• Late 19th-century (1850-1870) Japanese export fan. This fan has a double leaf painted with a different design on either side. Ivory encrusted with gemstones and other materials. Subject matter such as women wearing kimono is also more typical of export than domestic products (V&A). Autumn theme on the reverse.
  • Shakudō tsuba of the slightly vertically elongated round form (nagamaru-gata) decorated by gold in flat inlay (hira-zōgan) with three insects (cricket, locust, and praying mantis), grass and dewdrops motif. Kogai hitsu-ana is plugged with gilded soft metal. Height: 70.2 mm; width: 66.4 mm x Thickness at seppa-dai: 4.5 mm. Edo period (from ca. 1700 to ca. 1850) Unsigned. Attributed to Kaga School or Murakami School. Almost identical tsuba (no dewdrops, though) is illustrated and described at page 60 of Kokusai Tosogu Kai. 7th International Convention & Exhibition, November 1st, 2011 at Tokyo National Museum, page 60. It is attributed to the Kaga School, Mid Edo period (Late 17th - early 18th century). Dimensions: 70.5 x 66 x 4.5 mm. "The rich black shakudo plate has been slightly lowered (dished out) and then polished. Gold insects crawl amongst grasses, depicted by Kaga style hirazogan (flat inlay). One tendril of the mantis overlaps onto seppa-dai. The mantis boldly looks out from the tsuba in a curious way. This style of Kaga tsuba was popular during the Genroku era (1688-1703)."

    7-U17. Ron Hartmann Collection.

      Another source is Japanese Sword Fittings. A descriptive catalogue of the Collection of G.H. Naunton, Esq., completed and illustrated by Henri L. Joly, - 1912:
    Kanazawa in Kaga was a centre of fine metal work during the whole of the Tokugawa period. At first the inlayers of Fushimi following the Daimyo Maeda went to Kanazawa, then some of the Gotō masters proceeded from Kyoto for short periods to work for the Daimyo, so that their influence was strongly impressed upon Kaga work..." A somewhat look-a-like tsuba is illustrated at plate XXVIII, Kaga Inlay, №653 with the following description at page 52: "Shakudō, inlaid with five insects in gold: crickets, praying mantis, grasshopper, in the style of Takagawara Ujitsugu.
    According to M. Sesko, Ujitsugu was a master from Katsuki and Kaneko School in Kaga, son of Ujihira. Ujihira's father Ujiyoshi died in 1802. This brings us to the mid-19th century, instead of mid-18th or earlier. On the other hand, a very much look alike specimen at MFA collection (ACCESSION NUMBER 17.1061) has the with the following description: Edo period. Late 18th–early 19th century. Murakami School. Main material: shakudo; other metals: gold; decorative technique: iroe hirazogan.

    MFA # 17.1061

    A detailed account of Murakami school can be found at The Japanese toso-kinko Schools.// Lulu Inc., 2012 by Markus Sesko, on pages 235-239. All-in-all, it's either Kaga School or Murakami School, either ca. 1700 or ca. 1850. Quite a range! SOLD
  • Seated portrait of Russian diplomat Count Semyon Romanovich Vorontsov (Семён Романович Воронцо́в; 26 June 1744 – 9 July 1832). Engraved by August Weger (Born: 1823 in Nürnberg; died: 1892 in Leipzig) from the portrait painted by Richard Evans (1784–1871). Circa 1825-50.  Semyon Romanovich Vorontsov, the son of Count Roman Illarionovich and Marfa Ivanovna Surmina, was born on June 15, 1744; Active Privy Councillor; Ambassador to Venice and London from 1784, for over 20 years. Died in London on June 26, 1832.

    Inscription: Графъ Семенъ Романовичь Воронцовъ. Родился въ Москвѣ Iюня 15-го/26 1744, Скончался въ Лондонѣ Iюня 9-го/21 1822. | Le Comte Simon Woronzow. né à Moscou le 26 Juin 1744, Mort à Londres le 21 Juin 1832.  | Richd. Evans, Peintre. - Gravé par A. Weger, Leipzig. Vorontsov family coat of arms in the middle.

    Dimensions: 23 x 15 cm. Ref.: Подробный словарь русских гравированных портретов Д. А. Ровинского, том. 1, 534-540.
  • A two-volume set in the contemporary full calf, imitating the editorial cloth binding. Vol. 1: SCÈNES | DE LA | VIE PRIVÉE ET PUBLIQUE | DES ANIMAUX | VIGNETTES | PAR GRANDVILLE. | — | ÉTUDES DE MŒURS CONTEMPORAINES | PUBLIÉES | SOUS LA DIRECTION DE M. P. – J. STAHL , | AVEC LA COLLABORATION | DE MESSIEURS | DE BALZAC. – L. BAUDE. – E. DE LA BEDOLLIERE. – P. BERNARD. – J. JANIN. | ED. LEMOINE. – CHARLES NODIER. – GEORGE SAND. | [VIGNETTE] | PARIS. | J. HETZEL ET PAULIN , ÉDITEURS , | RUE DE SEINE-SAINT-GERMAIN , 33. | 1842 Pagination: [2 blanks] [2 - ht. / imprim.] [2 - blank / frontis.] [2 - t.p. / blank] [4] [1] 2-386 [6 - table] [2 blanks], 96 whole-page wood-engravings after Grandville, vignettes within the text including head and tailpieces, together with a frontispiece. VOL. 2: SCÈNES | DE LA | VIE PRIVÉE ET PUBLIQUE | DES ANIMAUX | VIGNETTES | PAR GRANDVILLE. | — | ÉTUDES DE MŒURS CONTEMPORAINES | PUBLIÉES | SOUS LA DIRECTION DE M. P. – J. STAHL , | AVEC LA COLLABORATION | DE | MM. DE BALZAC, – L' HERITIER (DE L' AIN), – ALFRED DE MUSSET – PAUL DE MUSSET, | CHARLES NODIER, – MADAME M. MENESSIER NODIER, – LOUIS VIARDOT. | [VIGNETTE] | PARIS, | J. HETZEL , ÉDITEUR , | RUE DE SEINE-SAINT-GERMAIN , 33. | 1842 Pagination: [2 - ht. / imprim.] [2 - blank / frontis.] [2 - t.p. / blank] [1] 2-390 [6 - table], 105 whole-page wood-engravings after Grandville, vignettes within the text including head and tailpieces, together with a frontispiece. Size: Each volume 27 x 18 cm; In-4to (usually classified as 8vo, however, the numeric signatures provide for gathering in-quarto). Binding: Full burgundy calf, gilt embossed Grandville's characters to boards and spine, lettering to spine, white moire end-papers to vol. 1, and yellow end-papers to vol. 2, all margins gilt. Combination of the 1st and 2nd print-runs of the 1st edition. Ref.: L. Carteret, 1927: pp. 552-558. Wikipedia; Gallica; Hathi Trust. In: British Museum, MET, RISD Museum, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
  • 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.
  • Hand-coloured woodcut on wove paper, 327 x 280 mm; black ink stamp “5265” to reverse, attached to the sheet 470 x 325 mm. Top centre: "S. A. LE PRINCE IMPÉRIAL.", right: "63." Image: equestiral portrait of Prince Impérial. Under the image, centre: "Fabrique d'Images de GANGEL et P. DIDION, à Metz." — "Déposé." Napoléon, Prince Imperial (Napoléon Eugène Louis Jean Joseph Bonaparte] (French, 1856 – 1879). Gangel et P. Didion (Metz); Paulin Didion (French, 1831 – 1879) – publisher/printer.
  • Rose quartz snuff bottle of rounded rectangular form on raised foot with round neck, carved in relief with a double dragon in a cartouche; round turquoise stopper with silver collar.
    The Eastern dragon is not the gruesome monster of medieval imagination, but the genius of strength and goodness. He is the spirit of change, therefore of life itself. Hidden in the caverns of inaccessible mountains, or coiled in the unfathomed depth of the sea, he awaits the time when he slowly rouses himself into activity. He unfolds himself in the storm clouds; he washes his mane in the blackness of the seething whirlpools. His claws are in the fork of the lightning, his scales begin to glisten in the bark of rain-swept pine trees. His voice is heard in the hurricane, which, scattering the withered leaves of the forest, a dragon quickens a new spring [C. A. S. Williams. Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs / 3rd Revised Edition. — Rutland, Vermont & Tokyo, Japan: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1993].
    The Qing dynasty (1644–1911). Mid-19th century. Dimensions: H90 x W52 x D30 mm
  • Richard Parkes Bonington (1802–1828 ). British/French. Evreux: Tour du Gros Horloge (Evreux: Large Clock Tower). Inscription: The tower was built in 1417 when the area was ruled by England. Lithograph. From the Taylor and Nodier set "Normandie", Vol. II, pl. 226. 1824. MET# 22.87.2. Catalogue Raisonné: Curtis 1939, no. 19. MET description: "This view in the French town of Evreux focuses on the clock tower, with vendors and customers in the street below. Bonington produced the print for the multi-volume series directed by Baron Isidore Taylor, Charles Nodier and Alphonse de Cailleux titled "Voyages Pittoresques et Romantiques dans l'Ancienne France" (Picturesque and Romantic Travels through Historic France). This image appears in volume 2, devoted to Normandy."
  • 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 ||
  • Hardcover volume, collated in-8o, 21.9 c 14.6 cm, bound in half red morocco over red buckram by Palmer, Hove & Co. (Manchester), ruled in gilt, marbled end-papers, top edge gilt, spine with raised bands, ruled in gilt, gilt lettering; bookplate "Ex libris William John Robertson" with black ink ms dated 1922 to front pastedown. Insert paper clipping “In Memoriam” marked “D.W. 25.1.61.” Graphite ms to t.p.: “[assisted by Karl Marx]”. Pp.: [i-v] vi-xv [xvi blank], [1] 2-500; collation: ffl blank first and last, π8 A-2H8 2I2. Title-page: HISTORY | OF | THE COMMUNE OF 1871. | Translated from the French of | LISSAGARAY, | BY | ELEANOR MARX AVELING. | LONDON: | REEVES AND TURNER, 196 STRAND. | 1886.|| Contributors: Hippolyte Prosper-Olivier Lissagaray (French, 1838 – 1901) – author. Eleanor Marx [Aveling] (British, 1855 – 1898) – translator. William John Robertson (Canadian, 1846 – 1894) – provenance. The Russian translation of the same title: [LIB-1158.2016] Э. Лиссагарэ. История Парижской Коммуны в 1871 г. (Дешевая библиотека, № 274) / Пер. под ред. В. Базарова. — С.-Петербург: Знание, 1906.
  • Hand-coloured woodcut on wove paper, 268 x 381 mm, vertical centerfold. On reverse: black ink stamp “5324”. Top centre: "PRISE DE SAARBRUCK"; left: "PELLERIN & Cie, imp. -édit."; right: "IMAGERIE D'EPINAL, № 134." Under the frame text starts with « La cri de guerre a retenti. La France a été forcée de tirer l’épée pour arrêter… ».[...] Prise de Saarbruck. | Depuis quelques jours, l’armée française occupait la frontière française en face de la Prusse.... Jean Charles Pellerin (French, 1756 – 1836) – publisher/printer. The Battle of Saarbrücken (2 August 1870).
  • A salt print 208 x 155 mm hand-coloured with watercolours depicting a fencer standing in full gear, mounted on cardboard with all four corners cut out and traces of an oval frame.  
  • PLAN OF PARIS & THE SURROUNDING COMMUNES | SHEWING THE FORTIFICATIONS & ALL MODERN IMPROVEMENTS. || Lettered above the image with title, and below with production detail: "Day & Son, Lithrs to the Queen"; and production detail above: "Drawn & Engraved by B.R. Davies: / 16 George Str Euston Squ London", and on top right: "Weekly Dispatch Atlas, 138 Fleet Str". Dimensions: 47.5 x 65.4 cm. Contributors: Day & Son; William Day (British, 1797 – 1845) – lithographer, printer. Davies, Benjamin Rees (British, 1789 – 1872) – artist, engraver.

  • 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.
  • Above the frame: PLAN DE PARIS EN MDCCCLIII. Below the frame: Gravé par F. DELAMARE […] PARIS. TYP. DE FIRMIN DIDOT FRÈRES, 56, RUE JACOB. […] PANICONOGRAPHIE DE GILLOT. Q. ST. MICHEL 23. Dimensions: Sheet: 37 x 52.5 cm: Image: 33 x 50 cm. Technique: Photozincography Contributors: Ferdinand Théodore Delamare (French, fl. 1850 – 1889) – engraver. Firmin Didot Frères ; Firmin Didot (French, 1764 – 1836) – publisher. Firmin Gillot (French, 1819 – 1872) – printer.  
  • Softcover, 19 x 12 cm, publisher’s yellow wrappers with lettering to front, rear and spine, pp. [i-v] vi-xix [xx] [1] 2-474 [6], including index pp. 465-71 and contents pp.473-74. Bookseller’s label to front wrapper in the bottom: « LIBRAIRIE CLASSIQUE | ET | MILITAIRE | S. MILON FILS | SAUMUR | FOURNITURES DE BUREAU » Title-page: Pierre Vésinier | ANCIEN MEMBRE DE LA COMMUNE | — | COMMENT A PÉRI | LA COMMUNE | {publisher’s device} | PARIS | NOUVELLE LIBRAIRIE PARISIENNE | ALBERT SAVINE, ÉDITEUR | 12, RUE DES PYRAMIDES, 12 | – | Tous droits réservés. || Contributors: Pierre Vésinier (French, 1824 – 1902) – author. Albert Savine (French, 1859 – 1927) – publisher. Imprimerie de Saint-Denis, H. Bouillant (Paris) – printer.
  • Title: Life in London ; | DAY AND NIGHT SCENES | OF | JERRY HAWTHORN, ESQ. | AND HIS ELEGANT FRIEND | CORINTHIAN TOM, | ACCOMPANIED BY | BOB LOGIC, THE OXONIAN, | IN THEIR |Rambles and Sprees through the Metropolis. | DEDICATED TO HIS MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY | KING GEORGE THE FOURTH. | BY PIERCE EGAN, | Author of Walks through Bath, Sporting Anecdotes, Picture of the Fancy, Boxiana, &c. | [Vignette] | EMBELLISHED WITH THIRTY-SIX SCENES FROM REAL LIFE, | DESIGNED AND ETCHED BY I. R. & G. CRUIKSHANK ; | And also enriched with numerous original Designs on Wood, by the same Artists, | London: | PRINTED FOR SHERWOOD, NEELY, AND JONES, | PATERNOSTER-ROW. | 1821. ||

    Edition: 1st edition, 1st issue: the first sheet of music is not numbered, absence of any footnote at page 9 (as per Cohn).

    Pagination: 3 binder's flyleaves with a specimen of George Cruikshank's signature of Nov. 5th, 1860 to the first one; hand-coloured aquatint frontispiece facing the title page with blank recto, [iii-iv] – t.p. with vignette/ blank, [v] vi-viii – dedication, ix-xii – contents, [xiii]-xvi – list of illustrations; [1] 2-376; 35 hand-coloured aquatints, 3 folding leaves of music; bound without half-title [missing pp. i, ii], advertisements or 'to the subscribers' leaf.

    Collation: 8vo; [A]7 B-Z8 Aa8-Bb4.

    Binding: Full polished calf gilt by Rivière & Son, covers with triple gilt border, spine in 6 compartments, brown morocco lettering pieces to second and third, others richly gilt, raised bands, all edges gilt; neatly re-backed preserving spine.

    Catalogue raisonné: Albert M. Cohn, 1924: № 262 p. 90; Abbey, J. R. (Life in England), 281; Tooley (Some English Books with Coloured Plates) 196; Prideaux (Aquatint Engraving) pp. 307, 310; Hardie (English coloured books) 197.

    Description of Shapero Rare Books, London: There was a translation into French. At least six plays were based on Egan's characters, contributing to yet more sales. One of these was exported to America, launching the Tom and Jerry craze there. The version created by William Thomas Moncrieff was praised as The Beggar's Opera of its day. Moncrieff's production of Tom and Jerry, or Life in London ran continuously at the Adelphi Theatre for two seasons and it was the dramatist's work as much as the author's that did so much to popularise the book's trademark use of fashionable slang. In 1821 Egan announced the publication of a regular journal: Life in London, appearing monthly at a shilling a time. It was to be illustrated by George Cruikshank (1792 – 1878), and was dedicated to the King, George IV, who at one time had received Egan at court. The first edition of Life in London appeared on 15 July 1821. Egan's creation was an instant success. Pirate versions appeared, featuring such figures as 'Bob Tallyho', 'Dick Wildfire' and the like. Printmakers speedily knocked off cuts featuring the various 'stars' and the real-life public flocked to the 'sporting' addresses that Egan had his heroes frequent.
  • Manners and Customs of the Japanese, in the Nineteenth Century. From the Accounts of Recent Dutch Residents in Japan, and from the German Work of Dr. Ph. Fr. von Siebold.

    Author: Siebold, Philipp Franz von et al.

    Publisher: Harper & Brothers, New York, 1841.