masterpiece tsuba and kodogu from the Hans Conried and Alexander G. Mosle collections. Important woodblock prints by Utamaro, Hokusai, Hiroshige, Yoshida and other masters. San Francisco, September 1-25, 1983. Catalog #7. Robert E. Haynes, Ltd., pp. 141-174. The example that looks like ours is on page 146: Though we have to admit that the example from Catalog #7 by Robert E. Haynes looks much stronger.    
  • Artist: Natalia Goncharova (July 3, 1881 – October 17, 1962). Russian/French. Lithographic illustration "An elder astride a bull" for Aleksei Kruchenykh book "Two poems. The Hermit. The Hermitess", Moscow, Kuzmin and Dolinsky Publishers, 1913. This sheet is from the book "Natalia Goncharova / Mikhail Larionov" by Eli Eganbyuri (pen-name of Ilia Zdanevich), published by Z. A. Münster in 1913. Inscription on the back: hand-written copy (allegedly by the hand of  Osip Brik) of Vladimir Mayakovsky verses for "Red Pepper" (Krasny peretz) magazine issue of 1924, included in the compilation "Ferocious laugh" (Grozny smekh) that was published after Mayakovsky death in 1931. Text of the manuscript on verso. Size: 18,5 х 14,3 cm.   Наталия Гончарова (3 июля 1881 – 17 октября 1962). Россия/Франция. Автолитография "Старец верхом на быке" для книги А. Е. Крученых "Две поэмы. Пустынники. Пустынница"; - М.: Изд. Г.Л. Кузьмина, С.Д. Долинского, 1913. Данный лист из книги Эли Эганбюри (псевдоним Ильи Зданевича) "Наталия Гончарова / Михаил Ларионов"; - М. : Изд. Ц. Мюнстера, 1913. На обороте список стихов из подписей к "Красному перцу" 1924 г., которые вошли в сб. "Грозный смех" (вышел после смерти Маяковского в 1931). Вероятно список сделан рукой Осипа Брика. Текст манускрипта.   Формат: 18,5 х 14,3 см.
    Г. Л. Кузьмин и С. Д. Долинский знамениты, в частности, тем, что в 1912 году издали футуристский манифест "Пощечина общественному вкусу". О них можно найти дополнительную информацию в статье об Л. Л. Кузьмине. Издатель Цезарь Александрович Мюнстер был сыном знаменитого русского литографа Александра Эрнестовича Мюнстера, открывшего свое литографическое заведение в Санкт-Петербурге в 1850 году. Судьба Ц. А. Мюнстера и его издательства после революции 1917 года мне неизвестна.

    Сидят: В.В. Хлебников, Г.Л. Кузьмин, С.Д. Долинский Стоят: Н.Д. Бурлюк, Д.Д. Бурлюк, В.В. Маяковский. 1911.

     
     
  • Etruscan Bucchero Pottery Kantharos, ca. 758-264 BC. A ceramic vessel with high handles, meant for consuming wine. Flanged border between the body and the foot displays dozens of incised grooves. The rim is smooth, and the upper and of each handle flows seamlessly into the body if the vessel. Bucchero is an Etruscan type of pottery named for the specific firing technique which results in a smooth, shiny black finish. Size: 21.6 x 13.3 cm. Portions os both handles repaired with some overpainting and light adhesive residue along break lines, One handle stabilized with some new material and overpainting along fissure line. Light earthen deposits within recessed areas.
  • Kitagawa Tsukimaro (Kikumaro): 喜多川 月麿, fl. c. 1794–1836.

    Mother is playing with her child: they left playing with shadow lantern for freeing a turtle (Hojo-e, or "Rite for the Release of Living Beings").

    Signed: Tsukimaro hitsu (月麿筆); Publisher's mark; censor's seal: Kiwame + Yamaguchiya Tôbei gyōji seal (1811-14).

     
  • Title: PETER SCHLEMIHL: | FROM THE GERMAN | OF LAMOTTE FOUQUÉ | WITH PLATES BY GEORGE CRUICKSHANK. | "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, | "Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." | SHAKESPEARE. | — | LONDON: | G. AND W. B. WHITTAKER, | AVE MARIA LANE. | 1824.|| Pagination: xii, 165 p. : ill. No Adelbert von Chamisso (German, 1781 – 1838) name on the title page. George Cruikshank's name printed with a typo 'Cruickshank'. The attribution on the title-page to Friedrich de La Motte-Fouqué (German, 1777 – 1843) is erroneous. The original German was edited by La Motte Fouqué. The translation was performed by Sir John Bowring (British, 1792 – 1872) First edition in English, third issue with no hyphen between "Ave" and 'Maria" in publisher's imprint.

    In a cover box of red cloth over cardboard. Box: 21 x 13 x 2.3 cm; book: 19.3 x 11.8 x 1.7 cm; Crown 8vo. Red cardboard binding. Printed spine labels mounted on spine of the box and the book. Untrimmed edges.

    Reference: Cohn 475.
  • Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865).

    Uncut fan print (uchiwa-e), 295 x 230 mm, depicting kabuki actor Bandō Shūka I as Shirai Gonpachi (白井権八) reading a scroll by the light of a lantern. From the series A Parody of the Five Chivalrous Commoners; a Cup of Sake From Their Fans (Mitate gonin otoko, go-hiiki no omoizashi).  According to Paul Griffith, the term omoizashi refers to the act of pouring a cup of sake for one's chosen partner, here giving an impression of intimacy and affection between famous actors and their patrons.

    Actor: Bandō Shūka I [初代坂東しうか] (Japanese, 1813-1855); other names: Bandō Tamasaburō I, Bandō Mitsugorō V (posthumously). The print was probably published by some unknown Yama-Ta (Marks U421b). Double nanushi censor seals and date seal: Muramatsu and Fuku, Kaei 5, 2nd month (2/1852). As Kabuki Encyclopedia put it: "Gonpachi. A parasite. From the character named Shirai Gonpachi who lives at the home of Banzui Chōbei and sponges off him" (An English-Langauge Adaptation of Kabuki Jiten. Samuel L. Leiter. Greenwood Press, 1979, pp. 26, 98-9). There were many kabuki plays based on the story of the lovers Miura-ya Komurasaki and Shirai Gonpachi. (See: [LIB-2226.2019] Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford. Tales of Old Japan. — London: Macmillan and Co., 1883). Ref.: Art shop Ezoshi Ukiyoe new collection news, vol. 66, 2023.1 (Jan) # 31, p.8.  
  • Fables de La Fontaine / édition illustrée par J. J. Grandville (in 2 volumes). – Paris: H. Fournier Ainé, Perronin, 1838. Imp. H. Fournier et Ce, 14 rue de Seine (Premier Tirage). Vol 1: [2 - ht, imprim.] [2 - blank with handwritten inscription, frontis.] [2 - t.p., blank], [ [i] ii-xxviii - épitre, préface, [2 - plate 'fables', [1] 2 - dedication, [3, 4 - pltate: livre 1, blank] [5, 6 - plate: blank, cigale] [7] 8 - fab.1 (the subsequent plates are not paginated) - 292. (245-246 - Avertissement), (247-248 - A mamdam de Montespan); Wood engravings: frontispiece + half-title Fables + 7 running half-titles Livres des Fables + 72 plates. Vol. 2: [2 - ht, imprim.] [2 - t.p., blank] [1, 2 - plate 'livre 8', blank] [3] 4-312 (191-192 épilogue), (195-196 Au duc de Bourgogne), (268 - fin des fables), (269-296 Philemon et Baucis | D. O. M. | La Martone Déphèse | Belphegor), (297 -308 notice), (309-312 table); Wood engravings: 5 running half-titles Livres des Fables + 1 half-title Philemon et Baucis  + 48 plates. Size: 8vo, 23.2 x 15 cm. Binding: Full tree-calf, flat spine stamped with gilt, red and brown labels with gilt lettering, marbled endpapers. Handwritten nut ink inscription to blank recto of frontispiece: the history of Millet-Fontaine family (provenance?) There were two print-runs in the year 1838. According to Léopold Carteret (Le trésor du bibliophile. Epoque romantique. 1801-1875 / Livres illustrés du XIXe siècle. – Paris: L. Carteret; imprim. Lahure, 1927, pp. 357-9), the first run (Premier Tirage) published by H. Fournier and Perrotin, while the Second Tirage by H. Fournier Ainé. Though, the initial cap character "N" at p. xiii (vie d'Ésope) in this copy is formed by 'faite de lignes bouclées' as in the first print-run, rather than by 'petits carreaux noirs et blances' as in the second. We can conclude with confidence that this copy belongs to Premier Tirage. Wood engravings (135 plates, including frontispiece, and numerous headpieces and initial letters) were cut by the following artists (the first number is the number of the chapter ('livre'), the second – the number of the fable within the 'livre': Wood engravers: John Bastin, (British, fl. 1840 – 1850): 6-6, 7-13, and 8-9. Alexandre Belhatte (French, born in 1811): 3-11 and chapter title pages to 'livres' 6, 11, 12, headpices on p. 117 in vol. 2, and 'Philemon et Baucis' section title page. J. Constantine Beneworth (active France, 19th century): 1-6. Louis-Henri Brévière (French, 1797 – 1869): 1-10, 2-7, 6-10, 6-21, 7-4, 8-10, 8-27, 9-3, 10-4, 12-11, frontispice, together with François-Louis Français (French, 1814–1897), and 'Fin des fables' tailpiece. Brévière et Hébert: Louis-Henri Brévière (French, 1797 – 1869) and César-Auguste Hébert (French, active 19th century): 1-1, 1-2, 1-13, 1-18, 2-2, 2-11, 3-1, 3-3, 3-4, 3-18, 4-20, 4-21, 4-22, 5-5, 5-20, 6-2, 6-8, 7-3, 8-7, 8-12, 8-14, 8-17, 9-14, 10-6, 10-16, 11-6, 12-4, 12-25. Joseph-Hippolyte-Jules Caqué (French, 1814 – 1885): 7-11 and headpieces on p. 251 in vol. 1 and on p. 197 in vol. 2. Prosper-Adolphe-Léon Cherrier (French, born 1806): 8-6. Henry Isidore Chevauchet (French, fl. 1837 – 1850): 1-19, 2-4, and 4-5. Louis Dujardin (French, 1808 – 1859): 10-9. Pierre-François Godard (French, 1768 – 1838): 1-5, 1-16, 5-2, and 10-11. Charles David Laing (British, fl. 1836 – 1853): 7-9. Lacoste père et fils aîné et Auguste-Alexandre Guillaumot (French, 1815 – 1892): 1-4, 1-20, 9-17, and 11-5. Laisné (Alfred, Adèle, and Aglaé) (French, active 1835–1868): 5-8, 6-5, 6-17, 8-2, 8-15, 9-9, 9-10, 11-1, 11-8, 12-10. (Alfred, Adèle, and Aglaé) Laisné (French, active 1835–1868): 5-8, 6-5, 6-17, 8-2, 8-15, 9-9, 9-10, 11-1, 11-8, 12-10. Théodore Maurisset (French, fl. 1834 – 1859): 2-14 and 6-13. Antoine-Alphée Piaud (French, 1813 – 1867): 1-17, 2-9, 2-16, 4-1, 4-4, 5-15, 5-17, 5-18, 5-21, 8-22, 8-23, 8-25, 9-19, 10-13, 11-3, 11-9, 12-13, 12-15, 12-21, three 'livres': 3, 9, 10, and headpiece on p. 71 in vol. 2. Roux-Jourdain: Two 'livre' title pages, 1 and 2. John Orrin Smith (British, 1799 – 1843): 2-13, 2-18, 3-9, 3-14, 4-9, and 4-14.L. Chauchefoin (French): 2-3 and 5.13. Matthew Urlwin Sears (British, 1799 – 1870): 10-1 and 12-9. Monogram TM or MT (possibly for Théodore Maurisset): 6-16 and 10-3. Monogram GO–> (possibly for Godard) : 5-3, 7-1, and 9-5. Monogram B and BV: 4-11, 12-6, 'livre' 4, and headpieces on p. 1 in vol. 1 and on p. 167 in vol. 2. Unsigned or with an illegible signature: "fables' section title, 1-3, 1-9, 3-5, 3-8, 4-15, 4-18, 5-10, 7-7, 7-16, 9-2, 9-4, 12-2, 12-3, 12-17, and two 'livre' title pages, 5 and 8. Little is know about Matthew Urlwin Sears. He was a wood engraver of good reputation who is known to have worked in London in the early 1820s, Paris and Leipzig. Listed as "wood engraver" on records of the UK Printing Historical Society. Work The British Museum owns three of his earliest published works, engravings for Northcote's Fables (1828). He authored "Specimen of stereotype ornaments, 1825" which was reprinted as a facsimile in 1990 by the Printing Historical Society (London), with a foreword by James Mosley. He is mentioned by Pierre Gusman in "La Gravure sur Bois en France" (Paris, 1929). Laurent's Histoire de l'Empereur Napoleon, (1839) is one of many publications on which both Sears and his partner John Quartly worked, as well as numerous other engravers. His work appeared in "Aunt Effie's Rhymes" (1852) and "Uncle Tom's Cabin", by Harriet Beech Stowe (Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1853) [Claire-Juliette Beale, December 2009].
  • A very thin kobushi-gata form iron tsuba decorated in openwork (sukashi), some openings filled with grey metal (silver or pewter) treated in a way to resemble cracked ice, ginkgo leaf to recto and plum blossoms to verso in low-relief (takabori) and gold inlay (zōgan), and unevenly folded over rim (hineri-mimi). The overall theme of the piece is linked to the icy ponds, falling ginkgo leaves and blossoming plums in the late winter.

    Size: 84 x 80 mm, thickness (center): 2 mm.

    Signed: Yamashiro no kuni Fushimi no ju Kaneie [Kaneie of Fushimi in Yamashiro Province] [山城國伏見住金家], with Kaō.

    Probably the work of Meijin-Shodai Kaneie (c. 1580 – 1600).

    The silver or pewter inlays likely a later work that may be attributed to Goto Ichijo (1791 – 1876) or one of his apprentices in the late 19th century, possibly as a tribute to the great Kaneie masters. Here is an article by Steve Waszak dedicated to Kaneie masters and this tsuba in particular.

    Kaneie

    For many tosogu aficionados, this name reigns supreme among all tsubako across Japanese history.  The first Kaneie is celebrated for many things.  He is recognized as being the first ever to bring pictorial landscape subjects to a canvas so small as that of a tsuba plate.  His skill in being able to render classical Chinese landscape themes while working with a material as unyielding as steel, and to do so with the sensitivity he does, is nothing short of astounding.   The quality of his workmanship — especially that of his exquisitely carved motif elements and the extraordinary deftness of his tsuchime (槌目 or 鎚目, hammer-blow) utilizing such thin plates — astonishes even to this day.  His sensibilities concerning the shaping of his sword guards and the presentation of the rims were no less innovative than his subject matter.  He was among the very first to regularly sign his name as a tsuba smith.  And it is likely that he served the great warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the latter years of the 16th century.
    Despite the great fame and reputation of Kaneie, very little of the lives of the two men who are seen by most scholars as the “true Kaneie” tsubako of the Momoyama and earliest Edo Periods is known to us now.  They were both smiths working in steel, with occasional added soft-metal inlay (usually serving to highlight features), and both made sword guards of the same style, using subject matter focused on landscapes, allusions to historical events, or religious themes.  The first of these men is often referred to as “O-Shodai,” or Great First Generation, while the second is known as “Meijin-Shodai,” or Famous First Generation.  While some see subsequent generations stemming from these first two men, others have the O-Shodai and the Meijin-Shodai as THE two true Kaneie and make a sharp distinction between these two smiths and any others who may share the name.
    The work of the O-Shodai may appear with two different mei.  One of these is written “Joshu Fushimi Ju Kaneie,” while his work may also carry a mei reading “Yamashiro no Kuni Fushimi Ju Kaneie.”  It is thought by some scholars that the earlier works present with the “Joshu” mei, while his later works feature the “Yamashiro” mei.  However, there are only some five or six tsuba extant with the “Joshu” signature, so we should not necessarily see works with the “Yamashiro” signature as dating only to the latest years of his working life.  The answers to the questions of exactly when Kaneie might have begun his life as a tsubako, or how old he was when he moved to sign his works with the “Yamashiro” mei, will probably remain shrouded in uncertainty.
    The association between Kaneie and Toyotomi Hideyoshi is speculative, to be sure, but the circumstantial evidence is tantalizing.  The area of Fushimi is thought to have been an entirely unremarkable land prior to Hideyoshi’s building of a castle there, so it would seem unlikely that the first Kaneie would have been working in such a nondescript place, much less including the place name in his mei, before Hideyoshi’s putting it on the map, so to speak.  Why emphasize such pride of place in one’s signature unless the place itself carries a certain weight?  The name “Kaneie” translates roughly to “gold family,” which, given Hideyoshi’s notorious love of gold, would seem too much of a coincidence when combined with the explicit mention of Fushimi in the signatures.  Combine this with the consideration of what is an equally compelling relationship between the celebrated tsubako Nobuie and Oda Nobunaga (“Nobuie” means roughly “of the family of “Nobu”), whom Hideyoshi served as a top general until Oda’s demise in 1582, and the circumstantial evidence becomes even harder to deny the plausibility of.  Oda, ever the innovator, may have been the one responsible for birthing the practice of tsubako regularly signing their works.  Having a superb smith like Nobuie affix the name to the tsuba as a regular practice establishes a sort of “brand name,” a brand coming with the seal of approval of Oda Nobunaga.  It is more than possible that Nobunaga may have then used these valuable sword guards as rewards given to vassals and other important relations to honour them for their services to him, a practice that would have allowed Nobunaga to avoid having to use gold, guns, swords, horses, or land to do so.  The awarding of a magnificent Nobuie tsuba to a deserving warrior, an appreciated ally, or a family member would bring honour to the recipient, of course, but would also honour the maker of the sword guard, and even the giver of the object. Such a way of thinking would be absolutely typical of him, and given that both Oda Nobunaga and Nobuie were men of Kiyosu in Owari in the early Momoyama Period, it does not strain credulity to imagine that the above dynamic could have occurred in just this way.  If indeed it did, Toyotomi Hideyoshi is unlikely to have let this pass unnoticed.  He may even have been so honoured himself!  When he rose to power very shortly after Oda’s death, then, and when he reinforced and consolidated that power in the late 1580s and early 1590s, which included the building of the castle at Fushimi, perhaps he sought to emulate the Oda vision and practice of establishing a “royal tsubako.”  If so, Kaneie would have been that smith.
    As noted, this scenario is speculative, and not a little romantic.  This does not mean, however, that it is in fact not likely, for there would be a number of coincidences involved for it to be entirely false.
    Tsuba scholars will say that Kaneie’s skills in the making of his sword guards indicate an armour-making background.  This is an interesting viewpoint, but one can’t help but wonder how many armourers were possessed of such fluent literacy in lyrical Chinese historical tales that they could then represent them as motifs on steel plates.  Kaneie subjects often are in the form of Chinese landscapes and allusions, as noted, one of which — The Eight Views of the Xiao and the Xiang — was very well known as a famous subject of Chinese painting and poetry from the Song Dynasty.  There exist Kaneie tsuba which depicts at least some of these “views,” and it seems unlikely that if one or more of them were to be created, not all of them would be, in a sort of “series.”  The cultural and literary fluency Kaneie would seem to have had, then, may suggest a Buddhist background, and indeed, some of the subjects seen are explicitly Buddhist in nature.  Perhaps his background then, somehow offering a dovetailing of metalwork and Buddhist teachings; in any event, we are all the richer for at least some of the works of Kaneie to have survived to reach us today.
    One of the hallmarks of Kaneie tsuba (real ones) is the extreme thinness of the plate, combined with utterly superb tsuchime expression of that plate.  To be able to hammer the plate to achieve such strength of expression while the plate is so thin is seen by the Japanese as practically miraculous.  A notable and important kantei point between the early masterpieces by the two “Shodai” Kaneie and the tsuba made by followers is this thinness of the plate.  Another kantei point:  because the plate is so thin when raised areas representing motif elements are present, they are inlaid into the plate, because trying to carve them from such a thin plate would be practically impossible:  the likelihood of piercing the plate would be high, and the plate in that area, even if not pierced, would be significantly weakened by trying to manage the raising of a motif element from the plate.  In real Kaneie works, then, one would expect any raised motif elements to be inlaid.
    Other highlights:  the “Shodai” Kaneie are famous for the kobushi-gata (拳形) or “fist-shaped” design in their work, but despite this, there actually aren’t that many extant sword guards boasting this shape.  Another feature for which the Kaneie are justly famous is their folding over of the lip of the rim onto the plate in a very tasteful manner, just here and there, rather than uniformly across the tsuba.  However, again, this feature is actually not commonly seen, either.  The combination, then, of a kobushi-gata shape with the rim folded over in just a few areas is that much rarer.
    Which brings us to the featured piece.
    Here is a Kaneie tsuba, a “Meijin-Shodai” Kaneie, which presents with a very thin plate, being between 1.5 and 2mm in thickness.  The motif elements are inlaid, as we should expect.  The sugata (姿, shape) is Kobushi-gata with the rim folded over in only a few places, representing a relatively infrequently encountered form, as stated.  The tsuba here is fortunate not to have any added hitsu-ana, unlike many or most other Kaneie do.  The sukashi elements are fascinating to consider, being difficult to determine the meaning of; however, the raised elements clearly point to a seasonal motif, with cherry and plum blossoms on the omote for Spring, and ginkgo on the ura for Fall.  The inlaid metal in two of the openings — silver, shibuichi, or pewter, perhaps — is very likely a later addition, probably 19th-century, and more specifically, late-19th-century.  The finishing on these inlaid portions has all the hallmarks of Goto Ichijo workmanship.  Namely, the treatment of the surface of the inlay to resemble fallen snow (in the Japanese sense of things) is expressed in a very Ichijo sense of things, and, given the great importance of Kaneie tsuba, and the seasonal expression the motif of the guard has, it is plausible that the inlay is Ichijo work or that of one of his top students.  In any event, this inlay complements the rest of the tsuba beautifully.  The inlay also resembles the art of kintsugi (金継ぎ, golden joinery) or the Japanese practice of ceramic repair using lacquer when a piece is particularly special or important.  In this way, a nod is given to Tea Culture, too, creating a wonderful blending of associations and allusions, typical of the highest Japanese aesthetic sense.
    At 8.4cm, the tsuba is of an excellent size and is in great condition (no rust, no deep rust pitting, no fire damage).  There is, intriguingly, one small sign of battle damage at 6:00 on the guard:  it would seem a sword blow cut into the tsuba at the rim, and penetrated slightly into the plate.  The superb repair represented by a little stitch or two right at the rim and along a few millimetres of the plate is visible on very close inspection.  The repair is old, probably nearly contemporary with when the tsuba was made.  Given the high status of Kaneie in their lifetime (as tsubako for Hideyoshi, one might imagine their importance), and given the obvious high quality of this piece, it is not surprising that the finest repair efforts were put into its care.
    The name Kaneie justly enjoys its fame and accolades as pre-eminent among the tens of thousands of tsubako in Japanese history.  We are fortunate indeed to have had a small number of the works of the early masters survive to this day.  The first of their kind, and as most scholars and aficionados would wholeheartedly agree, the best of their kind, Kaneie sword guards remain among the very finest examples of the Japanese metal-working traditions.
  • Half-title: AQUATINT ENGRAVING || Title: AQUATINT ENGRAVING | A CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY | OF BOOK ILLUSTRATION BY | S. T. PRIDEAUX | ILLUSTRATED BY AN ORIGINAL AQUATINT, TWO COLLOTYPE PLATES | AND NUMEROUS HALF-TONE PLATES | [Prideaux device] | LONDON | DUCKWORTH & CO. | 3 HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, W.C. || Pagination: ffl, [i, ii] – h.t. / blank, [2] – blank / frontis. w/guard, [iii, iv] – t.p. / coloph. "First Published, December 1909", [v, vi] – dedication "TO MY FATHER" / blank, vii-xv [xvi], [1] 2-434, bfl, + 24 pl. (incl. port). Collation: [a]6 b8 A-Z8 2A-2C8 2D4 Binding: Original navy cloth, gilt-ruled and lettered front board, gilt lettering to spine, a blind device to back board; upper margin gilt, free margin untrimmed. Author: Sarah Prideaux. "Engravers and the books they illustrated": p. 388-405. "Publications by Ackermann with aquatint plates": p. 374-378. "Biographical notices of engravers whose names appear on the plates": p. 358-371. "Books published before 1830 with aquatint plates": p. 325-357.
  • A footed double-gourd porcelain bottle with iron and gold coloured crackle on grey background. China, the Qianlong period (1711 – 1799) of the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912). Diameter: 12 cm; Height: 21 cm.
  • A two-volume set. Vol. 1:

    Title: LA | GERUSALEMME | LIBERATA | DI | TORQUATO TASSO | Tomo Primo | {vignette} | IN PARIGI | M.DCC.LXXI | Appreßo { Agostino Delalain. | Pietro Durand. | Gio: Claudio Molini. | Droüet ∫crip.

    Pagination: ffl [1] 2-331 [332] bfl; illustrations after Gravelot: frontis. by Henriquez, t.p. vignette by Patas, engraved dedication by Le Roy, 10 head- and 7 tailpieces by Le Roy, 5 full-page vignettes by Le Roy, and 10 plates by: Baquoy, Duclos (3), Le Roy, Lingée, Née, Rousseau, and Simonet (2).

    Collation: 8vo; A-V8 X6.

    Vol. 2:  Title: LA | GERUSALEMME | LIBERATA | DI | TORQUATO TASSO | Tomo Secondo | {vignette} | IN PARIGI | M.DCC.LXXI | Appreßo { Agostino Delalain. | Pietro Durand. | Gio: Claudio Molini. | Droüet ∫crip. Pagination: ffl [1] 2-340 bfl; illustrations after Gravelot: frontis. by Henriquez, t.p. vignette by Mesnil, 10 head- and 6 tailpieces by Le Roy, 4 full-page vignettes by Le Roy, tailpiece by Ponce, and 10 plates by: Duclos, Henriquez, Leveau, Lingée, Massard, Née, Patas, Ponce, Rousseau, and Simonet. Collation: 8vo; A-X8 Y2. Size: 21.5 x 14.5 cm. Size of the copy sold at Sotheby's in 2015: 23.3 x 14.0 cm; Christie's in 2008: 23.2 x 14.4 cm Page size: 21 x 13.5 cm. In referenced sources, the page size is bigger than that. N. Ray gives 11 ½  x 8 7  inches or 9 x 5½ inches. Cohen and De Ricci do not bother to give sizes, considering that octavo is octavo. MFA: 30.3 x 23.1 x 4 cm (11 15/16 x 9 1/8 x 1 9/16 in.) Binding: Two volumes uniformly bound in full marbled calf, ruled in gilt, flat spine with gilt decorations and monogram, cream lettered label. Geoffrey Lord Cross of Chelsea [Geoffrey Cross, Baron Cross of Chelsea] (British, 1904 – 1989) bookplate to front pastedown. Catalogue raisonné: N. Ray №22, p. 48; Cohen De Ricci 974-975 According to MFA printing by: François-Augustin Quillau (French, 1743–1804). This edition was illustrated by Hubert François Gravelot (French, 1699–1773) and engraved by the following engravers: Jean Charles Baquoy (French, 1721–1777) Antoine Jean Duclos (French, 1742–1795) Benoît Louis Henriquez (French, 1732–1806) Jean Jacques André Le Veau (French, 1729–1785) Charles Louis Lingée (French, 1748–1819) Jacques Le Roy (French, born in 1739) Jean Massard (1740–1822) Elie du Mesnil (French, born about 1728) François Denis Née (French, 1735–1818) Charles Emmanuel Jean Baptiste Patas (French, 1744–1802) Nicholas Ponce (French, 1746–1831) Jean François Rousseau (French, born in 1740) Jean Baptiste Simonet (French, 1742–1813) Droüet (French, 18th century)
  • Publisher's brown cloth stamped in gilt, in a slipcase, 19 x 14 cm; pp.: [11]  1-657 [1] 1-12 [6]; in Japanese. With full English translation published in 1982 on letter-size writing paper in a separate folder, 29.5 x 23 cm, pp. [2] i-iii, 1-197, 1-52, 1-3. "Kinkō Meikan is a collection of photographs of signatures that appear on the tsuba and other fittings of the Japanese sword".
  • Title: OXFORD EDITION | POPULAR STORIES | COLLECTED BY | THE BROTHERS GRIMM | A REPRINT OF THE FIRST ENGLISH EDITION | WITH TWENTY-TWO ILLUSTRATIONS | BY GEORGE CRUIKSHANK | {publisher’s device} | HENRY FROWDE | LONDON, EDINBURGH, GLASGOW | NEW YORK AND TORONTO | 1905 || Pagination: [i, ii] – frontis., [iii-iv]– t.p. / imprint. [v] – preface, vi-xvii [xviii blank], [2] [1] 2-403 [404], plates included in pagination, pp. 379-403 – notes. Collation: a8 b2 B-Z8 Aa-Cc8 Dd2. Binding:1 9 x 13 cm, olive green cloth blind-stamped in art nouveau style and lettered in gilt to cover and spine: GRIMMS’ POPULAR STORIES. Aubergine pencil inscription to front pastedown: C. Grant Robertson | All Souls | 1905: Provenance: Sir Charles Grant Robertson CVO (British, 1869 – 1948) who was a British academic historian, a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and Vice-chancellor of the University of Birmingham.
  • Cover and title page: Н. Л. | ФРАН-МАСОНСТВО | И | ГОСУДАРСТВЕННАЯ ИЗМѢНА. | Изданiе В. П. | С.-ПЕТЕРБУРГЪ | Типографиiя газеты «Россiя». Бассейная, 3. | 1906 г. || Pagination: [1-3] 4-77 [3]; collation: [1]8 2-58; 23 x 15.5 cm, in publisher’s lettered wrappers, library and bookstore stamps. A reprint of an article published in № 4 of the magazine "Море и его Жизнь", January 1905. Allegedly a translation and a brief exposition of La franc-maçonnerie et la Révolution française by Maurice Talmeyr [Marie-Justin-Maurice Coste] (French, –