/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

  • Title-page (in red and black): TALES AND NOVELS | OF | J. DE LA FONTAINE | WITH 12 ORIGINAL ETCHINGS | BY | CLARA TICE | VOLUME ONE (TWO) | {arabesque} | PRIVATELY PRINTED | AT THE PRINTING HOUSE OF G. J. THIEME | NIJMEGEN ~ HOLLAND | 1929 || Collation: 8vo. Vol. 1: π8 (2 blanks, h.t. / limitation №103 of 990, frontispiece etched portrait of La Fontaine w/ tissue guard, 4 leaves uncut with table and preface), 1—138, incl. 2 final blanks, paginated: xvi, 204 [4], plus 5 etchings besides frontis., all with tissue guards, by Clara Tice, in sepia. Vol. 2: π8, 1-188, paginated: xvi, 270 [271] epitaph, [272] blank, plus 6 etchings w/ tissue guards, by Clara Tice. Binding: 25.3 x 16.8 cm, quarter faux parchment over light blue publisher's boards, gilt lettering to spine. Ticket to front pastedown in each volume: “FROM THE COLLECTION | OF PRINCETON ANTIQUES BOOKFINDERS”, etc.  Etchings printed on wove paper, text – on laid paper; untrimmed, uncut. Edition: limited, privately printed run of 990 copies of which this is №103.
  • Photogravure after a pastel drawing by F. Rops. Monogrammed in the plate 'FR'. Owner's stamp 'LvM' on verso.

    Dimensions: Paper: 26 x 20 cm; Plate: 25 x 18 cm; Image: 21 x 14.5 cm.

    Catalogue raisonné: Arthur Hubschmid (1977): 543; Graphics irreverent and erotic (1968): 156.

  • Oval cartouche in the upper-left corner, with tall “s”: Plan | OF | PARIS | and | SUBURBS | With all the Cross Streets | Before | THE REVOLUTION. || No indication of the makers. Dimensions: Sheet: 32.5 x 44.3 cm; Image: 28.5 x 41.3 cm.
  • French flapped tan wrappers, 24.3 x 18.8 cm, lettered in red “Les Vacances | de Suzon | Journal Secret | AUX DÉPENSDES AMIS DE CUPIDON ||”, collation: 1 blank, 1 t.p., lettering similar to front wrapper, 1 blank, 24 leaves of plates with fac-simile ms text, 2 blanks; total 29 leaves; the said 24 leaves are made by glueing together pairs of 48 individual leaves, printed on one side. Dutel (1920-1970) № 2578, p. 406, describes the edition as a photocopy of  “Il s'agit d'une copie de Suzon en Vacances” printed in the late 1940s, the print run is limited to 300 copies. The edition is attributed to Leon Courbouleix (French, 1887 – 1972).
  • Softcover, in pictorial wrappers, 28.1 x 21.7 cm, 63 entries, with colour illustrations, some folding. Catalogue of the sales exhibition on March 17-29, 2018 in NY; pagination: [1-3] 4-133 [134] [2 blank], ils.; insert: printed invitation. Contributors: Sebastian IzzardHenry Steiner (Austrian-Jewish, b. 1934) – art collector.
  • Binding: One volume collated 4to, 27 x 19.4 cm in publisher’s French flapped cream wrappers lettered in blue and black to front and spine. Printed on watermarked laid paper (vergé d’Arches), outer and bottom margins untrimmed. Front wrapper (blue and black): PIERRE LOUŸS | LES AVENTURES | DU | ROI PAUSOLE | ILLUSTRATIONS DE | BRUNELLESCHI | {publisher’s device «EM»} | PARIS | L’ESTAMPE MODERNE | 1930 || Title page: PIERRE LOUŸS | LES AVENTURES | DU | ROI PAUSOLE | CONTENANT | DIX-SEPT ILLUSTRATIONS | EN COULEURS DONT NEUF HORS-TEXTE | PAR | BRUNELLESCHI | {publisher’s device} | PARIS | L’ESTAMPE MODERNE | ÉDITEURS | 14, RUE DE RICHELIEU, 14 | 1930 || Collation: 4to; π4 (incl. 1st blank, h.t./limit., t.p., d.t.p.) [1]-414 (last gathering uncut); total 168 leaves plus 9 plates with tissue guards extraneous to collation, incl. frontispiece, stencil-coloured etchings by Gorvel after Brunelleschi. Pagination: [6] [2] 3-324 [6], total 336 pages, ils. Limitation: Edition limited to 524 copies, 6 on Japon Impérial, enriched (№ 1-6); 13 on Japon Impérial, enriched (№ 7-19); 30 on Japon Impérial, enriched (№ 20-49); 450 on vergé d’Arches (№ 50-499); 5 on Japon Impérial (№ I-V) not for sale, and 20 on vergé d’Arches (№ VI-XXV) not for sale. This copy is № 300, on vergé d’Arches. Printed: January 30, 1930, by Coulouma (Argenteuil), plates by Ad. Valcke (Paris), stencil-colouring by J. Saudé. Contributors: Pierre Louÿs (French, 1870 – 1925) – author. Umberto Brunelleschi (Italian, 1879 – 1949) – artist. Georges Emile Louis Eugene Gorvel (French, 1866 – 1938) – etcher. Jean Saudé (French, fl. c. 1890 – 1930) – printer (pochoir, stencil) Coulouma (Argenteuil) – printer L’Estampe Moderne – publisher.
  • Description: Hardcover volume, 35 x 25.1 cm, ochre cloth with gilt lettering and vignette to spine; pp.: [1-6] 7-389 [3 blank], total 196 leaves, 16 illustrations in colour, 1067 in b/w; in a pictorial slipcase 36 x 26 cm. Title-page: The | Japanese | Pillar | Print | Hashira-e | — | Jacob Pins | Foreword by Roger Keyes | {publisher’s device} | Robert G. Sawers Publishing | 5 SOUTH VILLAS | LONDON NW I 9 BS || Edition: Limited edition of 1000 copies, this is copy № 520. Contributors: Jacob Otto Pins (German-Israeli, 1917 – 2005) Roger Keyes (American, 1942 – 2020)
  • Description: Softcover, 22 x 17 cm, in a blue-grey double slipcase 23.3 x 17.8 cm, publisher’s French flapped wrappers with a pink burning heart pierced with arrow diaper pattern, 15 unbound gatherings in 4to, and a suite of 12 stencil-coloured photogravures (au pochoir) after Shem, printed on wove pur fil paper; numerous tailpieces and in-text vignettes in blue. Half-title: Petites Cousines || Title-page: Alice • Simonne | Marcelle • Andrée | — | Souvenirs érotiques d’un homme | de qualité touchant les petites | cousines... les femmes du monde | et les belles filles de province | AUX DÉPENS D'UN AMATEUR ET | ~~ POUR SES AMIS ~~ || Pagination: [4] [1-4] 5-111 [112] [4], total 120 pages, incl. those in wrappers; 12 unnumbered suite of plates laid-in. Limitation: An edition of 255 copies of which 5 copies on Arches paper, enriched with one suite in b/w and one coloured plus one original drawing and two sketches (№№ 1-5); 15 copies on Arches paper, enriched with one suite in b/w plus one original drawing and one sketch (№№ 6-20); 235 copies on Pur Fil paper (№№ 21-255). This copy is № 85, with a suite of plates in colour. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel № 965, pp. 31-2. Note: Title-page per Dutel ALICE • SIMONNE | MARCELLE • ANDRÉE | — | Souvenirs érotiques d’un homme | de qualité touchant les petites | cousines... les femmes du monde | et les belles filles de Province | AUX DÉPENS D'UN AMATEUR ET | ~~ POUR SES AMIS ~~ || Contributors: Pierre Mac Orlan (born Pierre Dumarchey] (French, 1882 – 1970) – author. Schem [real name Raoul Serres] (French, 1881– 1971) – artist.
  • Artist: Horst Graebner positively attributes the drawing to Utagawa Kunisada II [歌川国貞] Japanese, 1823 – 1880) a.k.a. Toyokuni IV, though Israel Goldman attributes it to Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865) a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III. Title: Geisha with a watch / Preparatory drawing for a fan print. Media/Technique: Ink and colour on paper. Signed: Toyokuni hitsu [豊国筆].
  • DJ: Graham Greene | THE COMEDIANS || Title page: THE COMEDIANS | Graham Greene | {four lines citation from Thomas Hardy} | {publisher’s device} | THE BODLEY HEAD| LONDON || Edition: 1st edition, 1st printing. Binding: bound in green cloth, 20.5 x 13.5 cm, with gilt lettering to spine, in green pictorial dust jacket with white lettering, price clipped; gift autograph to fep: “To. | Richard | From: gig | Xmas 1964.” (sic., the book was published in 1966!) Pagination: [1-4] 5-313 [314 blank] [6] blanks (total 320 pages). Collation: 16mo; [A]4 B-K16 L12 (total 160 leaves).
  • Two volumes in-16o, 16.3 x 10.3 cm, uniformly bound in marbled calf with gilt triple-fillet border, flat spine with gilt lozenges in compartments, two crimson labels with gilt lettering, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, with engraved title, 2 title vignettes, 11 copper plate engravings, incl. title/frontispiece in vol. 1, and 10 headpieces (two of them similar), printed on laid paper. Vol. 1: Livres 1 – 5. Engraved title-page: Cartouche with the title "Les | Amours de | THEAGENES | & | CHARICLÉE", with a Cupid holding a torch on top and a defeated winged dragon at the bottom; Cupid's quivers with bows and arrows beside. Collation: 8vo; a5 (t.p., preface), A-N8 O4 (O4 blank), total 113 leaves plus 6 unsigned engraved plates, incl. engraved title as frontispiece, unsigned; 5 different headpieces, unsigned. Pagination: [i, ii] iii-x, [1] 2-213 [3] (blank), total 226 pages, ils. Vol. 2: Livres 6 – 10. Collation: 8vo; π1 (t.p.), A-M8, total 97 leaves plus 6 unsigned plates, incl. the Conclusion, no frontispiece; 5 headpieces, the headpiece for Livre 7 similar to Livre 4. Pagination: [2] [1] 2-190 [2] (blank), total 194 pages, ils. Letterpress title-page (red and black) in each volume: AMOURS | DE | THEAGÉNES | ET | CHARICLÉE• | HISTOIRE ETHIOPIQUE. | PREMIERE (SECONDE) PARTIE. | {vignette} | A LONDRES, | — | M. DCC. XLIII. || According to Cohen-DeRicci, this is the first anonymous edition with 9 different headpieces; the second edition in the same 1743 was published by Antoine Urban Coustelier (French, 1714 – 1763) in Paris with less provocative headpiece vignettes. The original text belongs to Héliodore d'Emèse, i.e. Heliodorus [Ἡλιόδωρος] (Greek, 3rd – 4th century AD). The earliest translation into French was performed by Jacques Amyot (French, 1513 – 1593) and published by J. Longis in Paris in 1547. The new translation is credited by Lewine to Jean de Montlyard (French/Swiss, 17th century), first published in Paris in 1620. However, most scholars attribute it to Louis François de Fontenu (French, 1667 – 1759), Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle (French, 1657 – 1757) or Germain François Poullain de Saint-Foix (French, 1698 – 1776), first published in 1727 by Herman Uytwerf (Dutch, 1698 – 1754) in Amsterdam. Catalogue raisonné : J. Lewine, 236; Cohen-DeRicci, 478. Information about the story can be found here: Aethiopica.  
  • 26 issues of American political humourous magazine published by Joseph Keppler (Austrian-American, 1838 – 1894) and Adolph Schwarzmann (German-American, 1838 – 1904) with caricatures by Frederick Burr Opper (American, 1857 – 1937); 35 x 27 cm, bound in faux shagreen with half green buckram backing, gilt vignette and lettering to front board: ‘What fools these Mortals be!” | MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM | PUCK ||
  • Photographic portrait of writer Andrei Sinyavsky, head and shoulder, turned to the left, wearing glasses. Pencil-signed on the mat: 3/45 • ©Mikhail Lemkhin; on the back of the print: Copyright statement stamp; ink stamp ©MIKHAIL LEMKHIN; ink stamp: PHOTO BY MIKHAIL LEMKHIN | 1811 38TH AVENUE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122 | (415) 664-7677; pencil inscription on the back of the mat: (top) АНДРЕЙ СИНЯВСКИЙ | ANDREI SINYAVSKY, (bottom) XXIX. Sitter: Andrei Sinyavsky [Андрей Донатович Синявский] (Russian, 1925 – 1997) Size: mat: 35.6 x 43.3 cm; window: 16.5 x 23.5 cm; print: 20.2 x 25.2 cm.
  • Hardcover volume, 17 x 11.3 cm, in-12, quarter orange cloth (percaline) over marbled boards, black morocco label with gilt lettering to spine, marbled endpapers, text printed on laid paper, five plates on India paper (papier Chine). Title-page: LE | LIBERTIN | DE QUALITÉ | OU | MA CONVERSION | PAR | M. D. R. C. D. M. F. | (LE COMTE DE MIRABEAU) | Edition revue sur celle originale de 1783 | {fleuron} | LONDRES | – | 1783-1866 || Pagination: [4] (h.t., t.p.), [1] 2-200; total 204 pages plus 5 engraved plates, incl. frontispiece; 2 blank leaves at the front and 2 at the back, laid paper, watermarked Canson & Montgolfier. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel I: A-653. Ref.: Illustrations were earlier published in Vie privée, libertine et scandaleuse de feu Honoré-Gabriel Riquetti Comte de Mirabeau, 1791, (see [LIB-2633.2021] Apollinaire, et al. L’Enfer de la Bibliothèque nationale, 1912 : № 795). M. D. R. C. D. M. F stands for Monsieur de Riqueti comte de Mirabeau Fis. Catalogue Poulet-Malassis & ses amis description: № 55. M. D. R. C. D. M. F. (le comte de Mirabeau). Le Libertin de qualité ou Ma conversion, édition revue sur celle de l’originale de 1783. Londres 1783-1866 [Christiaens, 1867]. In-12 de 2 .n.ch. et 200 pages, demi-percaline orange, pièce de titre, tête jaspée, tranches naturelles (reliure de l’époque). Illustré de 5 gravures originales, dont l’une en frontispice, qui reprennent celles de l’édition de Vie privée libertine et scandaleuse de feu Honoré-Gabriel-Riqueti, ci-devant comte de Mirabeau [...] de 1791. Contributors: Honoré-Gabriel Riqueti de Mirabeau (French, 1749 – 1791) – author. Alexis Christiaens (Belgian, d. 1880) – publisher.
  • Softcover volume, 25.9 x 16.7 cm, in French flapped wrappers lettered "PIETRO ARETINO | SONNETS | LUXURIEUX | {garland}" unbound, 6 gatherings in 4to (24 leaves, incl. those in wrappers), a few sheets of guard tissue laid in, unpaginated, lower margin untrimmed; in a burgundy double slipcase 26.3 x 17.3 cm. Illustrated with title-page vignette, red initials and tailpieces and 16 half-page engravings by Jean Baptiste Tavy Notton. Text in Italian and French. Title-page (red and black): SONNETS | LUXURIEUX | de | PIETRO ARETINO | dit L'ARÉTIN | avec accompagnement | de gravures au burin | d'après la description des gravures | de GIULIO PIPPI DE GIANNUZZI dit JULES ROMAIN | {vignette} | AUX DÉPENS | DE QUELQUES AMATEURS | 1948 || Clandestine limited edition, print run of 250 copies, of which this is copy № 20, printed on thick wove paper without watermarks. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 2421. Original edition: Sonetti lussuriosi by Pietro Aretino, illustrated by Giulio Romano and engraved by Marcantonio Raimondi, published clandestinely in Venice in c.1527. Contributors: Pietro Aretino (Italian, 1492 – 1556) – author. Jean Baptiste Tavy Notton (French, 1914 – 1971) – artist. Antoine-Isidore Liseux (French, 1835 – 1894) – translator/comments. Giulio Romano [Giulio Pippi, Giulio Giannuzzi] (Italian, c.1499 – 1546) – artist. Marcantonio Raimondi (Italian c. 1470/82 – c. 1534) – engraver.  
  • Paperback, 16.5 x 10.8 cm, pictorial wrappers, lettering to front and spine; pp.: [1-4] 5-187 [188] [4]. Title-page: Венедикт | ЕРОФЕЕВ | Москва – | Петушки | ПОЭМА | ВАГРИУС • МОСКВА • 2003 || Print-run: 11,000. Contributors: Венедикт Васильевич Ерофеев [Venedikt Yerofeyev] (Russian, 1938 – 1990) – author. Вагриус – publisher.
  • Softcover, 24 x 18 cm, black and white original wrappers, lettering; pp. [1-6] 7-541 [3]; purple ink library stamps and numbers. Title-page: ПРОЦЕСС “ПРОМПАРТИИ” | (25 ноября – 7 декабря 1930 г.) | СТЕНОГРАММА | СУДЕБНОГО ПРОЦЕССА | И МАТЕРИАЛЫ, | ПРИОБЩЕННЫЕ К ДЕЛУ | 1931 | ОГИЗ — “СОВЕТСКОЕ ЗАКОНОДАТЕЛЬСТВО” — МОСКВА || Процесс Промпартии [Industrial Party Trial] Андрей Януарьевич Вышинский [Andrey Vyshinsky] (Russian, 1883 – 1954) – chairman. Николай Васильевич Крыленко [Nikolai Krylenko] (Russian, 1885 – 1938) – public prosecutor.
  • Owner’s quarter cloth over faux marbled paper binding, 19.8 x 15.1 cm, pp.: [1-4] 5-227 [3], total 230 pages plus frontispiece (b/w photographic portrait w/facsimile); library blue ink stamp to t.p. “Библиотека средней политехнической школы № 76 г. Харькова Октябрьского района Инв. № ___». Title-page: ДИТЯЧА БIБЛIОТЕКА УКРАЇНСЬКИХ ПИСЬМЕННИКIВ | За редакцiєю В. АРНАУТОВА та О. ПОПОВА | — | ВИБРАНI ТВОРИ | Упорядкував С. МIЗЕРНИЦЬКИЙ | Державний Науково-Методологiчний Комитет | Наркомосвiти УСРР по секциï сицiяльного | виховання дозволив до вжитку як допомiчний | посiбник в книгозбiрнях установ соцвиху | ДЕРЖАВНЕ ВИДАВНИЦТВО УКРАЇНИ | 1928 || Contents: Передмова, Викуп, Паньска воля (Горпина), Козачка, Ледащиця, Чумак, Не до пари, Тюлева баба, Кармелюк, Гайдамаки. Print run: 5,000 copies. Contributors: Марко Вовчок [Marko Vovchok; Марія Олександрівна Вілінська] (Ukrainian, 1833 – 1907) – author. Other variants: Markowovzok and Marko Vovtchok.  
  • Hand-coloured woodcut on wove paper, 267 x 390 mm. On reverse: black ink stamp “5351”. Centre, under the image frame "Mort du Prince Louis Napoléon". Below left: "Télégramme adressé le 2 juin 1879 par le général Chelmsfort, du camp anglais (contrée des Zoulous), au colonel Stanley, ministre de la guerre de la Grande-Bretagne. « Au camp, à sept milles au-dessus de Blood-River, au pied de la montagne Stellezi, 2 juin: Le prince impérial, agissant sous les ordres de l'adjudant quartier-maitre général. a fait une reconnaissance le 1er. Il retournait à cheval au camp le 2 accompagné du lieutenant Carey, du 98e adjudant en second du quartier-maitre général. de six blancs et, quelques Zoulous amis, tous à cheval. A environ dix milles de distance du camp, la petite colonne fit halte at mit pied à terre, un peu à l’écart de la route. Au moment ou le prince venait de donner l'ordre de se remettre en selle. une fusillade partit des hautes herbes qui entourant les kraals. Le prince impérial et deux soldats sont portés manquants par le lieutenant Carey, qui a réussi à échapper et a gagné le camp à la nuit. D'après toutes les circonstances, il 'est pas douteux quo le prince ait été tué. Quelques lanciers du 17 régiment et de l'ambulance partent pour rapporter le corps; mais je vous adresse la présente sans plus attendre, espérant qu'elle arrivera encore à temps pour partir par le courrier. J’ignorais moi-même que le prince impérial eût été désigné pour cette reconnaissance. »" Below right: A la suite de le télégramme, le Times publie les dépêches suivantes: Stelezi-Hill, 2 juin. Au point du jour, une patrouille de cavalerie, sous le commandement du général Marshall. partit à la recherche du prince impérial et parcourut les kraals l'espace de dix milles. Le corps du prince fut découvert dans les herbes à Donga, à 300 mètres du kraal. Il n'avait pas de blessure de balle, mais dix-sept blessures de zagaies par devant. Ses vêtements lui avaient été enlevés. I avait autour du cou une chaine avec un médaillon. Un brancard fut formé avec les lances, et le corps porté par Marchall, Drury, Lowe, le mjor Stewart et d'autres officiers du 17e lanciers, fut. place dans la voiture d'ambulance dans laquelle il est arrivé ici avec une escorte. L'après-midi, il v a eu une parade funèbre. Un profond chagrin règne dans toute la colonne. Le prince n'est pas remonté à cheval après l’attique, parce que son cheval était rétif ; il se mit à courir à pied. Le corps part sous escorte pour être transporté en Angleterre. Bottom right: "Imagerie de P. DIDION, à Metz — Déposé à Metz et à Nancy, le 25 Juin 1879". Paulin Didion (French, 1831 – 1879) – publisher/printer.
  • Two hardcover volumes, 17 x 11.5 cm, collated in-8vo, uniformly bound in dark grey mottled calf bordered with gilt fillet, flat spine with gilt lettering in compartments outlined in gilt; top edge gilt, text and plates printed on dense wove paper (Japanpapier). Privately printed by Gustav Röttig & Sohn (Ödenburg) in 800 copies, of which this is copy № 16, signed by von Bayros in 1st vol. Each volume is illustrated with four heliogravures (title-page and three plates) after drawings by Franz von Bayros. According to the seller, this is one of only 35 copies of the deluxe edition on Japanpapier, a fact which was mentioned by the bibliographers but not in the imprint. Bookplate to front pastedown in each volume, lettering to bottom “Ex libris Dr. phil. Rudolf Ludwig”, 120 x 100 mm, heliogravure after von Bayros. Pp.: vol. 1 [4] 1-198 plus engraved t.p. and 3 plates. Vol. 2: 1-204 [2] plus engraved t.p. and 3 plates. Title-page: DIE MEMOIREN | DER | FANNY HILL | VON | JOHN CLELAND | ESTER (ZWEITER) BAND | PAPHOS IM JAHR DER | CYTHERE | MDCCCCVI || Author of the text: John Cleland (British, c. 1709 – 1789). Translator: Franz Blei [Dr. Erich Feldhammer] (Austrian, 1871 – 1942). Illustrator: Franz von Bayros (Austrian, 1866 – 1924). Provenance: Dr. Phil. Rudolf Ludwig. Catalogue raisonné: The amorous drawings of the Marquis von Bayros. — New York: Cythera Press, 1968. The Beautiful Maiden of Pao, pp. 31-38. Seller's Description: Erster [und] Zweiter Band. Paphos [Wien, C. W. Stern], im Jahr der Cythere 1906. Mit sechs Tafeln und zwei illustrierten Titeln nach Franz von Bayros, alle zweifarbig. Grau marmorierte Originalkalblederbände mit Rücken-, Deckelkanten- und Kopfschnittvergoldung. Privatdruck. – Eins von 35 Exemplaren der Luxusausgabe auf Japanpapier, im Druckvermerk von Band I von Bayros signiert. – Die Übersetzung stammt von Franz Blei, der hier unter dem Pseudonym Dr. Erich Feldhammer genannt wird. Als Textvorlage diente die Ausgabe London 1749. – Gedruckt wurde bei Gustav Röttig & Sohn in Ödenburg. – Sehr seltene Vorzugsausgabe, die zwar bei den Bibliographen, nicht aber im Druckvermerk genannt wurde. – Fast tadellos. – »Dieses Werk ist eines der berühmtesten in der erotischen Literatur« (Stern-Szana). Nach Hinweis bei Brettschneider wurde die Auflage beschlagnahmt. – Exlibris Dr. phil. Rudolf Ludwig, Wien (Heliogravüre nach Zeichnung von Franz von Bayros, Brettschneider 156) in beiden Bänden. 17 : 11,5 cm. [4], 198, [2], [4], 204, [2] Seiten. Zusammen 8 Tafeln. Brettschneider 38. – Hayn/Gotendorf I, 618. – Stern-Szana 243 und ausführlich S. 222ff
  • Softcover, 325 x 253 mm, publisher’s French flapped wrappers in glassine dust cover, 15 leaves folio folded in half, making 30 in-2o leaves 321 x 250 mm, with two leaves within the wrappers, [1] t.p., [2] Vertès’ blue ink inscription “À Alexaner Sternberg frère Nicolas qui est un garçon charmant et un bon artiste. Vertès.” and drawing, [3] frontispiece, [4-26] text with six full-page, one head- and one tailpiece in dry point technique, with guard tissues, [27] list of plates, [28] colophon, [29] blank; some page numbers manually scripted in pencil to the bottom right corners by a previous owner. Paper watermarked “BFK Rives”. Title-page (in orange and black): ÉLOGE | DE | MARCEL VERTÈS | PAR | GEORGES HUISMAN | ORNÉ | DE GRAVURES ORIGINALES | {publisher’s device} | MANUEL BRUKER ÉDITEUR || Colophon: CET OUVRAGE A ÉTÉ ACHEVÉ D'IMPRIMER SUR LES PRESSES DE L'IMPRIMERIE DARAGNÈS LE 30 OCTOBRE 1951 A 200 EXEMPLAIRES NUMÉROTÉS DONT 20 SUR VÉLIN 'ARCHES DE 1 A 20 AUXQUELS IL A ÉTÉ JOINT UNE SUITE DES GRAVURES SUR JAPON NACRÉ ET 180 SUR VÉLIN BLANC DE RIVES DE 21 A 200. ON A TIRÉ EN OUTRE 20 SUITES SUR MALACCA DES PLANCHES REFUSÉES. EXEMPLAIRE N° 93. Limitation: 200 copies printed on October 30, 1951, at Daragnès press: 20 (№№ 1-20) on Arches vellum paper with a suite of plates on Japon Nacré and 180 (№№ 21-200) Vélin Blanc by Rives. This is copy № 93. Tipped in: (1) photo of Vertès (and one more) in front of his murals, with the blue ballpoint pen inscription “À Alex Sternberg, frère de Nicola, excellent ami, excellent artiste et voyez, quel photographe!!! Vertès”; (2) postcard with a signed invitation to Vertès' exhibition by Librairie M.-P. Tremois: “Carte Postale | Paris, le 2 mars [19]28 | Monsieur, | Du 6 au 24 mars, | de 2 heures à 6h30, aura | lieu à la Librairie M.-P. Trémois | 43 avenue Rapp, 7e, une | exposition de dessins et | aquarelles de Vertès, ayant | servi à l’illustration de livres. | Nous espérons que vous | voudrez bien nous honorer | de votre visite. M.-P. Trémois.” The drypoint technique is confirmed by the presence of a white line in the middle of the black  printed line on the micro photo: Catalogue raisonné: Vokaer № 52. Contributors: Georges Huisman (French, 1889 – 1957) – author. Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – character/artist. Manuel Bruker (French, 1891 – 1979) – publisher. Jean-Gabriel Daragnès (French, 1886 – 1950) – printer. Nicolas Sternberg (Hungarian-French, 1902 –1960) Librairie M.-P. Trémois (1925 – 1953)
  • Attributed to Suzuki Harunobu (Japanese: 鈴木 春信; c. 1725 – 7 July 1770). Sunga. Woman dreaming of making love. British museum attributes to Ippitsusai Buncho (一筆斉文調).
  • Монтескье Шарль Луи. Избранные произведения. // Институт философии АН СССР. - М.: Государственное издательство политической литературы, 1955. - 803 стр. Общая редакция и вступительная статья проф. М. П. Баткина.

    Размышления о причинах величия и падения римлян.

    О Духе законов.

    Опыт о вкусе в произведениях природы и искусства.

    Библиография русских переводов произведений Монтескье.

    Указатель имен.

  • Saikotei Shibakuni (active 1821-1826). Osaka school. Play: Kinoshitakage Hazuma Gassen. Theatre: Nakamura-za /Naka-za (Osaka). Date: 7/1826. Horizontal oban diptych. SV: Nakamura Matsue III (Nakamura Tomijuro II) as female, Nakamura Utaemon III (Nakamura Shikan I) as a male. Publisher: Honya Seishichi [Marks 25-527 | 123f], Honsei, 1817-1838.
  • Iron tsuba of round form decorated with eight circular emblems of flowers and/or family crests (mon) made of cast brass, pierced and chiseled in kebori, as well as with flat brass inlay (hira-zōgan) of vines, leaves, and flowers all over the plate. Yoshirō school (Kaga-Yoshirō). The Momoyama or early Edo period, 17th century. Size: diameter 80 mm, thickness at seppa-dai 3,6 mm. Symbols: [12:00 o'clock] - Wood sorrel (katabami) and swords ; [9:00] - Cherry blossom (sakura); [7:30] - Bellflower (kikyō), kamon of Toki clan; [3:00] - possibly, a six-petal Chrysanthemum (kiku) or a Passion flower (tessen); [1:30] - Hemp (asanoha). The symbols at 6:00, 10:30, and 4:30 o'clock seem to be geometrical patterns of auspicious meaning: a cross in a square, a four pointing star, and a diamond, respectively. Alternatively, we may look at this piece as purely decorative, with patterns at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00 o'clock in negative openwork (in-sukashi), and at 1:30, 4:40, 7:20, and 10:30 o'clock - in positive openwork (ji-sukashi, or yō-sukashi). Markus Sesko in his Handbook of sword fittings related terms [Herstellung und Verlag: Books on Demand GmbH, Norderstedt, 2011] discriminates this type of openwork in a separate class: Ranma-sukashi: "This term is applied to circular sukashi with family crests to their inside, which are arranged running along the rim area. The description goes back to the opened boards (ranma) between the sliding doors and the ceiling of Japanese rooms. Ranma-sukashi are mostly seen on old Heianjō- or Yoshirō-zōgan-tsuba but also on works of Hayashi Matashichi" [page 30].
  • Iron tsuba decorated with sparrows and bamboo inlaid and chiseled in yellow brass, with snow lying on bamboo leaves inlaid in silver-ish shibuichi. Copper sekigane. The kogai-hitsu-ana probably cut out at a later date. Heianjō school. Unsigned. Height: 86.0 mm, Width: 85.4 mm, Thickness at seppa-dai: 2.9 mm. Momoyama or early Edo period, first half of the 17th century. Merrily Baird, Symbols..., page 118: "The association of the sparrow (suzume) with both bamboo and rice heads is an old one found in Japanese poetry, paining, and design."
  • Ippitsusai Bunchō [一筆斎文調] (Japanese, 1725 – 1794). Size: Vertical Hosoban. As the Library of Congress put it: "Print shows the actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II, full-length portrait, facing left, standing on the snow-covered veranda". Actor: Ichikawa Monnosuke II [市川門之助] (Japanese, 1743/56 – 1794); other names: Ichikawa Benzō I, Takinaka Hidematsu II, Takinaka Tsuruzō. According to Heroes of the Kabuki Stage [LIB-1197.2016] Ichikawa Monnosuke II was active from 11/1770 to 10/1794. Play: Chūshingura [忠臣蔵] (The Treasury of Loyal Retainers), played at Nakamuraza in the 4the month of Meiwa 8 (1771). The actor played in a variety of roles and performances and was the subject of multiple woodblock prints by many famous ukiyo-e artists, including Bunchō, Katukawa Shunkō, Katukawa Shunshō, Katsukawa Shun'ei, Tōshūsai Sharaku, and many others. Ref: Vever (1976), vol. 1, № 242, p. 227.  

    Katsukawa Shun'ei. The Actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II in an Aragoto Role. LACME.

     

    Actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Date no Yosaku Artist Tôshûsai Sharaku (Japanese, active 1794–1795), Publisher Tsutaya Jûzaburô (Kôshodô) (Japanese) 1794 (Kansei 6), 5th month. MFA.

     

    Ippitsusai Bunchô. Actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II as Tsunewakamaru. Play: Iro Moyô Aoyagi Soga Theater: Nakamura. MFA.

  • Torii Kiyonaga (1752-1815) Color woodblock print: hashira-e, 68.9 x 12.1 cm. DATE: 1783. Signed: Kiyonaga ga Publisher: Eijudō (Nishimuraya Yohachi) "Young musician dreams of being abducted by a ruffian. Long hours on duty have exhausted this young musician who sits sleeping with her shamisen and book placed on the ground in front of her. In her dream, she is being abducted by a ruffian who has stripped her of her clothing" [LIB-1474.2018: Important Japanese prints from the collection of Henry Steiner. Catalogue № 14. — NY: Sebastian Izzard LLC, 2018.]

    The Japanese Pillar Print. Hashira-e. Jacob Pins. Foreword by Roger Keyes. Robert G. Sawers Publishing, London, 1982 [LIB-1543.2018 in this collection] -> page 262 №703: A young woman dreaming of rape and robbery. 1783. Hirano.

    MFA: ACCESSION NUMBER 21.5546: Young Woman Music Teacher Dreaming of a Robbery [追剥の夢を見る三味線師匠]. Edo period, about 1783 (Tenmei 3). Artist Torii Kiyonaga (1752–1815), Publisher Nishimuraya Yohachi (Eijudô). Harvard Museums Object Number 1916.586: Female Musician Dreaming of Robbery. Edo period, circa 1783. Torii Kiyonaga, Japanese (1752 - 1815) . Published by Nishimuraya Yohachi.  
  • Iron tsuba of otafuku-gata form decorated on the face with death and autumn motifs: autumnal grasses and flowers in yellow brass and shakudō, skull, limb bone and sternum inlaid in shakudō. On the reverse the plate is inlaid in red copper with a chrysanthemum and maple leaves floating in stylized water streams. "Plants floating atop water form common motifs, as occurs with chrysanthemums, maple leaves, and cherry blossoms, in particular." [Merrily Baird]. Such plants may be used as a family crest (mon), or may be just a reminder of a floating nature of life.   Momoyama period, late 15th century. Dimensions: 75.3 x 69.9 x 4.3 mm.
  • Tsuba of oval form decorated with clematis six-petal flowers, tendrils, and leaves in cast brass with details carved in kebori, inlaid on iron plate carved in low relief  (kebori and sukidashi-bori). Hitsu-ana plugged with shakudō. Copper sekigane.

    Heianjō (or Ōnin) school. Unsigned. Mid Muromachi period (1454-1513). Dimensions: 87.2 x 84.3 x 4.3 mm. Tsuba is illustrated and described in Gary D. Murtha's "Onin-Heianjo-Yoshiro" book on pages 38-39. Mid-Muromachi is the age attribution by Gary. “A picture book of Japanese sword guards. Victoria & Albert Museum“, published in 1927 presents us with a somewhat similar tsuba: "Floral ornament. Iron, with brass incrustation". V&A attributes the tsuba to Ōnin style, 16th century.
  • Thin six-lobed iron plate of brownish color is carved on each side with a groove that follows the rim and a concentric grooves around the center of the plate, also carved with six thin scroll lines (mokkō or handles, kan) that follow the shape of the rim. Mokume surface treatment. Hitsu-ana  possibly added at a later date, and kogai-hitsu-ana plugged with gold. Silver sekigane.

    Signed: Kunihide [國秀]. Higo school, 1st generation swordsmith.

    Mid Edo period, ca. 1800.

    Would be possibly attributed to Kamakura-bori school revival of the 19th century.

    References: Nihon Tō Kōza, Volume VI / Japanese Sword / Kodōgu Part 1, page 231: Enju Kunihide, a tōshō from Higo: "...forging of the jigane is excellent, and there are also pieces with mokume hada."

    Haynes Index Vol. 1, p. 741, H 03569.0: "Enju Kunihide in Higo province, died 1830, student of Suishinshi Masahide. Retainer of the Hosokawa Daimyō, etc."

    Additional Information from Markus Sesko:  This tsuba indeed is made by Enju Kunihide, who in his later years signed the HIDE [] character as HI [日] and DE [出], as here: Size: 77.4 x 74.9 x 2.7 mm Similar pieces are: 1. In this collection № TSU-0341: Kamakura-bori tsuba with mokkō motif. Muromachi period, 15th - 16th century. 2. Dr. Walter A. Compton Collection, 1992, Christie’s auction, Part II, pp. 14-15, №16: “A kamakurabori type tsubaMuromachi period, circa 1400. The thin, six-lobed iron plate is carved on each side with a wide groove that follows the shape of the rim, and with six scroll lines and a single thin circular groove. […] The hitsu-ana was added at a later date, circa 1500-1550.  Height 8.3 cm, width 8.6 cm, thickness 2.5 mm. The tsuba was initially intended  to be mounted on a tachi of the battle type in use from Nambokucho to early Muromachi period (1333-1400)”. Sold at $935. 3. And another one in Robert E. Haynes Catalog #9 on page 24-25 under №23: “Typical later Kamakura-bori  style work. This type of plate and carving show the uniform work produced by several schools in the Muromachi </em period. Some had brass inlay and others were just carved as this one is. The hitsu are  later. Ca. 1550. Ht. 8.8 cm, Th. 3.25 mm”. Sold for $175.      
  • Iron tsuba of quatrefoil form with design of bamboo stems and leaves in openwork (sukashi) decorated with carving (kebori) . Copper sekigane. Early Edo period, late 17th century (Kanbun / Enppo era). First generation Kanshiro of Nishigaki school in Higo Province died in the sixth year of Genroku, 1693, at the age of 81). Height: 74.4 mm; Width: 74.2 mm; Centre thickness: 4.9 mm. Rounded rim. The design was quite popular among the Higo masters.

    Kanshiro III, early 18th century (Sasano 1994 №267)

     

    Matashichi I, late 17th century (Sasano 1994 №270)

     

    Shigemitsu II, early 18th century (Sasano 1994 №280)

    The design of my tsuba closely resembles the one at the last example (Sasano 1994 №280), however, the form (mine is quatrefoil) and the execution (strength) are very different, which result in a very different spirit of my piece.  
  • Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese歌川 国貞; also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III (三代歌川豊国); 1786 – 12 January 1865).

    A young woman adjusting her hairpins in the light of a paper lantern. Series: Arigataki miyo no kage-e (Shadow Pictures of an Auspicious Age). There are five known prints, half-length portraits of beauties, in this series, designed by Kunisada in ca. 1844. Another print from the series in this collection: SVJP-0309.2020: A young woman reading a book in the light of a lamp.

    Signed: Kōchōrō Toyokuni ga (香蝶楼豊国画). Publisher: Maruya Kiyojiro.

    Size: Vertical Ōban (37.5 x 25.4 cm). Utagawa (歌川) SOLD
  • Artist: Utagawa Toyokuni I [歌川豊国] (1769–1825). Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋 仙三郎] (fl. 1815 – 1869). Signed: Toyokuni ga [豊国 画]. Publisher's seal: Ibaya Sensaburō (Marks 08-067 | 127b). Date-aratame seal: Bunsei 3 (1820). Size: Uncut fan print (uchiwa-e), 224 x 254 mm. Ichikawa Ebijūrō I as Nuregami Chōgorō [濡髪の長五郎], Nakamura Daikichi as Hanaregoma Oseki [放駒のお関], and Ichikawa Danjūrō VII as Hanaregoma Chōkichi [放駒長吉] in a kabuki play Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki [双蝶々曲輪日記] (A Diary of Two Butterflies in the Pleasure Quarters (see: LIB-0879.2015 | Brandon, James R., Leiter, Samuel L.  Kabuki Plays on Stage: Brilliance and Bravado, 1697-1766 (Volume 1). — Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2002.) The play was performed at Kawarasakiza (Edo) in May of 1820. Actors: Ichikawa Ebijūrō I [市川鰕十郎] (Japanese, 1777 – 1827); other names: Ichikawa Ichizō I [市川市蔵], Ichinokawa Ichizō [市ノ川市蔵]. Nakamura Daikichi I [初代中村大吉](Japanese, 1773 – 1823); other names: Fujikawa Daikichi [藤川大吉]; poetry name Hajō [巴丈]; pen name Naruo Yatarō [藤川大吉]. Ichikawa Danjūrō VII 市川団十郎 (Japanese, 1791 – 1859); other names: Ichikawa Ebizō V, Ichikawa Hakuen II, Ichikawa Shinnosuke I.    
  • Owner's convolute binding of the period in quarter tan cloth, yellow marbled boards, no title page, no pagination. Contents: (1) Venetian Album –12 lithographs by Émile-Aubert Lessore (French, 1805 – 1876) after William Wyld (British, 1806 – 1889). — Venice: Charles Hopfner, [1834]. Printed at Premiata Litografia Veneta under the direction of  Ferdinand Wolfgang Flachenecker (German, 1782 – 1847). Inscription: Premiata Litografia Veneta, dirigée par C. Flachenecker.
    1. L'Église de St. Marc
    2. La place St. Marc
    3. Le palais Ducal
    4. Le Môle
    5. L'Arsenal
    6. La Riva dei Schiavoni
    7. Le Grand Canal, (1re vue)
    8. Le Grand Canal (2me vue)
    9. Le Grand Canal (3me vue)
    10. Le Grand Canal (4me vue)
    11. Le Grand Canal (5me vue)
    12. Le Grand Canal (6me vue)
    (2) Veduta della casa di Loreto – 5 etchings by Filippo Jaffei, – Loreto: Jaffei, 1828.
    1. Title: Spiegazione / delli quattro prospetti dei bassi rilievi in marmo che circondano le mura della S. Casa di Loreto / qui annessi in puntata, oltre l'altro prospetto del palazzo pontificio / facciata del tempio, campanile, e cuppola etc.
    2. Prospetto della Basilica, e Piazza Lauretana, ed annesso Palazzo Apostolico / V. Jaffei incise.
    3. Settentrione. Prospetto laterale de Bassirilievi in Marmo, che circondano le Mura di S. Casa di Loreto. Jaffei incise Loreto.
    4. Oriente. Prospetto de Bassirilievi in Marmo, che circ=ondano le Mura di S. Casa.  Jaffei incise Loreto l'Anno 1828.
    5. Mezzo Giorno. Prospetto laterale de Bassirilievi in Marmo, che circondano le Mura di S. Casa di Loreto. Jaffei dis. ed inc. in Loreto.
    6. Occidente. Prospetto de Bassirilievi in Marmo, che circ=ondano le Mura di S. Casa. Jaffei dis. ed inc. in Loreto l'Anno 1828.
    (3) Line engraving signed F. Ferrat (...). (4) View of Cloaca Maxima in Rome etched by Tommaso Cuccioni (Italian, 1790 – 1864), negoziante. Possibly from the album Num. cento vedute di Roma e sue vicinanze. Presso Tommaso Cuccioni, negoziante di stampe in Roma, Via della Croce n. 25. Inscription: Cloaca Maxima. Si vende in Roma da Tommaso Cuccioni Neg.e di Stampe Via della Croce № 25.
  • Title in black and red: AN HISTORICAL SKETCH | OF | BOOKBINDING | BY | S. T. PRIDEAUX | WITH A CHAPTER ON EARLY STAMPED BINDINGS | BY E. GORDON DUFF. | {Publisher’s device} | LONDON: LAWRENCE & BULLEN | 16 HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN | 1893 || Pagination: [i, ii] – h.t. / blank, [2] – blank / frontis. w/guard, [iii, iv] – t.p. / colophon, [v], vi – preface, [vii, viii] – contents / blank, [1] 2-303 [304 blank]. Collation: 8vo; [A]4 B-U8. Binding: Grey cloth with gilt-stamped lettering and publisher’s device to front cover, gilt lettering to spine, blue floral ornamental endpapers, free margin untrimmed; printed on laid paper.