/Collection
  • © Aurora Art Publishers: ISBN 0-8109-1406-9. Printed and bound in Finland. A pictorial album about the history and collections of The Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg during World War II. Title-page: in frame: THE ORDEAL | OF THE | THE SIEGE OF | LENINGRAD• | 1941 – 1944 | HERMITAGE; under the frame: Text by Sergei Varshavsky and Boris Rest | — | AURORA ART PUBLISHERS, LENINGRAD• | HARRY N. ABRAMS, INC., PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK || Description: Illustrated album in hardcover, 33 x 25 cm, bound in black cloth with gilt and purple lettering to spine, brown endpapers, pictorial dust jacket; pp.: [1-6] 7-270 [34], total 304 pages with b/w and colour illustrations. TextSergei Petrovich Varshavsky [Сергей Петрович Варшавский] (Jewish-Russian, 1906 – 1980); B. Rest [Б. Рест; Юлий Исаакович Шапиро] (Jewish-Russian, fl. 1940 – 1980). Preface: Boris Piotrovsky [Борис Борисович Пиотровский] (Russian, 1908 – 1990). Translated by Arthur Shkarovsky-Rafeé. Layout by Liubov Rakhmilevich. Photography by Viktor Savik and Leonid Bogdanov. A twin edition to [LIB-3043.2022] S. Varshavsky, B. Rest. Saved for humanity: the Hermitage during the siege of Leningrad, 1941-1944. — Leningrad: Aurora Art Publishers, 1985 and the Russian edition [LIB-3044.2022] C. Варшавский, Б. Рест. Подвиг Эрмитажа, 1941-1944 / Альбом. — Ленинград: Издательство «Аврора», 1987. The text extracted from [LIB-3035.2022] С. Варшавский, Б. Рест. Подвиг Эрмитажа: Государственный Эрмитаж в годы Великой отечественной войны. — М.-Л.: Советский художник, 1965.
  • Hardcover, 17.2 x 12.5 cm, brown cloth-backed pictorial paper boards, lettering to front and spine, pictorial endpapers, pp.: [1-4] 5-430 [2], total 432 pages; collated in-16mo: [1]-1216 138 1416, total 216 leaves. Print run: 65,000 copies. A real history-based fiction about doctor Nikolai Sudzilovsky [Nicholas Russel] (Belarusian, 1850 – 1930). Title-page (pictorial): АЛЕКСАНДРА | БОГДАНОВА | ЖИЗНЬ | ПОСЛЕ | СМЕРТИ | Роман || Imprint:  Рецензент доктор филилогических наук Н. Г. Жулинский. Редактор В. А. Лигостов. Богданова А. И. Жизнь после смерти: Роман. — К.: Рад. письменник, 1990. — 431 с. ISBN 5-333-00201-0. Colophon: Литературно-художественное издание. БОГДАНОВА АЛЕКСАНДРА ИВАНОВНА | Жизнь после смерти. Роман. Киев, издательство «Радяньский пысьмэннык». Author: Богданова, Александра Ивановна (b. c. 1950).
  • Photographic portrait of poet Joseph Brodsky, head and shoulder, turned slightly right, looking to the right. Pencil-signed on the mat: 1/45 • Mikhail Lemkhin; same inscription on the back of the print, and ink stamp ©Mikhail Lemkhin. Sitter: Joseph Brodsky [Иосиф Александрович Бродский ] (Russian-American-Jewish, 1940 – 1996). Size: mat: 51 x 40.5 cm; window: 34.5 x 27 cm; print: 35 x 28 cm.
  • Single volume, 16.8 x 11.3 cm, bound in full dark olive crushed morocco by Brany (signed), gilt triple-fillet border to boards, spine with raised bands, gilt in compartments, gilt-lettered label, gilt dentelle inside, marbled endpapers, all margins gilt, gilt double fillet to boards margin; text printed on laid paper. Bookplate of Maurice Lebarbier de Tinan to fep 45 x 35 mm representing standing satyr with erected penis holding monogram ‘MT’ in his hands with a motto below on a ribbon ‘FAIRE SANS DIRE’. Maurice Lebarbier de Tinan book collection was dispersed via l’hôtel Drouot (Paris) on a sale from March 9 to 12, 1885; a catalogue was published: Catalogue d’un joli choix de livres anciens et modernes, en très belle condition de reliure, composant la bibliothèque de M. L. de T*** [Lebarbier de Tinan] (Paris, Ch. Porquet, 1885, in-8, VIII-140 p., 481 lots).  Collation: π2 (h.t., t.p.) a6 b2 1-1112, total 82 leaves plus 18 engraved plates on wove paper; illustrations include engraved frontispiece and six etchings printed in two versions each, black and red, and one etching (at p. 103) in two states, two colour versions for each state, frontispiece and 3 or 4 plates after Félicien Rops, the others after original lithographs by Devéria and Henri Grévedon or Octave Tassaert for the 1833 edition (re-print of 1926 LIB-3135.2023). Pagination: [4] [i] ii-xvi, [3] 4-141 [3], total 164 pages, ils. Title-page (red and black): GAMIANI | OU | DEUX NUITS D’EXCES | PAR | A D M | AVEC UN EPISODE DE LA VIE DE L’AUTEUR | Extrait des mémoires de la | COMTESSE DE C******** | – | « Hippolyte, cher cœur, que dis-tu ces choses ? » | Femmes damnées, Fleurs du Mal. | — | LESBOS | INSTITUTION MERY — PAVILLON BAUDELAIRE. || Catalogue raisonné: Dutel I: A-464; Bory: 596-605; Pia: 516/7. According to Pia, the print run is limited to 150 copies on laid paper. Ref.: BNF Enfer 419. Fekete (Christie's): 135. Provenance: Maurice Lebarbier de Tinan (French, 1842 – 1918). Contributors: Alfred de Musset (French, 1810 – 1857) – author. Félicien Rops (Belgian, 1833 – 1898) – artist. Auguste Poulet-Malassis (French, 1825 – 1878) – publisher. Catalogue Poulet-Malassis & ses amis description: № 5. [Alfred de MUSSET] A D M. Gamiani ou Deux nuits d’excès, avec un épisode de la vie de l’auteur, extrait des mémoires de la comtesse de C********. Lesbos, Institution Méry, Pavillon Baudelaire [A. Poulet-Malassis, 1864]. Illustré de 8 gravures, dont l’une en frontispice, en double état (et quatre états pour la gravure « au singe » de la page 103) de Félicien Rops. Là où Baudelaire soutient Poulet-Malassis quand l’éditeur soutient l’attribution à Musset. Perfectionniste ? Trop cher ? Trop sollicité ? Pas toujours inspiré ? Rops réalisera rarement des suites complètes, ne répondant le plus souvent à la demande de ses commanditaires que par la conception de frontispices. Au verso du faux-titre, Launay voit une justification de 150 exemplaires sur papier vergé, paraphés et numérotés, qui ne figure pas ici. Très bel exemplaire relié par Brany. Provenance : Bibliothèque de Lebarbier de Tinan de Lebarbier de Tinan dont la collection fut dispersée en 1885, justifié par son ex-libris représentant un satyre en érection, portant la devise “Faire sans dire”. Bibliographie : Pia 558, Per 16-8, PC 1299, Lau 285, Enfer 419, Dutel A-464." [LIB-3118.2022]
  • Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi [歌川 國芳] (Japanese, 1798 – 1861). Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. C. 1845 – 1847), seal: San [三] (Marks 11-001 | 127c). Carver: Matsushima Fusajirō [松嶋房次郎] (Japanese, fl. 1843 – 1850); seal [彫工房次郎] – Hori kō Fusajirō (Gordon Friese № 136) Signed: Chōōrō Kuniyoshi ga [朝櫻楼国芳画] in a red double gourd-shaped cartouche. Nanushi censor seal: Tanaka [田中]; V/1844 or II/1845. Media: Fan print (uchiwa-e, 団扇絵), 238 x 304 mm. Reference: Kuniyoshi Project. Series mentioned in Robert Schaap. Heroes and ghosts: Japanese prints by Kuniyoshi, 1797-1861.— Leiden: Hotei Publishing, 1998; p. 122 [LIB-1030.2016].
  • Softcover, in pictorial wrappers, 28 x 21.7 cm, 70 entries, with colour illustrations. Catalogue of the sales exhibition on March 17-24, 2023 in NY; pagination: [1-3] 4-142 [2], ils. Invitation card laid in. Contributor: Sebastian Izzard
  • Hardcover volume, 20.8 x 13.5 cm, pictorial paper backed with grey cloth, black and white lettering to spine (serial design), pp.: [1-4] 5-333 [3]; collated 8vo: 1-218; total 168 leaves plus 13 photomechanical plates. Title-page (blue and black): Евг. Брандис | МАРКО ВОВЧОК | ИЗДАТЕЛЬСТВО | ЦК ВЛКСМ | «МОЛОДАЯ ГВАРДИЯ» | — || Frontispiece (blue and black): ЖИЗНЬ | ЗАМЕЧАТЕЛЬНЫХ | ЛЮДЕЙ | Серия биографий | ОСНОВАНА | В 1933 ГОДУ | М. ГОРЬКИМ | ВЫПУСК 19 / 460 {torch} МОСКВА / 1968 || Print-run: 100,000 copies. Contributors: Евгений Павлович Бра́ндис (Russian, 1916 – 1985) – author. Марко Вовчок [Марія Олександрівна Вілінська, Marko Vovtchok] (Ukrainian, 1833 – 1907) – character. Борис Борисович Лобач-Жученко (Russian, 1899 – 1995) – dedicatee.
  • Owner’s quarter brown cloth, 18.2 x 12.5 cm, lettered paper over cardboard; text printed on tan paper, [1, 2] (t.p.), [i] ii-viii (intro.), [1] 4-48 (text); total 28 leaves; blue and red crayon marks to text; boards and pages with blue ink stamps and inscriptions. Front board: Педагогичне Бюро Полтавського Губернського Земства. | ТВОРИ РІДНИХ ПИСЬМЕННИКІВ ДЛЯ | ЧИТАННЯ В КЛАСІ.| МАРКО ВОВЧОК. | КАРМЕЛЮК. | ПОЛТАВА. | 1917 р. || Back board: Серія складається з творів: | Квітки, Вовчка, Шевченка, Куліша, | Руданського, Левицького І, Мирного, | Франка, Грінченка, Коцюбинського. | Полтава, друкарня Амчиславського. || Title-page: Педагогичне Бюро Полтавського Губернського Земства. | МАРКО ВОВЧОК. | КАРМЕЛЮК. | ПОЛТАВА. | 1917 р. || Contributors: Марко Вовчок [Marko Vovchok; Марія Олександрівна Вілінська] (Ukrainian, 1833 – 1907) – author. Other variants: Markowovzok and Marko Vovtchok. Амчиславский, М. Г. (Полтава, ул. Пушкина, 40) – printer.  
  • Offset lithography in back ink on paper, 448 x 448 mm, description by OMCA COLLECTIONS (Oakland Museum of California): The top edge of the poster has a stylized drawing of an eagle. Below, the poster has a drawing with eight male police officers and two female figures: one with the crown and torch of the Statue of Liberty, the other holding scales and wearing a blindfold in the style of personifications of justice. In the foreground of the drawing, one of the police officers is holding the liberty figure on the ground and raping her while a second officer holds one of her legs. In the background, the justice figure is being held up and raped by two officers. The rest of the police officers look at this scene and laugh or pat one another on the back. The bottom of the drawing is bordered by a semicircle of text that reads: "...WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL." [...] This provocative poster was described at a 1968 House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) hearing as "one of the most vile, obscene pieces of literature that I have seen disseminated in San Francisco" by San Francisco Examiner reporter Edward S. Montgomery. Contributors: Frank Cieciorka (American, 1939 – 2008) – artist.
  • Hand-coloured chromolithography on wove paper, 600 x 470 mm; black ink stamp “4921” to reverse, horizontal and vertical centrefolds. Image of Napoléon III on horseback, in a frame; lettering under the frame: 34 — Déposé  | NAPOLÉON III | EMPEREUR DES FRANÇAIS. | Lith. de Gangel frères et P. Didion, à Metz. || Gangel frères et P. Didion (Metz) – printer/publisher. Paulin Didion (French, 1831 – 1879)  
  • Owner’s hardcover, 182 x 120 mm, yellow buckram, crimson morocco label to spine with gilt lettering; publisher’s pink wrappers preserved, round engraved bookplate to front pastedown “DE LA BIBLIOTHÈQUE DE JULES RICHARD” cut to the border (“Imp. r. C. Motteroz” cut out); Pp.: [4] [1-5] 6-83 [84], various mss and printed clippings, 2 extra ffls to front and back. Title-page: 1871-1873 | — | GORGES VEYSSET | — |  UN ÉPISODE DE LA COMMUNE | ET DU | GOUVERNEMENT DE M. THIERS | PAR | Mme DE FORSANS-YEYSSET | — | BRUXELLES | LANDSBERGER & C°, LIBRAIRES ÉDITEURS | 2, RUE DE NAMUR, 2 | 1873 || Provenance: Jules Richard (French, 1848 – 1930). Ref: BNF.
  • Japanese lacquer writing box (suzuribako) with an eagle sitting on a pine tree over the see waves.  Rectangular box with rounded corners, slightly convex overlapping lid. Lacquer on wood with maki-e decoration in gold powder. The lid decorated inside with pine cones and needles over gold maki-e. Edo or Meiji period, 19th century.
  • The morgue at Paris - The last scene of a tragedy. Harper's Weekly: July 18, 1874. Text - page 606.SVVP-0002-2. The morgue at Paris - The last scene of a tragedy.jpeg Image cited at: L'Ecume des lettres Français seconde, Programme 2019 by Julien Harang, page 44.
  • Mori Sosen (1747-1821). A Monkey Seated on a Rock with an Infant Monkey. Hanging scroll painting. Ink and colour on silk. Signed: Sosen. Sealed: Sosen. 108.3 x 38.3 cm. Provenance: According to the box inscriptions, the painting was in the possession of Itakura Katsunao, a daimyo lord in present-day Gunma, in 1808. In 1881, the painting was subsequently acquired by Negishi Shôrei (1833-1897) a master swordsman who established the Negishi school of shuriken ("The only specialist school to have survived is the Negishi-ryū, which was founded by Negishi Shorei in the mid-1800s".)
  • Iron tsuba of oval form with design of cherry blossoms in positive and negative silhouette openwork (ji-sukashi and in-sukashi). Details chiseled in kebori technique. Rounded rim. Copper sekigane. Higo school, Hayashi sub-school. Unsigned. Attributed to  third generation Tōhachi (1723-1791). Edo period, 18th century (Hōreki / Meiwa era: 1751-1772). Height: 78.7 mm. Width: 72.2 mm. Rim thickness: 5.2 mm. Center thickness: 5.2 mm. Provenance: Sasano Masayuki Collection, № 289: "Hayashi. Third generation Tohachi (died in in the third year of Kansei, 1791 at the age of sixty-nine). Early 18th century (Hohreki Meiwa era). "  
  • Mukade-zōgan tsuba with two types of wires. Iron, inlaid with brass and iron wire fastened to the surface with metal staples (mukade-zōgan); Brass inlay around the rim. Design is thought to resemble a centipede. "Centipede-like inlay (mukade zogan) of alternating iron and brass staples produce an appearance that was particularly favored by Takeda Shingen (1521-1573), one of the most powerful warlords of his time. The centipede is sacred to Bishamon (God of War) and especially propitious for a warrior. Shingen type, 16th century.” [The Peabody Museum collection of Japanese sword guards with selected pieces of sword furniture, by John D. Hamilton. Photographs by Mark Sexton. Salem, MA, 1975.] Height: 85.8 mm; Width 86.2 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai: 4.3 mm. Weight 177.6 g. Early Edo, 17th century. http://varshavskycollection.com/shingen-tsuba/
  • Kitagawa Utamaro. Illustration from the book Ehon koi no Onamaki. Cited at Hayashi Yoshikazu's 20-volume set Edo makura-e shi shusei: Kitagawa Utamaro. Size: Chuban (25.5 x 18.5 cm), two book pages glued together.  
  • Iron tsuba of round form decorated with the design of a butterfly in openwork (sukashi) with details carved in kebori. Eyes inlaid in brass (one inlay is missing). Unsigned. Attributed to Bizen Shōami school, early Edo period (17th century). Dimensions: 80.4 x 80.6 x 4.4 mm References At Haynes Catalog #6, p. 18-19, Lot 30: "Famous Ikeda butterfly design" (Ikeda family of Inaba and Okayama, and at least 7 other families). Ca. 1700. Shōami of Kyoto, no doubt. Ht 8.2 cm, Th. 5 mm. ["Important tsuba, menuki, bokuto, woodblock prints, koshirae, sword pistol and kana mono". San Francisco, June 1-26, 1983. Catalog #6. Robert E. Haynes, Ltd.]

    Haynes Catalog #6, lot 30.

    Similar tsuba at Haynes Catalog #9, p.71, lot 143: the classic Shoami tsuba of the mon of the Ikeda family. This example, as most, seems to be made by the same hand as the others. See Haynes sale number 6, lot 30, for an identical example. The eye is brass. From an old French collection. Ht. 7.9 cm., Th. 5 mm.

    Haynes Catalog #9, lot 143.

    Similar tsuba in the Randolph B. Caldwell Collection, 1994, page 24, №13: "A circular iron tsuba pierced in positive sukashi with a butterfly within an angular rim, details engraved. The eye inlaid in brass [in my specimen the inlay is missing on the omote side]. Unsigned. Bizen Shōami, Momoyama period. Dimensions: 8.0 x 8.2 x 0.5 cm. Similar example: Durand-Ruel, collection Ch. Gilloz, number 1302. [SV: that's possibly the 'old French collection' of Robert Haynes.]

    Caldwell Collection, #13.

    If we accept Haynes' theory regarding the genealogy and history of Bizen Shōami family, Momoyama period attribution would seem unlikely. I am leaning towards the early to mid 17th century.