/Collection
  • Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞]; a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Toyokuni ga [豊国 画] in a red toshidama cartouche. Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. C. 1845 – 1847), seal: San [三] (Marks 11-001 | 127c). Block carver: Matsushima Fusajirō [松嶋房次郎] (Japanese, fl. 1843 – 1850); seal [彫工房] – Hori kō Fusa. Double nanushi censor seal: Kunigasa & Watanabe (1849-50). Actor: Ichikawa Danjūrō VII [市川団十郎] (Japanese, 1791 – 1859); other names: Ichikawa Ebizō V [市川海老蔵], Ichikawa Hakuen II, Ichikawa Shinnosuke I. Play: Yukari no Hana Iro mo Yoshiwara [紫花色吉原], performed at the Kawarazaki Theater (Edo) from the 5th day of the 5th lunar month of Kaei 3 (1850) (see Kabuki Playbill at MFA (Boston) № 11.27996). Sano Jirōzaemon [佐野次郎左衛門] – provincial commoner who killed a famous Yoshiwara courtesan named ManjiyaYatsuhashi [万字屋 八ツ橋] (on the second sheet of the pair):

    SVJP-0298.2019: Ichikawa Ebizō V as Sano Jirōzaemon.

    SVJP-0297.2019: Iwai Kumesaburō III as Manjiya Yatsuhashi

    Another Kunisada's print with the same characters in the same play and same performance can be seen at MFA (Boston) № 11.40190. One more example can be seen at the two upper images in Waseda University Cultural Resources Database, № 006-2707:  
  • Charges sur le Communisme, le socialisme et sur les idées de ce genre par les dessinateurs du Charivari. Binding: original cardboard. Catalogue raisonée: Hazard & Delteil 1904 / Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre lithographié de Honoré Daumier [LIB-2176.2019 in this collection], p. 267: 20 illustrations by Daumier, Cham, Vernier, Ed. de Beaumont. Sticker: Vendu par Francois, Grande-Rue №33, à Rouen. Bought in Paris, seller claimed 1848, first edition. Similar title here : #31. Charges sur le communisme Le socialisme et sur les idées de ce genre par les dessinateurs. Paris, Chez Aubert & Cie., Éditeurs du Journal pour rire, sans date (vers 1865). Relié, plein cartonnage vert décoré et illustré de l'éditeur, in-folio (34,5 x 26 cm) de 20 planches lithographiées. 250 €. Caricatures par Cham (11), Gustave Janet (1), ADC (1), sans nom (3), Daumier (1), Lorentz-Jean-Paul Laurens (3). Nous trouvons pour ce même cartonnage des recueils différents à diverses périodes ; le nôtre doit dater des années 1865-67, moment où Jean-Pierre Laurens fut condamné par la justice du Second Empire pour son anticléricalisme.  
  • La vénus espagnole et le prince de Joinville par Zut [The Spanish Venus and the Prince of Joinville, by Zut]. Empress Eugénie poses naked for the Prince de Joinville holding a cigarette in her hand. He stares at her intently from his easel.
  • A book of sixty-eight copperplate engravings (burin and etching) by various artists after Anthony van Dyck, and one engraving by Lucas Vorsterman I, printed in black on laid paper, bound in full calf with a blind-stamped double-fillet ruling to the boards, spine with raised bands, gilt floral lozenges in compartments, gilt lettering "RECUE DE FIGUR", all margins sprinkled red, marbled end-papers. Engravers: Adriaen Lommelin (French engraver, 1637 – c. 1673) : 12 plates: №№ 3, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 35, and 48. Anthony van Dyck (Flemish, 1599 – 1641) : partially engraved himself 1 plate: № 53. Antoine Couchet (Flemish, 1630 – 1678) : 1 plate № 30. Conrad Waumans [Woumans] (Flemish engraver, 1619 – after 1675) : 6 plates: №№ 5, 32, 36, 57, 64, and 66. Cornelis Galle the Younger (Flemish engraver, 1615 – 1678) : 5 plates: №№ 2, 7, 10, 29, and  33. Hendrick Snyers (Flemish engraver, 1611 – 1644) : 1 plate: № 9. Jacob Neefs, or Neeffs (Flemish engraver, 1610 – after 1660): 4 plates:  №№ 1, 16, 45, and 67. Johannes [Jan] Meyssens (Flemish engraver and publisher, 1612 – 1670) : engraved 6 plates: №№ 4, 22, 31, 51, 61, and 62. Lucas Vorsterman the Elder (Flemish engraver, 1595 – 1675) : engraved 7 plates: №№ 11, 15, 55, 58, 59, 65, and 69. Michael Natalis, or Noël (Flemish engraver, 1610 – 1668) : 1 plate: № 34 Paulus Pontius (Flemish engraver, 1603 – 1658) : 2 plates: №№ 37 and 52. Peeter Clouwet (Flemish engraver, 1629 – 1670) : 3 plates: №№ 13, 27, and 49. Peeter van Lisebetten (Flemish engraver, 1630 – 1678) : 1 plate: № 56. Pieter de Bailliu (Flemish engraver, 1613 – after 1660) : 4 plates: №№ 8, 14, 44, and 54. Pieter de Jode II (Flemish, 1606 – 1670/74) : 7 plates: №№ 12, 19, 23, 46, 47, 50, and 60. Richard Gaywood (British, fl. 1644 – 1668) : 1 plate: № 63. Robert van Voerst (Dutch, 1597 – 1636) : 1 plate: № 6. Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert (Flemish, c. 1586 – 1659) : 2 plates: №№ 18 and 68. Wenceslaus Hollar (Bohemian, 1607 – 1677) : 6 plates: №№ 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43. Publishers: 36 prints were printed/published by Johannes [Jan] Meyssens (Flemish, 1612 – 1670) : (2), (4), (5), (7), (8), (9), (10), (12), (14), (22), (29), (31), (32), (33), (34), (36), (37), (39), (40), (41), (42), (43), (44), (45), (46), (51), (53), (54), (56), (57), (60), (61), (62), (64), (66), (67). Gillis Hendricx (fl. 1640 – 1677) published 11 prints, including the title page: (1), (13), (18), (26), (30), (47), (48), (50), (59), (65), (68). N. Burgund. Cons. Brab : (20); John Overton (British, 1639/40 – 1713) : (63); Hendrik van der Borcht II (Dutch, 1614 – c. 1690) : (38); Peter Stent (British, fl. c. 1637 – 1665) : (63). Description of plates:
    1. Engraved title page by Jacob Neeffs in 1646. On the slab supporting the bust, left: “ANT. VAN DYCK”, right: “Ant. van Dyck fecit aqua forti”. On the face of pedestal: “PRINCIPVM | VIRORVM DOCTORVM, | PICTORVM CHALCOGRAPHORVM, | STATVARIORVM NEC NON AMATORVM | PICTORIÆ ARTIS NVMERO CENTVM | AB | ANTONIO VAN DYCK, | PICTORE AD VIVVM EXPRESSÆ | EIVSQ: SVMPTIBVS ÆRI INCISÆ.” In cartouche: “ANTVERPIÆ | Gillis Hendricx excudit | Anno 1645” (corrected by hand “1646”). At lower left margin: “Iac. Neeffs Sculpsit.” The print with cut off margins pasted to the bound-in leaf. Size of the print: 24.3 x 15.8 cm.
    2. Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary and Bohemia (1608 – 1657); engraved by Cornelis Galle the Younger (Flemish, 1615–1678) in 1649. Inscription: “FERDINANDUS III. DEI GRAT. IMPERATOR ROM.SEMP.AUGUST. | GERM. HUNG. BOH. REX: ARCHIDICUX AU ST. DUX BURGUND. ETC.”. Below: “Ant. van Dÿc pinxit” <–> “Corn. Galle Iunior sculp∫it.”<–> “…excudit Antuerpiæ A.o 1649”. Second state with Meyssens’ name burnished.
    3. Charles I, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (British, 1600 – 1649); engraved by Adriaen Lommelin (French, 1637 – c. 1673). Inscription: “CAROLVS DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ, FRANCIÆ ET HIBERNIÆ REX”. Below: “Ant. van Dÿc pinxit” <–> “Adr. Lommelin sculpsit”.
    4. Charles I, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (British, 1600 – 1649); engraved by Johannes [Jan] Meyssens (Flemish, 1612 – 1670). Inscription: “CAROLVS DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ, FRANCIÆ ET HIBERNIÆ REX”. Below: Antonius Van Dÿck eques pinxit” <–> “...excudit”. Meyssens’ name burnished. [See similar print №61 with Ioannes Meysens name present].
    5. Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau (Dutch, 1584 – 1647); engraved by Conrad Waumans [Woumans] (Flemish, 1619 – after 1675). Inscription: “FREDERICVS HENRICVS, D.G. PRINCEPS ARAVSIONENSIVM, COMES | NASSAVIÆ, ETC. | MARCHIO VERÆ ET FLISSINGÆ, BARO BREDÆ GRAVÆ, | DIESTÆ ETC.” Below: “Antonius van Dÿck pinxit” <–> “Conraet Waumans sculpsit” <–> “…excudit”. Meyssens’ name burnished. [Similar to №57, but with Ioannes Meyssens name in place].
    6. Count Ernst von Mansfield (German, 1580 – 1626); engraved by Robert van Voerst  (Dutch, 1597 – 1636). Inscription: “ERNESTO PRINCIPI ET COMITI MANSFELDIÆ, MARCHIONI | CASTELLI-NOVI ET BUTIGLIRIÆ, BARONI AB HELDRUNGEN, GENERALI ETC.” Below  “Ant. Van Dÿck pinxit” <–> “Robertus van Voerst Sculpsit”.
    7. Engelbert Taye, Baron of Wemmel (Flemish, ? – 1638); engraved by Cornelis Galle the Younger. “DOMINVS ENGELBERTVS TAIE EQVES, BARO WEMMELIVS ETC.A | DEPVTATVS ORDINARIVS INTER NOBILES STATVS BRABANTIÆ.”. Below: “Antonius van Dyck pinxit”, “Cornelius Galle iunior ∫culpsit” <–> “…excudit Antuerpiæ.”. Second state, with “Ioannes Meyssens” erased.
    8. Antoine de Bourbon, comte de Moret (French, 1607 – 1632); engraved by Pieter de Bailliu (Flemish, 1613 – after 1660). Inscription: “ATHONIVS BOVRBONIVS, COMES MORETANVS, ET ABBAS S.TI STEPHANI | CAENTINI, FILIVS NATVRALIS, HENRICI MAGNI ET JACQVELINÆ BVEILANÆ | COMITISSÆ MORETANÆ,”. Below: “Antonius van dyck pinxit.” <–> “Petrus de Ballu sculpsit.” <–>“… excudit Antverpiæ.”. Second state with “Ioannes Meyssens” erased. Antoine de Bourbon was the illegitimate son of Henri IV, Roi de France and Jacqueline de Bueil, Comtesse de Moret.
    9. Prince Rupert of the Rhine (German, Bohemian, 1619 –1682); engraved by Hendrick Snyers (Flemish, 1611 – 1644). Inscription: “ILLVSTRISSIMVS PRINCEPS ROBBERTVS, COMES PALATINVS RHENI, EQVES | ORDINIS S.TI GEORGII. HIPPARCHVS SVÆ MAI.TIS MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ. ETC.A”. Below: “Antonius van Dyck pinxit” <–> “Henricus Snyers sculpsit” <–> “...excudit Antuerpiæ.”. Second state with “Ioannes Meyssens” erased.
    10. Gottfried-Heinrich, Count of Pappenheim; engraved by Cornelis Galle the Younger. Inscription: “GODEFRIDVS-HENRICVS COMES DE PAPENHEIM CONSILIARIVS AVLICVS | SVÆ CES. MAIES. EIVSQ³ EXERCITVVM MARESCHALLVS GENERALIS.” Lettered with production details below: “Ant. van Dyck pinxit” <–> “C. Galle ∫chulpsit.” <–> “…excudit”. Second state with “Ioan. Meyßens” erased.
    11. Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel (British, 1585 – 1646); engraved by Lucas Vorsterman the Elder (1595–1675). Inscription: “Illustri∫∫imus Dñs. D.Thomas Howardvs, Comes Arundeliæ et Surreiæ, Primus Angliæ Comes, Dominus | Howardi, Maltrauers, Mowbray, Segraue, Breus, Clun et O∫estriæ, Comes Mare∫callus Angliæ, Nobilißimi | Pericelidis ∫iue Garterij ordinis Eques, et Serenißimo Regi Carolo, Magnæ Britaniæ, Franciæ et Hiberniæ | Regi ab intimis Consilijs, Liberalium artium Mæcenas, et promotor omnion virtutum Actione et Laude.”. Below: “Ut donum hoc, mantenque probes qua consecro, Amori | Sufficit hocci tuo: Hic Magnvs ARONDELIVS”, “C.O.Q.D.A. VAN DYCK D. Vor∫termani.”, “Cum priuile.”. Third state with ‘Opera Vorstermanni’ burnished and two lines of Latin added below the four lines of the title.
    12. Jan van Montfort [Jean de Montfort] (Flemish, 1567 – 1648); engraved by Pieter de Jode II (Flemish, 1606 – 1670/74). Inscription: “D. IOANNES DE MONTFORT SERENISSIMORVM ARCHIDVCVM ET PRINCIPVM BELGII | ALBERTI ET ELISABETHÆ AVLARVM PRIMARIVS CONSTITVTOR ET EXORNATOR, NEC | NON REGIS CATHOLICI MONETARVM CITRA MONTES CONSILIARIVS, ET MAGISTER. | GENERALIS, NOBILIVMQ3 DOMINARVM PALATII SERENIS.MÆ ELISABETHÆ INVIOLATVS CVSTOS.” Below: “Antonius van Dyck pinxit.” <–> “Petrus de Iode sculpsit.” <–> “…excudit Antuerpiæ”. Second state with “Ioannes Meyssens” erased.
    13. Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland (British, 1590 – 1649), engraved by Pieter Clouwet (Flemish, 1629 – 1670). Inscription: “HENRICVS RICHE COMES HOLLANDIÆ BARO DE KENSINGTON NOBILISSIMI | ORDINIS GARTERII EQVES CAROLI. LOREGIS MAGNÆ BRITANIÆ A CONSILIIS. ETC.”. Below: “Ant. van Dÿck pinxit.” | “Pet. Clouwet sculpsit” <–> “Gillis Hendricx | excudit”. Third state with the title added and production details re-engraved.
    14. Honoré d’Urfé, marquis de Valromey, comte de Châteauneuf (French, 1568 – 1625); engraved by Pieter de Bailliu (Flemish, 1613 – 1660). Inscription: “ILLVS.MVS DOMNIVS HONORIVS VRFEIVS NOBILIS ORD.RIVS CVBICVLI REGII, DVX 50. ARMATORVM | HOMINVM A SVO MANDATO, COMES NOVI CASTELLI, BARO ARCIS MORANDANÆ ETC.A”. Below: “Antonius van Dyck pinxit” <–> “Pet. de Bailliue sculpsit.” <–> “… excudit”. Second lettered state with title and production details, with “Ioannes Meyssens” erased. [There is another copy in this binding, №54, where Ioannes Meysens' name is in place].
    15. Johannes [John VIII], Count of Nassau-Siegen (German, 1583 – 1638); engraved by Lucas Vorsterman I (Flemish, 1595 – 1675). Inscription: in the oval around the portrait “EXCELLENTISSIMVS DOMINVS: D. IOANNES, COMES NASSAOVIÆ, CATTNELLIBOCI: VIANDEN, DIETZ, &C. EQVES AVREI VELLERIS. S. MA: CÆS, MARESCHALIVS, CATH. REG. IN BELGIO. EQVITVM GENERALIS. &C”, in lower margin: “ILLVSTRISSIMÆ PRINCIPI ERNESTINÆ DE LIGNE EIVSDEM D. COMITIS VXORI DD.”, and “AVan Dÿck pinxit.” <–> “Cu Priuleg”. Fourth state with Vorsterman’s address burnished. [For the third state with “Lucas Vorsterman exc” present see № 55].
    16. Joost de Hertoghe (Flemish, ? –1638); engraved by Jacobus Neefs. Inscription: "Me∫∫ire IOSSE DE HERTOGE chevalier ∫.r de franoÿ, hon∫walle etc: con∫eillier du conseil | de brabant, amba∫∫adeur de la part de ∫a Ma.te catholique co.e ducq de bourgoigne | et des pais bas, a la diete de rati∫bone de l'an 1636." In Lower margine: "Ant: van Dÿck pinxit.", <–>"Jacobus Neefs ∫culp.". Second, lettered state with the title and production details added.
    17. Philippe Le Roy (Flemish, 1596 – 1679). No inscription. The printmaker is unidentified but is possibly Adriaen Lommelin. The print is a copy of the print by Vorsterman and Pontius.
    18. Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert (Flemish, c. 1586 – 1659); engraved by Adriaen Lommelin, published by Gillis Hendricx. Inscription: “SCELTE A BOLSWART | CALCOGRAPHVS ANTVERPIÆ”. In lower margin: “Ant. van Dÿc inuentor | Adr. Lommelin sculpsit” <–> “Gillis Hendricx excudit”. Third state with an entirely different head, title and production details added.
    19. Willem Marquis (Flemish, 1604 – 1640); engraved by Pieter de Jode II. Inscription: “GVILIELMVS MARCQUIS ANTVERP. MED. DOCT. ÆT. 36.A.O 1640.” In lower margin: “Ant. van Dyck Pinxit” <–> “Petr. de Iode sculp.”. Second, lettered state with Borreken’s name burnished and replaced by Van Dyck’s.
    20. Frederik de Marselaer (Flemish, 1584 – 1670); engraved by Adriaen Lommelin. Inscription: “D. FREDERICVS DE MARSELAER, EQVES AVRATVS, TOPARCHA DE PARCK, ELEWYT | HARSEAVX, HOYCKE, BORNAGE, LIBERIQUE DOMINII DE OPDORP, CONSVL BRVXELLÆ.” Three lines of verse below: “Quantum occulta viris vis nominis ominis addat | Ceu fatale aliuid; placidum Mars E Lare, scitum, | Legatusue orbi manifestat, pacis alumnus.”. In lower margin: “Ant. van Dÿck pinxit | Adrian Lommelin sculpsit” <–> “N. Burgund. Cons. Brab:”. Third state with the roll of paper rounded.
    21. Jan Baptist de Wael I (Flemish, 1558 – 1633); engraved by Adriaen Lommelin. Inscription: “IOANNES DE WAEL.”. In lower margin: “Ant. van Dyck pinxit.”<–> and “Adrian Lommelin sculpsit.”. Second, lettered state with the title and production details. British Museum № 1872,1012.4168.
    22. François van der Ee (Flemish, ? – 1645); engraved and published by Johannes Meyssens. Inscription: “D . FRANCISCVS VANDER EE | Dñs de Meys, Pretor Ciuitatis Bruxellensis”. In lower margin: “Anton van Dyck pinxit”, and “fecit et excud.”. Fourth, lettered state, finished with the burin, with second line added to the title, with address “Ioannes Meyssens” almost completely burnished.
    23. Quintijn Simons (Flemish, 1592 – after 1634); engraved by Pieter de Jode II. Inscription: “QVINTINVS SIMONIS. | BRVXELLENSIS PICTOR HISTORIARVM.”. In lower margin: “Ant. van Dijck pinxit.” <–> “Pet. de Iode sculp.”. Third state with second line of title added.
    24. Adriaan Stevens (Flemish, 1561 – 1640); engraved by Adriaen Lommelin. Inscription: "INTEGERRIMVS VIR ADRIANVS STEVENS / S.P.Q. ANTVERP. AB ELEMOSYNIS.". In lower margin:"Ant van Dÿc pinxit." <–> "A. Lommelin sculp.". British Museum # R,1b.20.
    25. Jan van Malderus (Flemish, 1563 – 1633); engraved by Adriaen Lommelin. Inscription: “PERLL.ris et REVEREN.mus DOMINVS. D. IOANNES MALDERVS”. In lower margin: “Ant Van Dÿck pinxit” <–> “Adrianus Lommelin sculpsit”.
    26. Zeger van Hontsum (Flemish, ? – -1643). Engraved by Adriaen Lommelin, published by Gillis Hendricx. Inscription: “Zegerus van Hontsum S.T.L. cathedralis | pænitentiarius et Canonicus Ecclesiæ Antuerpiensis”. In lower margin: “Ant. van Dÿc pinxit” <–> “Adr. Lommelin sculp.” <–> “G. Hendricx excudit”.
    27. Carolus Scribani (Flemish, 1561 – 1629); engraved by Pieter Clouwet. Inscription: “R. P. CAROLVS SCRIBANIVS Bruxellensis, é Societate IESV; in qua Antuerpiæ et I Bruxellæ Rector, ac Flandro-Belgicæ Provincialis, per multos annos fuit. Pietate, | doctrina, consilio, rebus bono publico gestis, libris editis clarus. Obijt Antverpiæ | 24. Iun. anno 1629. ætatis 69.”. In lower margin: “Antonius van Dÿck pinxit.” <–> “Petrus Cloüet Sculpsit.”. Second, lettered state with the title and production details.
    28. Jan Baptist van Bisthoven (Flemish, 1602 – 1655); engraved by Adriaen Lommelin. Inscription: “R.P. IOANNES BAPTISTA DE BISTHOVEN Antverpiensis e societate IESV | Collegÿ Alostani Rector, nec non in missione fidei catholicæ propagandæ apud exteros | præpositus obÿt A.o 1655”. In lower margin: “Ant:van Dÿck pinxit”, and “A. Lommelin sculp”. Second, lettered state with the title and production details.
    29. Maria of Austria (Spanish, 1606 – 1646); engraved by Cornelis Galle the Younger, published by Johannes Meyssens. Inscription: “MARIA AUSTRIACA FERD. III. UXOR. I. DEI G. IMP. ROM. SEMP. AUG. | GERM. HUNG. BOH. REG. ARCHIDUCISSA AUTR. DUCISSA BURGUN. ETC”. In lower margin: “Ant. van Dyck pinxit.” <–> “Corn. Galle Iunior sculpsit.” <–> “...excudit Antuerpiæ A.o 1649”. Third, lettered state with Meyssens’ name burnished badly.
    30. Henriette Marie de Bourbon, Queen of Charles I (French, 1609 – 1669); engraved by Antoine Couchet and Adriaen Lommelin, published by Gillis Hendricx. Inscription: “Serenißima Potenti∫simâq Henrica Maria Dei gratia | Magne Britaniæ, Franciæ, Hibern. Regina”. In lower margin: “Ant. van Dyck pinxit” <–> “Ioseph Couchet sculp” <–> “Gillis Hendricx exc.”. State with “Lommelin sculp.” right after “Ant. van Dyck pinxit” burnished, but still legible.
    31. Henriette Marie de Bourbon, engraved and published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “HENRICA MARIA DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANIÆ FRANCIAÆ HIBERN. REGINA.”. In lower margin: “fecit et excud.” <–> “Anton van Dyck Pinxit”. Third state, finished with a burin; with Meyssens’ name burnished. [Similar to print №62 which has "Ioan. Mey∫ens" signature present].
    32. Amalia van Solms, Princess of Orange (German, 1602 – 1675), engraved by Conraad Waumans and published by Johannes Meyssens. Inscription: “EMELIÆ DE SOLMS, D. G. PRINCPES ARAVSIONENSIVM, COMITISSA NASSAUVIÆ, ETC. | MARCHIONISSA VERÆ ET FLISSINGÆ, BARONISSA BREDÆ, GRAVÆ, DIESTÆ ETC.”. In lower margin: “Antonius van Dijck pinxit.” <–> “Conraet Waumans sculpsit.” <–> “… excudit”. First, lettered state with the title and production details, with Meyssens’ name burnished. [Similar to №66, which has Ioannes Meysens name present].
    33. Henriette de Lorraine, Princess of Phalsbourg (or Pfalzburg) (French, 1605 – 1660); engraved by Cornelis Galle the Younger, published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “HENRICA LOTHARINGIÆ, PRINCIPISSA PHALSEBVRGÆ, ET RIXHEIMÆ, COMITISSA | BOVLAYÆ, BARONISSA ASPIRIMONTIS, DOMINA NOVI-CASTELLI, PRENY | HOMBVRGI, S.TI ANOLDI, AVANTGARDÆ, SAMPIGNI, FRANC-ALTORFFI ETC.A”. In lower margin: “Antonius van Dyck pinxit.” <–> “Cornelius Galle iunior sculpsit.” <–> “… excudit.”. First state with the title and production details, with Ioannes Meyssens’ name burnished. British Museum # R,1a.248.
    34. Ernestine Yolande de Ligne, Countess of Nassau-Siegen (Flemish, 1594 – 1668); engraved by Michiel Natalis, published by Jan Meyssens. Inscription: “ERNESTINA PRINCEPS LIGNEANA ET S.TI IMPERII, COMES NASSAVI. ETC.A”. In lower margin: “Antonius van Dyck pinxit.” <–> “Michael Natalis sculpsit.” <–> “…excudit Antuerpiæ.”. Second state with the initials of Ioannes Meyssens erased.
    35. Marie de Barbançon, Princess of Arenberg (1602 – 1675); engraved by Adriaen Lommelin. Inscription: “MARIA DEI GRATIÂ PRINCEPS COMES ARENBERGIÆ | PRINCEPS BARBASONIA ETC.A”. In lower margin: “Ant. van Dÿck pinxit. | Adrian. Lommelin sculpsit.”. Second, lettered state with title and production details and adjustments made in the face. British Museum # 1876,1014.181
    36. Marie-Claire de Croy, Duchess of Havré (Flemish, 1605 – 1664); engraved by Conraad Waumans, published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “MARIA CLARA DE CROIIO, DVX HAVREANA CROYANAQ3 PRINCEPS STE. IMPERII, | SOVVERANEA ET BARONISSA FENESTRANGIÆ ET COSTÆ COMES FONTENOIIA ETC.”. In lower margin: “Antonius van Dyck pinxit.” <–> “Coenraerdus Waumans sculpsit.” <–> “…excudit.”. Third state with Ioannes Meyssens’ name burnished. British Museum # 1891,1015.21. [Similar to №64, which has Ioannes Meysens’ name present].
    37. Marie de Barbançon, Princess of Arenberg (1602 – 1675); engraved by Paulus Pontius, published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “MARIA DEI GRATIÂ PRINCEPS COMES ARENBERGIÆ, | PRINCEPS BARBASONIA ETC.A”. In lower margin: “Antonius van Dyck pinxit. | Paulus Pontius sculp. Anno 1645.” <–> “… excudit Antuerpiæ”. Second state with a thick borderline, title and production details added, Ioannes Meyssens’s name burnished.
    38. Karl I Ludwig, Elector Palatine (German, 1617 – 1680); engraved by Wenceslaus Hollar (Bohemian, 1607 – 1677). Inscription: “CAROLVS LVDOVICVS D:G: COMES PALATINVS AD RHENVM, S:ri R.ni IM:rii | Princeps, Archidapifer & Elector, Dux Bauariæ, …Nobilissimi Ordinis Garterij Eques etc.”. Below: “Ant: van Dyck pinxit” <–> “WHollar fecit,” <–> “1646”. First, lettered state with the title and production details, without “H: van de Borcht excu:”. British Museum # 1867,1012.598. Hendrik van der Borcht II (Dutch, 1614 – c. 1690)
    39. Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland (British, 1577 – 1635); engraved by Wenceslaus Hollar, published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “PERILLUSTRIS DOMINVS HIERONYMVS WESTONIVS, COMES PORTLANDIÆ, | HEYLANDÆq3, etc’,”. Below: “Antonius van Dyck pinxit”<–> “W: Hollar fecit, aqua forte. 1645”. Ioannes Meyssens’s name completely burnished.
    40. Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel (British, 1585 – 1646); engraved by Wenceslaus Hollar, published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: "ILLVSTRIS:us & EXCELLENT:mus D:nus. DOMINVS THOMAS HOWARD, COMES ARXNDELIÆ & SVRRIÆ | primus Comes & summus Marescallus Angliæ, etc nobilisimi ordiuis Garterÿ Eques, Serenis∫imi po: | tentis∫imq3 Principis Caroli: Magnæ Britanniæ & Hiberniæ Regis, Fidei defen∫oris, etc. in Anglia, Sco | tia et Hibernia a Secretioribus Consilijs, et eju∫dem Regis Ao1639. Contra | Scotos Supremus & Generalis Militiæ Dux,”. In lower margin: “Ant: van Dyck Eques pinxit” <–> “WHollar fecit 1646”. Second state with Ioannes Meyssens’s name completely burnished.
    41. Lucas de Wael (Flemish, 1591 – 1661) and Cornelis de Wael (Flemish, 1592 – 1667); engraved by Wenceslaus Hollar, published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “LVCAS ET CORNELIVS DE WAEL ANTV: FFr. GERMANI IOis QUI PICTORIAM AR | TEM HÆREDITARIO IVRE CONSECVTI HIC RVRALIVM, ILLE OMNIGENVM PRÆCIPVEQVE / CONFLICTVVM REPRÆSENTATOR.”. In lower margin: “Ant. van Dyck Eques pinxit.” <–> “W: Hollar fecit, 1646.” <–> “I: Meysens exc”. First, lettered state with the title and production details.
    42. Mary (Elisabetha ) Villiers, Duchess of Lennox and Richmond (British, 1622 – 1685); engraved by Wenceslaus Hollar, published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “ILLUSTRISS: ma D:ma DOMI.na ELISABETHA VILLIERS DVCESSA DE LENOX ET RICH | MOND. etc: FILIA GEORGIJ VILLIERS DVCIS ET COMITIS BVCKINGHAMIÆ.”. In lower margin: “Ant: van dyck pinxit” <–> “W:Hollar fecit” <–> “… Antverpiæ.”. Ioannes Meyssens’ name completely burnished. First state with the title and production details.
    43. Frances (Maria) Stuart, Countess of Portland (British, 1617 – 1694); engraved by Wenceslaus Hollar, published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “ILLVSTRIS: DOMINA DNA: MARIA STVART COMITISSA | PORTLANDIÆ NEYLANDIÆ, etc.”. Below: “Ant: Van Dycke pinxit,” <–> “W: Hollar fecit, A:o 1650,”, “...excud: Antuerpiæ,”. Second state with Meyssens’ name burnished. British Museum # 1853,0112.1761
    44. Lucy Percy, Countess of Carlisle (British, 1599 – 1660); engraved by Pieter de Bailliu, published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “LVCIA PERCYE, COMES CARLYLENSIS, MARCGRAVIA | DONCASTRENSIS BARONISSA HAYÆ IN SALCÏA, ETC.A”. In lower margin: “Antonius van Dyck pinxit.” <–> “Petrus de Baillue sculpsit.” <–> “...excudit Antuerpia.”. Third, lettered state with Joannes Meyssens’ name burnished.
    45. Marie-Marguerite de Berlaymont ( ? – 1654); engraved by Jacobus Neeffs, published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “D.DNA. MARIA MARGARETA DE BARLEMONT COMITISSA HEGMONDANA.” In lower margin: “Ant. van Dyck pinxit.” <–> “Iacobus Nefs sculpsit.”<–> “...exc.”. Fourth state with Ioannes Meyssens’ name erased. British Museum # 1876,1014.206. [Similar to №67, which has Ioannes Meysens name present].
    46. Béatrix Constance de Cussance, Princess of Cantecroix (French, 1614 – 1663); engraved by Pieter de Jode II, published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “BEATRIX COSANTIA PRINCEPS CANTECROYANA ETC.A”. In lower margin: “Antonius van Dyck pinxit” <–>“Petrus de Iode sculpsit.” <–> “… excudit Antuerpiæ.”. Second, lettered state with Meyssens’ name burnished.
    47. Johanna de Blois; engraved by Pieter de Jode II, published by Gillis Hendricx. Inscription: “D. IOHANNA DE BLOIS”. In the lower margin: “Ant. van Dÿck pinxit | Petr. de Iode sculpsit” <–> “Gillis Hendricx | excudit.”. British Museum # 1876,1014.189.
    48. Katherine Howard, Countess of Newburgh, Lady d’Aubigny (British, ? – 1650); engraved by Adriaen Lommelin, published by Gillis Hendricx. Inscription: “EXCELLmæ ILL.mæq3 DOMINÆ CATHARINÆ HOWARD, EXCELLmi DUCIS LIVOXIÆ | HÆREDIS CONIUGIS DELECTISSIMÆ, VERA EFFIGIES.” In lower margin: “A. van Dÿck pinxit.” <–> “G. Hendricx excudit” <–> “A. Lommelin scup.”. British Museum # P,3.326
    49. Anna Wake (Flemish, 1606 – 1680); engraved by Pieter Clouwet. Inscription: “D. ANNA WAKE.”. In lower margin: “Ant. van Dÿck pinxit.” <–> “Petrus Clouwet sculpsit”.
    50. Pieter de Jode II (Flemish, 1606-1670/74); engraved by Pieter de Jode II. Inscription: “PETRVS DE IODE IVNIOR / CHALCOGRAPHVS ANTVERPIÆ.”. In lower margin: “Ant. van Dyck pinxit.”<–> “Petrus de Iode sculpsit.”. Third state (before the initials G.H. (of Gillis Hendricx) added. The print with cut off margins pasted to the bound-in leaf.
    51. Mary Ruthven, Lady van Dyck (Scottish, c. 1622 – 1645); engraved and published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “MARIA RVTEN VXOR D. ANTONI VAN DYCK EQVES”. In lower margin: “Anton.van Dyck pinxit” <–> “Ioan. Meysens fecit et excud.”. First, lettered state with the title and production details. Tired plate. British Museum # 1863,0725.747. Van Dyck's wife.
    52. Sir Balthazar Gerbier (British, Flemish, 1592 – 1663); engraved by Paulus Pontius. Inscription: “D. Balthazar Gerberius Eques Auratus primus post renouationem. | Foederis cum Hispaniarum Rege anno 1630. A Potentissimo | et Serenissimo Carolo Magnæ Britanniæ Franciæ et Hiberniæ. Rege, Bruxellas Prolegatus. A:o 1631”. Below “Anton van Dyck pinxit”<–> “Paul Pontius schupcit.”. Top left corner: “Ætatis suæ 42 | A.o 1634”. The paper in Gerbier’s hand is lettered “viuat | memoria | Buckinga: | mii”.
    53. Paul de Vos (Flemish, 1596 – 1678); printed by Ioannes Meyssens, face and collar engraved by Anthony van Dyck, the body engraved by Ioannes Meyssens. Second, lettered state. Inscription: PAVLVS DE VOS PICTOR”. In lower margin: “Anton. van Dyck pinxit fecit.”, and “Ioan. Meysens excudit.”. British Museum # R,1b.95. [Look s very much alike №68, but with a one-line inscription and engraved by Meyssens instead of Bolswert].
    54. Honoré d’Urfé, marquis de Valromey, comte de Châteauneuf (French, 1568 – 1625); engraved by Pieter de Bailliu (Flemish, 1613 – 1660). Inscription: “ILLVS.MVS DOMNIVS HONORIVS VRFEIVS NOBILIS ORD.RIVS CVBICVLI REGII, DVX 50. ARMATORVM | HOMINVM A SVO MANDATO, COMES NOVI CASTELLI, BARO ARCIS MORANDANÆ ETC.A”. Below: “Antonius van Dyck pinxit” <–> “Pet. de Bailliue sculpsit.” <–> “Ioanes Meysens excudit.”. Second lettered state with title and production details. [Similar to №14, but with Ioanes Meysens name in place].
    55. Johannes [John VIII], Count of Nassau-Siegen (German, 1583 – 1638); engraved by Lucas Vorsterman I (Flemish, 1595 – 1675). Inscription: in the oval around the portrait “EXCELLENTISSIMVS DOMINVS: D. IOANNES, COMES NASSAOVIÆ, CATTNELLIBOCI: VIANDEN, DIETZ, &C. EQVES AVREI VELLERIS. S. MA: CÆS, MARESCHALIVS, CATH. REG. IN BELGIO. EQVITVM GENERALIS. &C”, in lower margin: “ILLVSTRISSIMÆ PRINCIPI ERNESTINÆ DE LIGNE EIVSDEM D. COMITIS VXORI DD.”. Below: “AVan Dÿck pinxit.” <–> “Cū Priuleg” <–> “Lucas Vorsterman exc”. Third state. [For the fourth state with Lucas “Vorsterman exc” burnished see № 15].
    56. James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (British, 1606 – 1649); engraved by Peeter van Lisebetten (Flemish,(1630 – 1678), published by Ioannes Meysens. Inscription: “IACOBVS HAMILTONIVS, MARCHIO AB HAMILTON, COMES | CAMBRICENSIS ET ARANENSIS, BARO EVENIVS ET ABER: | BROCHIVS MAGISTRO EQVITVM SVÆ MAIESTATIS | MAGNE BRITTANIÆ, ET EQUES ORDINIS GARTERY.”.In lower margin: “Ant. van Dÿck pinxit” <–> “Pet. van Lisebetius sculp.”<–> “Ioannes Meÿssens excudit.”. Second state with title and signatures. British Museum # P,2.208.
    57. Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau (Dutch, 1584 – 1647); engraved by Conrad Waumans [Woumans] (Flemish, 1619 – after 1675). Inscription: “FREDERICVS HENRICVS, D.G. PRINCEPS ARAVSIONENSIVM, COMES | NASSAVIÆ, ETC. | MARCHIO VERÆ ET FLISSINGÆ, BARO BREDÆ GRAVÆ, | DIESTÆ ETC.”. Below: “Antonius van Dÿck pinxit” <–> “Conraet Waumans sculpsit” <–> “Ioannes Meyssens excudit.” First, lettered state with title and production details. [Similar to №5, but this one with Ioannes Meyssens name present].
    58. Francisco de Moncada, Count d’Osuna (Spanish, 1568 – 1635); engraved by Lucas Vorsterman I. Inscription: “EXCELL.MVS D. FRANCISCVS DE MONCADA MARCHIO AYTONÆ, COMES OSSONÆ VICE– | COMES CABRERÆ ET BAAS, MAGNVS SENESCALCVS REGNI ARRAGONIÆ, PHILIPPO IV. | HISPANIAR.INDIARVMQ3 REGI A CONSILIIS STATVS, EIVSDEMQ3 LEGATVS EXTRAORDIN,ET | SVPREMVS MILITIÆ TERRA MARIQ3 IN BELGIO PRÆFECTVS". Above within portrait frame, to the right: “D.A.van Dÿck pinxit. | LVorsterman sculpsit.”.
    59. Wolfgang Wilhelm, Count of Pfalz-Neuburg and Duke of Jülich (German, 1578 – 1653); engraved by Lucas Vorsterman I. Inscription: "SERENISSIMVS PRINCEPS WOLFGANGVS WILHELMVS, D.G. COMES PALATINVS RHENI, | DVX BAVARIÆ, IVLIACÆ, ET MONTIVM :COMES VELDENTII, SPONHEMII | MARCHIÆ, RAVENSBVRGI ET MOERSII, DOMINVS IN RAVENSTEIN. ETC." In lower margin: "D. A. van Dÿck Eques Pinxit." <–> "Cū. Priuileg:" <–> "LVorsterman sculp.". Fifth state with initials of Gillis Hendricx burnished. British Museum # 1863,0509.825.
    60. Ferdinand, Cardinal Infante of Spain and Archduke of Austria (Spanish, 1609 – 1641); engraved by Pieter de Jode II, published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “SERENISSIMVS PRINCEPS FERDINANDVS AVSTRIACVS S.R.E CARDINALIS | BELGARVM BORGVNDIORVMQ3 GVBERNATOR ETC.A”. In lower margin: “Antonius van Dÿck pinxit” <–> “Pet. de Iode fecit” <–> “Ioannes Meysens excudit”. Third, lettered state with title and production details. British Museum # R,1a.28.
    61. Charles I, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (British, 1600 – 1649); engraved by Johannes [Jan] Meyssens (Flemish, 1612 – 1670). Inscription: “CAROLVS DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ, FRANCIÆ ET HIBERNIÆ REX”. Below: “Antonius Van Dÿck eques pinxit” <–> “Ioan. Meysens excudit”. [Similar to №4, but with Ioannes Meysens name present].
    62. Henriette Marie de Bourbon, engraved and published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “HENRICA MARIA DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANIÆ FRANCIAÆ HIBERN. REGINA.” Lettered with production details in lower margin: “Ioan. Meysens fecit et excud.” <–> “Anton van Dyck Pinxit”. Third state, finished with a burin. [Similar to print №31, but this one with Ioan. Mey∫ens signature present].
    63. Mary Ruthven, Lady van Dyck (Scottish, c. 1622 – 1645); copy in reverse by Richard Gaywood after Bolswert (see also №51 by Meyssens) published by Peter Stent. Inscription: “Maria Ruten nata in Anglia vxor Antonÿ van Dyck Pictoris”. Below: “Ant: van Dyck pinx:”, “P Stent excud”, “R: Gaywood fecit”. Below centre: “Sould by John Ouerton at the white horse without New gate”. John Overton, publisher (British, 1639/40 – 1713); Richard Gaywood (British, fl. c. 1644 – 1677). Peter Stent (British, fl. c. 1637 – 1665). See BM # P,3.351.
    64. Marie-Claire de Croy, Duchess of Havré (Flemish, 1605 – 1664); engraved by Conraad Waumans, published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “MARIA CLARA DE CROIIO, DVX HAVREANA CROYANAQ3 PRINCEPS STE. IMPERII, | SOVVERANEA ET BARONISSA FENESTRANGIÆ ET COSTÆ COMES FONTENOIIA ETC”. In lower margin: “Antonius van Dyck pinxit.” <–> “Coenraerdus Waumans sculpsit.” <–> “Ioannes Meysens excudit.”. Second state. British Museum # R,1a.188. [Similar to №36, but this one with Ioannes Meysens name present].
    65. Isabel Clara Eugenia, ruler of the Spanish Netherlands (Spanish, 1566 – 1633); engraved by Lucas Vorsterman I. “SERENISSIMA D. ISABELLA. CLARA. EVGENIA. HISPANIARVM INFANS ETC. | SER.MI ALBERTI. ARCHID. AVSTRIÆ, DVCIS BVRGVNDIÆ, BELGARVM PRINCIPIS, ETC. | VIDVA, MATER CASTRORVM.” In lower margin: “D. A.van Dÿck Eques pinxit.” <–> “Cū Priuileg.” <–> “LVorsterman sculp.”. Fourth state with initials of Gillis Hendricx burnished. British Museum # 1863,0509.820.
    66. Amalia van Solms, Princess of Orange (German, 1602 – 1675), engraved by Conraad Waumans and published by Johannes Meyssens. Inscription: “EMELIÆ DE SOLMS, D. G. PRINCPES ARAVSIONENSIVM, COMITISSA NASSAUVIÆ, ETC. | MARCHIONISSA VERÆ ET FLISSINGÆ, BARONISSA BREDÆ, GRAVÆ, DIESTÆ ETC.” In lower margin: “Antonius van Dijck pinxit.”, “Conraet Waumans sculpsit.” and “Ioannes Meysens excudit.”. First, lettered state with the title and production details lettered. [Similar to №32, but this one with Ioannes Meysens name present].
    67. Marie-Marguerite de Berlaymont ( ? – 1654); engraved by Jacobus Neeffs, published by Ioannes Meyssens. Inscription: “D.DNA. MARIA MARGARETA DE BARLEMONT COMITISSA HEGMONDANA.” In lower margin: “Ant. van Dyck pinxit.” <–> “Iacobus Nefs sculpsit.” <–> “Ioes Meyssens exc.”. Fourth state. [Similar to №45, but this one with Ioannes Meysens name present].
    68. Paul de Vos (Flemich, 1596-1678); engraved and etched by Anthony van Dyck and by Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert, published by Gillis Hendricx. Eighth state with the initials of Gillis Hendricx burnished. Inscription: PAVLVS DE VOS PICTOR | VENATIONVM ANTVERPIÆ.”. “Ant. van Dyck pinxit et | fecit aqua forti.” <–> “S. à Bol∫wert | sculpsit. ”. [Look s very much alike №53, but with a two-line inscription and engraved by Bolswert instead of Meyssens, etc.].
    69. Paul-Bernard de Fontaines (French, 1566 – 1643) delineated and engraved by Lucas Vorsterman I (Flemish, 1595 – 1675) in 1615–75. Inscription: “Excellentissimus Dns. Paulus Bernardus Comes de Fontaine. liber Toparcha supremae terrae de fougerolle etc: Armeme tarij Catho. Matis. per Belgium Gnalis Praefectus: Vrbis Brugensis et Territorij fraconatus Magnus Praetor. Supremus nuper armpru Prouinciam flandriae Moderator etc: D.D.L Vorsterman sculptor. delin”. Cut without margins and pasted to inbound leaf. See: MET: Accession Number: 51.501.1332
  • Four parts bound in two 18mo volumes (1-2 & 3-4), half polished brown calf, dot-ruled, flat spine with gilt bands and lettering, marbled boards, some plates with guard sheets, margins sparkled red. Title-page: LES LIAISONS | DANGEREUSES, | Ou Lettres recueillies dans une | société, et publiées pour l’ins- | truction de quelques autres. | par  C….. de L… | — | J’ai vu les mœurs de mon temps, et j’ai publié | ces Lettres. | J. J. Rous. Préf. De la nouv. Hél. | PREMIÈRE PARTIE. | — | A GENEVE. | 1792. || Vol. 1: Pagination: ffep, blank, [2] – h.t., [i, ii] – t.p. part one, [iii] iv-xxij, [1] 2-245 [246] + 2 plates (p. 26 & p. 75); [1, 2] – h.t., [3, 4] – t.p. part two, [5] 6-233 [234], fep + 2 plates (p. 59 & p. 222). Collation: part 1: a12, A-M18 N5; part 2: A-M18 N9, plus four plates by various engravers after Le Barbier. Vol. 2: Pagination: ffep, blank, [1, 2] – h.t., [3, 4] – t.p. part three, [5] 6-225 [226] + 2 plates (p. 69 & p. 215); [1, 2] – h.t., [3, 4] – t.p. part four, [5] 6-250, fep + 2 plates (p. 25 & p. 201). Collation: part 3: A-M18 N5; part 4: A-N18 O5, plus four plates by various engravers after Le Barbier. Illustrations: After Le Barbier, engravers: Halbou (1), Simonet (1), N. Thomas (2), Dambrun (2), and Delignon (2). In the first illustration (vol. 1, part one, p. 26) Le Barbier signed “Le Barbier Jnv. 1794”, however, the edition was published (anonymously) in 1792. Cohen-De Ricci mentions an edition of 1794 (Paris: Maradan) and 1801 (Genéve) with the same plates. Lewine mentions a reprint of 1794 without naming the publisher. Catalogue raisonné: Cohen-De Ricci: 234-5, Ray: p. 79; Lewine: 109-10. Contributors: Choderlos de Laclos, Pierre Ambroise François (French, 1741 – 1803) – author. Le Barbier, Jean-Jacques-François (French, 1738 – 1826) – artist Engravers: Dambrun, Jean (French, 1741 – c. 1808) Delignon, Jean Louis (French, 1755 – 1804) Halbou, Louis Michel (1730 – 1809) Thomas, N. (French, c. 1750 – 1812) Simonet, Jean-Baptiste Blaise (French, 1742 – 1813)
  • 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.
  • Uncut fan print (uchiwa-e) with the design of kabuki actor Nakamura Utaemon IV who held the name of Nakamura Shikan II from the 11th lunar month of 1825 to the 12th lunar month of 1835, dressed in a checkered kimono, holding a pipe and surrounded by flying fireflies. Character: Nakamura Utaemon IV [中村歌右衛門] (Japanese, 1796 – 1852); other names: Nakamura Shikan II, Nakamura Tsurusuke I, Nakamura Tōtarō. Series title: Catching fireflies in the floating world [浮世蛍狩] (Ukiyo hotarugari). Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Toyokuni III (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga [香蝶楼国貞画] in a red cartouche. Publisher: Ibaya Kyubei [伊場屋 久兵衛] (Japanese, fl. 1804 – 1851); seal: modified Marks 19-009 | 126d. Censor's seal: Kiwame Date seal: Tenpō 2 (1831). Ref: Kunisada.de, N58. A look-alike yearlier Kunisada's design can be found at kunisada.de,  ref. # N120-Z0172-410:

    Actor Onoe Baikō, artist Kunisada, publisher Ibaya Kyūbei, c. 1820.

       
  • Actor Ichikawa Danjuro VII as Soga Goro Tokimune (one of the Soga brothers). Ichikawa Ebizô V held the name of Ichikawa Danjûrô VII from the 11th lunar month of 1800 to the 2nd lunar month of 1832. Artist: Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) [歌川 国貞] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865) Publisher: Uemura Yohei (Japanese, 1750 – 1832). Date: 1830 Size: Vertical ōban Signatures/Marks: Gototei Kunisada ga. Publisher's seal: Uemura Yohei. Censor's seal: Kiwame
  • Le Grelot / journal illustré politique et satirique, №21, dimanche, 3 septembre 1871. Artist: Caporal (signed in the lower-left corner) Engraver/Printer: J. Lefman (signed LEFMAN SC in the lower-right corner) Title: LE COUP D'ÉTAT DU 4 SEPTEMBRE  1871. The Coup d'Etat of September 4th 1871. The artist equalled the 4th of September revolution when Napoleon III was ousted and the Second Empire collapsed, to a coup d'Etat. Although the number is marked September 3, it is dedicated to the events of September 4th. This was a usual French newspaper practice to postdate their issues. That's why they almost always operated with categories such as "today", "yesterday", and "tomorrow" instead of definitive calendar dates. "Le Grelot" means "The Sleigh Bell". Personages: Ratapoil – fictional personage invented by Honoré Daumier (French, 1808 – 1879), a Napoleon III caricaturized figure. Ratapoil is addressing the audience holding up Napoléon Bonaparte's tricorn cocked hat. Pietri – Joseph Marie Piétri [Joachim Piétri] (French, – is sitting in the first row, taking notes. Rouher – Eugène Rouher (French, 1814 – 1884), president of the Senat. Canrobert – François Marcellin Certain de Canrobert (French, 1809 – 1895), French Marshal, captured by the Prussian army in Metz with Marshal Bazaine during the surrender of Metz on October 28, 1870. Ollivier – Olivier Émile Ollivier (French, 1825 – 1913), head of the government. Hiding behind the theater decoration are: Napoleon III (Lui!), his wife Eugénie (Elle!), their son Prince Imperial (Le P'tit!), and Pierre Bonaparte (L'Autre). Sitting in the theatre box facing the scene: Adolphe Thiers (French, 1797 – 1877), Jules Favre (French, 1809 – 1880), Louis-Jules Trochu [Le General Trochu] (French, 1815 – 1896), and the other members of the "Government of National Defence". On the gallery: youngsters and two men in sans-culottes hats. An unidentified person on a ladder holding to an eagle figure is having a paintbrush and a bucket with 'tender green' paint. Ref: Musée Carnavalet
  • The 103rd Bon Bock Dinner Invitation

    Artist: François Avenet a.k.a. Alexandre Ferdinandus (French, 1850 – 1888).

    Bismarck à Alphonse

    Alphonse, cher poissure! Roi pschutt du monde u’lan! Je te fais Colonel des pillards de pendules! Si cela fait rager le Bon-Bock et les Jules Tant mieux! Mais garde bien to Trône Basque-Uhlan. O. Pradels.

    Cher monsieur, Le 103ème Dîner du Bon-Bock aura lieu mardi prochain / à 7h précises aux Vendanges de Bourgognel / 14, rue Jessaint (place de la Chapelle). Si vous nous faites le plaisir d’y assister : Veuillez écrire à Mr. E. Bellot, / 37 rue St Marc, au plus tard lundi soir. Votre réponse / est absolument obligatoire pour faire mettre votre couvert (nos camarades des théâtres exceptés.) L’affirmative entraine le paiement de la cotisation présence ou absence. / Programme de notre dernière soirée. 1e H Covin (piano) une valse de sa compo- / sition. 2e de Courment : Le Chanteur du roi (1ère série) par l’auteur. / 3e Dulin de l’o.p.e. Rondeau de la petite mariée 4e Doublemard : / souvenir de la Plage La baigneuse 5e "la famille des Saltimbanque" / 6e C. Maubant Romance de la Traviata. 7e Ct. Carjat Toast à l’Alsace-/Lorraine vers par l’auteur. 8e Guillabert de l’ap. de Nantes : le Pressoir mud. de / Faure . 9e Ch. Delacour : le Poete, Sonnet. 10e if. le Duc Jean if. 11e / Fromentin. Panurge (Mus. d’Hervé) 13e A. Claris la Haine vers par l’aut. / Benty : mon p’tit neveu : paroles d’Po Clouvier. mus. de Darcier. 15e Charles / Delacour : la leçon d’Arithmétique. 16e J.B. Collegnon Fanchette, romance/ par l’auteur. 17e Doublemard : le Cocher (monologue de P. Marzin) 18e / Dulin : le Cor musique de Flégier. 19e J. M. Collignon : Elle s’appela/ Marguerite par. De L. Baillet mus de Collignon. 20e L. Bellot / annonce de l’exposition des arts incohérents sous la direction de / Jules Féry. Tous nos remerciements à Mr. Henri Covin qui a tenu le/ piano toute la soirée et a nos Camarades Ferdinandus pour son / croquis qui est absolument v’lan et à O. Pradels pour son quatrain/ des plus pachutt. // Recevez, cher Monsieur, nos salutations bien Cordiale / E. Bellot, G durater E. Cottin, R. Géner, L. Bocilart, H. Héger comba / assistaient au Dernier Dîner Mrs : Henner, Jean Brenner, Et. Carjat / Margue, Dulin, Fromentin, H. Stéger, A . Stéger, eh. Delacour, G. Mayer, Sanzel/ Denis Poulot, Bricaire, Doublemard, Vigneron, T. Boulart, L. Mayeur, Mayeur/ flle, Magnan, E. Maubant, Guillabert, H. Corin. ___ Lebreton, Tucy, Blangarnon. / Comt. Vallée, Dr Pourbain, Latapie, E. Colleville, Roumier, Hoffer, Ollivier / Verchère, Delhaye, Dr Deschamps, Ch. Hofer, Dr Geneirp, Péginissel p, et F. , Pierson, Guérin, Cronnot, de Courmont, Eliot, Fasquelle et filsm Malasamy, Guillaume fils /G Caux, Dabert, Michel p, et f.s, ___Rey. Vaundremer, Girau, general Lipovvski, Ballin, Ersetemenn, Délivré, Lepéné, de Bouillanne, V. Roser, Delbroueth. Pasquet, Treterre, / A. Claris, Thoniel, du Castaings, Pingray, Benjamin, I. Petit, Champon, Destape, Viotlat, F. Percheron, Dr Hubert, A. Aubin, Zimmermann, Vannes, A. Heulard, / Gourlet, Coppin, Hubner, laprandie, Samuel, Séguin, Ménard, Cougoul, J. B. Collignon, Beri L. Besnier, Gillandi. // 9e Année 103e Diner du Bon-Bock (Les 2e Mardi de Chaque Mois). Cotisation 5h50 / Cette invitation est strictement personnelle / Paris 3 8bre 83.
    Bismarck to Alphonse Alphonse, dear annoyance! King shushh from the Uh'lan world I name you Colonel of the looters of pendulums! If this makes the Bon-Bock and Jules angry All the better! But protect your Basque-Uhlan throne well. O. Pradels.
    Dear sir, The 103rd Dinner of the Bon-Bock will take place next Tuesday at 7 pm precisely at the Grape Harvest of Bourgognel, 14, Jessaint street (la Chapelle plaza). If you would do us the honour of coming: Please write to Mr E. Bellot, 37 St Marc street, on Monday night at the latest. Your answer is absolutely mandatory to prepare the place settings (our friends from the theatres excluded.) The 'yes' comes with a payment of the due whether or not you end up attending. Program for our last evening. 1st – H. Covin (piano) a waltz composed by him. 2nd – Courment: Le Chanteur du roi (King's singer) (1st series) by the author. 3rd – Dulin: Rondeau from opera "Le petite mariée" (The Little Bride) 4th – Doublemard: Memory of the bather's beach 5th – "The Saltimbanque family" 6th – Maubant: Romance of "La Traviata". 7th – Étienne Carjat Toast to the Alsace-Lorraine, verses by the author. 8th – Guillabert from the opera "Nantes: le Press mud" by Fauré. 9th – Charles Delacour: the Poet, Sonnet. 10th – "Duke Jean" 11th – Fromentin. Panurge (Mus. of Hervé) 13th – A. Claris "The Hatred" verses by the author, Benty: my lil’ nephew: lyrics by Clouvier, music by Darcier. 15th – Charles Delacour: the lesson in arithmetic. 16th – J.-B.Collegnon, "Fanchette", romance by the author. 17th – Doublemard: the Coach driver (monologue by P. Marzin). 18th – Dulin: the horn music by Flégier. 19th – J.-B. Collignon: "Her name was Marguerite", lyrics by L. Baillet music by Collignon. 20th  – L. Bellot, an announcement from the incoherent arts exhibition curated by Jules Férry. All of our thanks to Mr Henri Covin who played the piano all night and to our Friends Ferdinandus for his sketch that is absolutely bam and to O. Pradels for his quatrain among the most pazazz worthy. We send you our most cordial salutation, Monsieur. E. Bellot, G. Durater, E. Cottin, R. Géner, L. Bocilart, H. Héger, Henner, Jean Brenner, Et. Carjat, Margue, Dulin, Fromentin, H. Stéger, A . Stéger, Ch. Delacour, G. Mayer, Sanzel, Denis Poulot, Bricaire, Doublemard, Vigneron, T. Boulart, L. Mayeur, Mayeur daugter, Magnan, E. Maubant, Guillabert, H. Corin. Lebreton, Tucy, Blangarnon. Comt. Vallée, Dr Pourbain, Latapie, E. Colleville, Roumier, Hoffer, Ollivier, Verchère, Delhaye, Dr. Deschamps, Ch. Hofer, Dr. Geneirp, Péginissel père et fils, Pierson, Guérin, Cronnot, de Courmont, Eliot, Fasquelle et fils Malasamy, Guillaume fils, G. Caux, Dabert, Michel père et fils,  Rey. Vaundremer, Girau, General Lipovvski, Ballin, Ersetemenn, Délivré, Lepéné, de Bouillanne, V. Roser, Delbroueth, Pasquet, Treterre, A. Claris, Thoniel, du Castaings, Pingray, Benjamin, J. Petit, Champon, Destape, Viotlat, F. Percheron, Dr. Hubert, A. Aubin, Zimmermann, Vannes, A. Heulard, Gourlet, Coppin, Hubner, Laprandie, Samuel, Séguin, Ménard, Cougoul, J. B. Collignon, Berti, Besnier, Gillandi. 9th Year 103rd Dinner of the Bon-Bock (The 2nd Tuesdays of Each Month). Due 5:50 pm. This invitation is strictly personal. Paris 3 October 1883. Bismarck hands a certificate for the title of colonel along with a lance, an Uhlan helmet (Polish cavalry) and a sword to a joker. The joker wears a traditional Polish folk hat inscribed with 'XIV' and holds a guitar. ______ Comments: Émile Bellot [L. Bellot] (French, the second half of the 19th century) – engraver, model for a painting by Édouard Manet "Le bon bock", the founder of Le Bon Bock Dinner. Covin, Henri (French, 1845 – 1887) – Musician, arranger. Étienne Carjat (French, 1828 – 1906) – Journalist, caricaturist and photographer. Charles Delacour (French, 18.. – 1898) – Composer. Jean-Baptiste Collignon (French, 18..-1906) – Composer. Ange Flégier (French, 1846 – 1927) – Composer. Joseph Darcier (French, 1819 – 1883) – Composer, singer and actor. Le petite mariée (The Little Bride) – a three-act opéra-bouffe, music by Charles Lecocq, libretto by Eugène Leterrier and Albert Vanloo. La plage de la Baigneuse – beach of Saint Jean de Monts in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. La Famille du Saltimbanque: L'Enfant Blessé – The Family of Street Acrobats: the Injured Child – painting by Gustave Doré (French, 1832 – 1883) produced in 1873. Henri-Polydore Maubant (1821-1902) – actor, vocalist (baritone) Gabriel Urbain Fauré (French, 1845 – 1924) – French composer, organist, pianist, and teacher. Hervé [Louis Auguste Florimond Ronger] (French, 1825 – 1892) – French singer, composer, librettist, conductor and scene painter, inventor of the genre of operetta in Paris.  
  • Artist: André Gill [real name Louis-André Gosset] (French, 1840 – 1885). L'Esclave Ivre [The Drunken Slave] was a  Parisian weekly, published in 1881, 4 issues total. Léon Gambetta (French, 1838 – 1882) stands arm in arm with Marshal Patrice de MacMahon (French, 1808 – 1893). Dead bodies of communards lie in the midground and a landscape is faintly perceived in the background. 1871 is written on the hill on the left. L'Esclave Ivre, Issue 1. Entre Amis. Text below the image: - Qu'est-ce que je veux, moi? Faire notre affaire. / - Bien sûr! Moi aussi. / - Comme il me comprend cet animal-là, et on ne veut pas que je le gobe! [In between friends / - What do I want? To make a deal. / - Of course! Me too. / - How well this animal understands me, and we do not want me to swallow him!]
  • Artist: James (nothing else is known). According to Maurice Quentin-Bouchart (p. 95), this is sheet №2 of only two known caricatures by James except for Collection Wentzell (publisher) of 14 sheets. Text: De bien jolies bottes, ces Prussiens, mais quelle odeur!..... [What beautiful boots these Prussians have, but what an odour!.....] Two women from the bourgeoisie stand in front of a line of Prussian officers. One covers her nose with a handkerchief and hides what she is saying from the men with her fan.
  • Polina de Mauny [Vladimirova] (Russian, French, b. 1981). Dry pastel on black paper. Size: 30 x 21 cm.
  • L'Éclipse : journal hebdomadaire, №94, 07-11-1869. La Bataille de Louqsor, par Job. [The Battle of Louqsor, by Job]. Le père Gagne, monté sur l'Obélisque, s'écrie: — Citoyens, du bas de ce monument, quatre-vingt mille…..parapluies me contemplent. [The father Gagne mounted on the Obelisk, cries out: — Citizens, from the bottom of the monument, eighty thousand….umberellas contemplate me]. Étienne-Paulin Gagne, known as Paulin Gagne (French, 1808 – 1876), holding a hat with a tricolour cockade and umbrella with the head of a devil on its grip straddles the obelisk of Luxor at the centre of the Place de la Concorde with marching scarabs on it. A spider dangles from his heel. In the background is The Palais Bourbon, a meeting place of the French National Assembly. The ground is made out of open umbrellas. Paulin Gagne was a graphomaniac poet, essayist, lawyer, politician, inventor, and eccentric, and a perpetual candidate for the Assembly. Ref.: Gallica; Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Philosophie, histoire, sciences de l'homme, FOL-LC13-114
  • Royal 4to, 29.8 x 23.5 cm, contemporary half brown morocco, marbled boards gilt ruled, spine with gilt-ruled raised bands, gilt title lettering; "William Gore" armorial bookplate to front pastedown. Title page: THE | CHASE. | A | POEM. | BY | WILLIAM SOMERVILLE, | ESQ. | [VIGNETTE] | LONDON : | PRINTED BY W. BULMER AND CO. | Shakespeare Printing Office, | CLEVELAND-ROW. | 1796. Collation: without signatures. — Pagination: [i-v] vi-xv [xvi], [i] ii-vii [viii], [1-5] 6-126; illustrations: engraved title, 4 running titles, 4 headpieces, 4 tailpieces – 13 altogether, all drafted by John Bewick, 12 executed by Thomas Bewick and the last one by Charlton Nesbit. Catalogue Raisonné: Thomas Hugo. The Bewick Collector, vol. 1 (1866):  p. 38, № 94: "The first edition... was printed in royal 4to". John Bewick made all the drawing on the blocks but was not able to execute the engravings himself "because of ill-health. They were engraved by Thomas Bewick, with the exception of the tail-piece at the end of the volume, which was engraved by Nesbit". Thomas Bewick (c. 11 August 1753 – 8 November 1828); John Bewick (1760 – 1795), the younger brother of Thomas, died at the age of 35. Christie's, who sold a similar copy on 29 Oct 2012, provides for the size 2°.  
  • Title: A | GENERAL HISTORY | OF | QUADRUPEDS. | – | THE FIGURES ENGRAVED ON WOOD | BY | THOMAS BEWICK. | — | THE FIFTH EDITION | {vignette} | NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE: | PRINTED BY EDWARD WALKER, FOR  T. BEWICK AND S. HODGSON: | SOLD BY THEM, AND ALL BOOKSELLERS. | 1807. Pagination: [2 blanks], [i, ii] – t.p. / blank], [iii, iv] – advertisement, [v] vi-x – index, [1] 2-525 [526 advert. of British Birds] [2 blanks]. Collation: Royal 8vo in fours; π (engraved title), a4 A-3T4 χ3T3. F2 signed 2F, 2E2 unsigned, p. 131 numbered correctly, p. 257 numbered 572. Size: 26 x 17 cm; page 24.5 x 16 cm (royal). Woodcuts: 302 descriptions of quadrupeds, 225 figures and 112 vignettes, tail-pieces, etc. Binding: Full diced brown calf, embossed blind corner fleurons, gilt-tooled border inside and outside, AEG, spine with raised bands, gilt in compartments, lettering; binding restored; armorial bookplate "Thorpe" to front pastedown. Likely to be Thomas Thorpe (1791 – 1851), a prominent bookseller in London: Bedford Street, Covent Garden; started in 1818, went bankrupt on Dec. 31, 1825. Thorpe's family coat of arms: stag standing on a crown and a lion rampant. Catalogue raisonné: S. Roscoe (1953): pp. 23-27. Hugo (1866): pp. 22-24.
  • Title: THE | WORKS | OF THE FAMOUS | Nicholas Machiavel, | CITIZEN and SECRETARY | OF | FLORENCE. |—| WRITTEN | Originally in ITALIAN, and from thence newly | and faithfully Tranſlated into ENGLISH. |—|[ornament]|—| LONDON, | Printed for John Starkey, Charles Harper, and John | Amery, at the Miter, the Flower-de-Luce, and the | Peacock, in Fleetstreet. 1680. Content: (1) The history of Florence; (2) The Prince; (3) The Original of the Guelf and Ghibilin Factions; (4) The Life of Castruccio Castracani; (5) The Murther of Vitelli, etc. by Duke Valentino; (6) The State of France; (7) The State of Germany; (8) The Discourses on Titus Livius; (9) The Art of War; (10) The Marriage of Belphegor, a Novel; (11) Nicholas Machiavel's Letter in Vindication of Himself and His Writings. Pagination:  ffl, 24 unnumbered pages before the first numbered: [2] – tp / license], [2] – contents / blank], [2] ftp “Florence” / blank, [3] – epistle to Clement VII, [3] – introduction, [12] – table; Misnumbering (X instead of Y format – X/Y): History of Florence: 1- 28/24, 19/91, 198/98, 180/108, 190/109, 174/164, 175/ 165, 179/169, 180/170, 185/175, 186/176, 188/178, 189/179, [190/180 blank]; The Prince, Lucca, State of France: [4] 199-262; State of Germany: 256/263, 266/264, 267/265 [268/266]; Discourses: [4] 267-314, 317-431 [432]; Art of War: [4] 433-528; [4] – publisher, [12] –Machiavelli’s letter, bfl. Collation: π3 Aa3 b-d2 B-Z4 Aa-Bb2 Cc-Zz4 Aaa-Yyy4 (*)-(**)4 Binding: Original mottled leather boards with embossing, later leather spine with 5 raised bands, crimson label with gilt lettering. Size: 32.4 x 21.0 x 4.0 cm Provenance: Bradford H. Gray This is the second edition; despite misnumbering, the collation is correct and all pages present. The first edition of this book was published in 1675 by Robert Bolter (British, fl. 1666 – 1683).
  • Title: AN ESSAY | Towards a | REAL CHARACTER, | And a | PHILOSOPHICAL | LANGUAGE. | By John Wilkins D.D. Dean of Ripon, | And Fellow of the ROYAL SOCIETY. |—| [armorial device] |—| LONDON, | Printed for Sa: Gellibrand, and for | JOHN MARTYN Printer to the ROYAL | SOCIETY, 1668. Pagination: [2] blank/order, [2] t.p./blank, [16], 1-454; + 79 leaves of Dictionary, unpaginated (158 pages); Illustrations: folding plates before pp. 167, 187, and two folding plates before p. 443. Collation: π2 a-d2 B-Z4 Aa-Zz4 Aaa-Lll4 Mmm3 aaa4 Aaa-Sss4 ttt3 Size: 4to, 32 x 20 x 5 cm; Binding: Full speckled calf, later polished calf spine with raised bands, double fillet ruled gilt compartments, crimson label with gilt lettering, margins sprinkled red. The work of John Wilkins is dedicated to the problem of the universal language. Wilkins was the Dean of Ripon from 1663 to 1672 and one of the founders of the Royal Society.  
  • Title (black and red): ANTIQUITATES CHRISTIANÆ: |—| OR, THE | HISTORY | OF THE | LIFE AND DEATH | OF THE | HOLY JESUS: | AS ALSO THE Lives, Acts and Martyrdoms | OF HIS | APOSTLES. |—| IN TWO PARTS. |—| The Firƒt Part, containing The Life of CHRIST, written by | Jer. Taylor, Late Lord Bishop of Down and Connor. | The Second, Containing The Lives of the APOSTLES, with an | Enumeration, and ƒome Brief Remarks upon their firƒt Successors in | the Five Great APOSTOLICAL CHURCHES, | By WILLIAM CAVE, D. D. Chaplain in | Ordinary to His MAJESTY. | By whom alƒo is added an APPARATUS, or Diƒcourƒe Introductory to the whole Work, | concerning the Three Great Diƒpenƒations of the Church, Patriarchal, Moƒaical, and Evangelical. |—| THE EIGHTH EDITION. |—| Orig. contr. Celƒ. lib. 1. in Proœm. p. 1, 2. | [text in Greek] |—| LONDON, | Printed by R. N. for Luke Meredith, at the Sign of the Star in | St. Paul's Church-Yard, MDCXCIV. Collation of this book is unusual, it is called "Folio in 6s" (three sheets are folded in half to create a gathering of 6 leaves). Two unsigned leaves: (1) Engraved frontispiece "The Annunciation" by Willian Faithorne "the Elder" (British, 1616 – 1691), recto blank; (2) engraved title by the same engraver, verso blank; (*) gathering of 4: black and red title page, verso blank; epistle; to reader; imprim. (Ato Sƒ6) Engraved portrait of Jeremy Taylor by Pierre Lombart (French, 1612 – 1682); faux title page: "The Great Exemplar of Sanctity and Holy Life... MDCXCIII"; dedication; contents, then to the end of the first book. (A-Z4 Aa-Bb4 Cc2) The second book has collation in quarto: Faux title page: "Antiquitates Christianæ: or the Lives, Acts and Martyrdoms... MDCXCIV", etc. to the end. Full formula: π*4 a-c6 d8 A-Z6 Aa-Sƒ6 A-Z4 Aa-Bb4 Cc2 Pagination: [12]  I-LI [LII] [12] I-XXVIII, i-vi, (1st book): [2] I-145 [146-150] 151-432 [12]; (2nd book): [8]  i-xiv, 1-188. 22 plates : frontis., t.p., portrait, one folding before p. 65, two after pp. [146], [150], 282, 304, 364, 386, 414, [422], and numerous head-pieces. Size: 36 x 23.5 x 5.7 cm Binding: full calf with the later spine, raised bands; front board with remnants of gilt ruling and blind stamped border, back bord probably original with a blind-stamped centre panel with fleurons.      
  • Title: AN | ESSAY | CONCERNING | HUMANE UNDERSTANDING, |—| In Four BOOKS. |—| Written by JOHN LOCKE, Gent. |—| The Third EDITION. |—| Quam bellum est velle confiteri potius nescire quod nes- | cias, quam ista effutientem nauseare, atque ipsum sibi | displicere! Cic. De Natur. Deor. l. I. |—| LONDON: | Printed for Awnsham and John Churchil, at the Black | Swan in Pater-Noster-Row, and Samuel Manship, at the | Ship in Cornhill, near the Royal Exchange, 1695. Collation: [π2]-b6, a-c4, B-Z4 Aa-Zz4 Aaa-Fff4 Ggg-Iii2 Pagination: [40] 1-407 [13]. Catalogue raisoné: The works of John Locke; a comprehensive bibliography from the seventeenth century to the present. Compiled by John C. Attig. Series: Bibliographies and Indexes in Philosophy, Number 1. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT & London, England, 1985. p. 42, №230 provides for pagination [40] 407, [13]p. Page by page reprint of 1694 edition. Regarding the epigraph on t.p.: The correct citation from CICERODe Natura Deorum: "Quam bellum erat, Vellei, confiteri potius nescire, quod nescires, quam ista effutientem nauseare atque ipsum sibi displicere." [How delightful it would be, Velleius, if when you did not know a thing you would admit your ignorance, instead of uttering this drivel, which must make even your own gorge rise with disgust!] This life-time edition was presented as a gift to Dr Elisha Atkins (1949 – 2019), professor at Yale University School of Medicine, on July 1st, 1967, by his students, namely Carolyn Wells [Bush] (1923 – 2013), John Mooney (now a psychiatrist in Boston), and Charles Dinarello. Size: 32 x 23 cm Binding: Fill modern morocco, panelled and ruled gilt, raised bands, gilt in compartments, red label with gilt lettering; in a slipcase.
  • Pictorial album 55.5 x 41.0 cm, publisher’s quarter sheepskin over cloth, upper cover and flat spine lettered in gilt. Title: MONUMENTS et RUES de PARIS | Dessinés et lithographiés par William Wyld, | et publiés par Rittner & Goupil, 15 Boulevard Montmartre, | et Susse Frères, Place de la Bourse. | 1839. Collation: Title plate + 20 plates numbered from 1 to 20, printed by Godefroy Engelmann (French, 1788 – 1839) in tone lithography after drawings by William Wyld (British, 1806 – 1889). Published in Paris by Rittner & Goupil and Susse Frères in 1839. Plates: 54.8 x 39.8 cm. Contents:

    Title page: Tombeau d'Heloïse et d'Abélard

    1. Le Pont Neuf
    2. L'église de la Madeleine
    3. La Porte St. Martin
    4. Palais des Tuileries
    5. Pont des Saints-Pères
    6. Hôtel de Ville
    7. Marché des Innocents
    8. Palais Royal
    9. Boulevard des Italiens
    10. Rue de la Paix
    11. Bourse et Tribunal de Commerce
    12. Porte St. Denis
    13. Pont Royal
    14. Place de la Concorde
    15. Paris from Père Lachaise
    16. Notre-Dame
    17. Jardin des Tuileries with Arc de Triomphe in the Distance
    18. Panthéon
    19. Chambre des députés
    20. Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile
    Description of Shapero Rare Books, London: A very rare pictorial record of Paris before the French capital was drastically remodelled by Haussmann during Napoleon III’s Second Empire. William Wyld (1806-1889), an English painter and lithographer, set up his studio in Paris in 1834, becoming friends with the French painters Ary Scheffer and Paul Delaroche. His first subjects were fashionable orientalist scenes, however, he soon turned to classical architectural, winning a gold medal at the Paris Salon for his two-meter wide canvas ‘Venice at Sunrise’ in the same year in which he published Monuments et rues de Paris. This series is a compilation of twenty fine views of Paris, showing both architectural features, street scenes and views over the river Seine, as well as a panorama of the city from the cemetery of Père Lachaise. Some of the views, such as the representations of the Palais des Tuileries, the Marché des Innocents or the Pont des Sts Pères, testify to the beauty of these structures that no longer exist.
  • Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Toyokuni ga [豊国 画] in a red toshidama cartouche. Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, c. 1815 – 1869). Double nanushi censor seals: Hama & Magome, Kaei 2-5 (1849 – 1852). An uncut fan print (uchiwa-e, 220 x 292 mm) depicts a beautiful woman sitting on a balcony overlooking a bay and reading a book. Above the book, there is an obi with a pattern of stripes or modified key fret motif, with lettering that reads: 菅原島 [Sugawara-jima] and 美立 [mitate]. The lettering and the blossoming plum branch next to the obi provide an allusion to  Sugawara no Michizane [菅原 道真/菅原 道眞] (Japanese, 845 – 903) - a prominent scholar and poet of Heian period exiled from Kyoto to the island of Kyushu as a result of another courtier's slander. A legend says that his beloved plum tree was so fond of its master that it flew to Kyushu with Sugawara. The Davis Museum at Wellesley College describes the print as belonging to the series A Parody of Sugawara Stripe Patterns (Mitate Sugawara-jima). To make the fact of an allusion transparent, Kunisada had changed the usual way of writing "Sugawara stripes" from 菅原縞 to 菅原島 and "mitate" from 見立 to 美立. An unusual spelling was also used to provide additional information to the reader in other cultures. E.g. during the Prohibition Era, the West Coast United States speakeasy bars and bordellos misspelt the items on a menu ("scollops") or in a neon sign ("Martuni's") to tell: here we have more pleasures for you than you may have expected. After Tenpō reforms, the printing of bijin-ga (画, "picture of beautiful woman") images was restricted. Our print disguises a typical bijin-ga as an advertisement of an obi (帯, a kimono sash) fabric pattern. "The market of portraits was satisfied and the authorities fooled" [Rebecca Salter. Japanese popular prints. — Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2006].
  • An album of the "Le Bon-Bock" dinners for the year 1884. Author, designer and publisher – Emile Bellot (French, 1831 – 1886), a Parisian artist and engraver. "Le Bon-Bock" was a monthly dinner of artists and men of letters, who gathered in Paris for good food, good company, and artistic performances, from 1875 to at least 1925. The story behind these gatherings as told by Emile Bellot, the founder, is this:
    In February 1875, Pierre Cottin1 came to me and said: 'I discovered a poet and tragedian of immense talent and who interprets the poems of the Great Victor Hugo in an astonishing way. Monsieur Gambini. I promised him that I would make it heard by an audience of artists and men of letters. I am counting on you who have many connections to keep my promise to him'. I gathered about 25 of my friends and acquaintances in a picnic dinner which took place at a restaurant 'Krauteimer' on the rue Rochechouart in Montmartre. They heard from Mr Gambini first, then my friends Étienne Carjat2, J. Gros3, Adrien Dézamy4, etc. performed. These gentlemen completed the evening so brilliantly that it was unanimously decided that we would start a similar dinner every month. Poets, musicians, men of letters, singers would be invited to this dinner. I was in charge of the organization of this little party and as it was the dream of my life to bring together old comrades, I was careful not to refuse and I pursued this good idea. Cottin and René Tener5 were kind enough to help me in this joyous task and especially my old friend Carjat. The following March began our 1st monthly dinner.
    The name "Le Bon-Bock" means "The Good Bock", whilst Bock is a kind of beer, a dark, malty, lightly hopped ale. The dinner was named "Le Bon-Bock" in honour of the Éduard Manet painting (1873), a famous portrait of Emile Bellot, called "Le Bon-Bock". The invitations to the dinner were also produced by the artists and looked like this one by Alexandre Ferdinandus (October 3, 1883). Ferdinandus (attrib.), 1870   Besides this sketch of the Parisian social and artistic life at the end of the 19th century, the provenance of the album in our collection generates additional interest. The ink stamp to the front flyleaf reads: "Docteur Henry Uzan, 29 Avenue Perrichont, Paris XVI". Doctor Henry Uzan was Jewish. He was arrested by the Pétain police on October 1, 1941, and interned in Drancy. With the few means at his disposal, he undertook to treat the sick whom he then saw leaving, week after week, towards their terrible destiny in the extermination camps. In October 1943 doctor Uzan was deported to the island of Alderney. After the Normandy Landing of June 6, 1944, Nazis evacuated the island detainees and transfer them to the Neuengamme camp, via northern France and Belgium. During the transfer, doctor Uzan managed to escape from the train on the night of September 3 to 4 around Dixmude in Flanders. He was taken in by the Belgian Resistance, which he joined before being repatriated to France. In France, he continued working as a physician and was one of the founders of Association des internés et déportés politiques (AIDP). In 1945, together with his friends, the doctor designed the symbol for the Fédération nationale des déportés et internés résistants et patriotes: The story behind the number on the emblem (178284) is fascinating but it is out of the scope of this material.
    1. Pierre Cottin (French, 1823 – c. 1887) – Engraver, mezzotinter, genre and landscape painter; born in Chappelle-Saint-Denis (near Paris), a pupil of Jazet. Exhibited at the Salon from 1845, also in London from 1876 to 1879. 2. Étienne Carjat (French, 1828 – 1906) – Journalist, caricaturist and photographer. 3. Jean Baptiste Louis Gros (French, 1793 – 1870) – Painter. 4. Adrien Dézamy (French, 1844 – 1891) – Writer, poet, general secretary of the Théâtre des Bouffes in Paris. 5. Rene Tener (French, 1846 – 1925) – Painter. Sources: 

    Le chercheur indépendant

    Auguste Lepage. Les dîners artistiques et littéraires de Paris / Bibliothèque des Deux mondes (2e éd.) – Paris: Frinzine, Klein et Cie., 1884. [Accession № LIB-2606.2021 in this collection]

    Le matricule 178284, un emblème de solidarité.

  • 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.
  • Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga [香蝶楼国貞画] in a double-gourd cartouche. Iseya Sōemon [伊勢屋惣右衛門] (Japanese, 1776 – 1862); seal: Ue [上] (Marks 02-041 | 156a). Inscription in the red stripe: Five types of haiku in shōfū style [俳諧五流蕉風] (Haikai gōryū shōfū). Censor's seal: Watari [渡] (Watanabe Shōemon), VI/1842–V ic/1846. Media: Fan print [団扇絵] (Uchiwa-e); size: 225 x 292 mm. An uncut fan print depicts a young woman with an insect (firefly) cage in her left hand. Her striped kimono is adorned with the design of white, grey and blue cherry blossoms. Two of the Seven Grasses of Autumn [秋の七草] (aki no nanakusa), namely Platycodon grandiflorus (kikyō) [桔梗] a.k.a. Chinese bellflower (or balloon flower) and Patrinia scabiosifolia (ominaeshi) [女郎花] a. k.a. Eastern (or Golden) Valerian, are seen on her right-hand side.
  • Quaritch's description: Single sheet (435 x 625 mm); coloured lithograph by Kirchmayr after a drawing by M. Fontana; hand-painted details; signed to lower left ‘M. Fon[tana]’ and to lower right ‘M. Fontana Edit. Prop. S. Giacomo dall’Orio in Isola N°.1481’; lower margin with the title ‘Il bombardamento di Venezia nell’Agosto 1849’ and key; restored tears in many places, especially along upper and lower blank margins, some affecting print; losses to lower left corner, affecting a small portion of the print, ruled border, and key, restored and re-drawn where needed; loss to the upper left corner of blank margin; two small areas of restoration to the centre of upper blank margin; the whole sheet backed; nevertheless a remarkable survival. Exceedingly rare and striking lithograph of Venice as seen from Fusina, depicting the first ever aerial bombardment in history. The bombardment took place in 1849, under the orders of Field Marshal Josef Radetzky (1766–1858), to quell the revolts that had started the previous year during the First Italian War of Independence. This curious and little-known action was the brainchild of Colonel Benno Uchatius, a brilliant young officer in the Austro-Hungarian Artillery. After long months of unsuccessful siege, Uchatius decided to deploy an unusual weapon: a hot air balloon able to bomb the city from above. Having calculated the wind speed and direction and evaluated the requisite dimensions of the hot-air balloon, Uchatius set up a workshop near Mestre, where a group of engineers and craftsmen began to manufacture a balloon equipped with a large wicker basket which could transport two crewmen and approximately one hundred kilograms of small long-fuse devices (metal spheres filled with gunpowder, pitch, oil and five hundred rifle buckshot). The initial trials, however, proved to be a disaster, because the balloon would drift off course, making it impossible to accurately deploy the bombs. Uchatius then hit upon the idea of using several smaller unmanned balloons roped together. These were to be launched over the city and, using the position of the first ‘pilot’ balloon, which was unarmed, the Austrians could calculate the correct fuse settings for the bombs. The ‘bomber’ balloons had a cloth envelope of one hundred cubic metres and a reduced load of about twenty kilograms of ordnance. According to Uchatius’ calculations, the line of balloons, launched from Mestre, would reach the lagoon city in thirty-five to forty minutes, carried by the north-west wind. In July 1849, a first launch was attempted, but when a breeze began to blow from the sea some of the balloons broke the connecting ropes and floated away, while others settled in the water in front of the northern part of the city, where a curious crowd of Venetians observed the failure of the enterprise and commented colourfully on the ‘buffoonery of Radetzky’. Uchatius’ second attempt, which is depicted in this lithograph, was also largely unsuccessful: only a few of the unmanned bomber balloons reached their target, and some even drifted back over the Austrian lines. Uchatius, having accomplished the first ever aerial bombardment, and having designed the first ever military ‘drones’, was forced to abandon the project permanently. Another fascinating aspect of this work is the vantage point used to depict the city of Venice, seen here from Fusina, a very rare viewpoint that makes this piece even more remarkable. We were unable to locate any copies in any institution or bibliography. G. Kirchmayr (fl. mid-19th century) is mentioned at British Museum database as "Lithographer active in Venice; related to Venetian painter Cherubino Kirchmayr (b. 1848)?" However, I was not able to find that name on the print. Not much is known of M. Fontana either.  
  • Pre-Columbian, Peru, Wari (Huari) culture, ca. 650 to 1000 CE.

    A hand-built polychrome ceramic stirrup vessel depicting the head of a jaguar. Painted with a sienna-hued base, this spotted beast features an abstract visage of almond-shaped eyes opened wide with long feather-like lashes, a rectangular nose protruding from a nasal bridge decorated with a quadrilateral motif, and a large open mouth, showing both upper and lower teeth, which are also spotted, all painted in shades of cream, black, cream, grey, light grey, and beige. Highly burnished, the lustrous vessel exhibits two spouts, also functioning as ears of the jaguar, with a flat handle arching between them. This tool would have been a grave good intended to hold some kind of libation or offering and was likely made in a specialist workshop.

    Colours: Sienna (base), black, cream, grey, light grey, beige (7 colours).

    Dimension: Width (mouth-to-mouth): 15 cm; Height: 14.5 cm; Diameter of the body: 10.5 cm. Provenance: Hans Juergen Westermann collection, Germany. The Wari State was the first expansionistic power to develop in the Andean highlands. It was located in Vilcabamba, modern Espiritu Pampa (Plain of the Spirits), Echarate District of La Convención Province in the Cuzco Region of Peru. The Wari expanded around AD 650 and by the time of their collapse in AD 1000 they controlled much of the central Andes.
  • 1st French edition (Paris, 1853) of Harriet Beecher Stowe's book Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly, with 27 illustrations on wood by George Cruikshank (British, 1792 – 1878), translated into French by Paul-Émile Daurand-Forgues [pseudonym Old Nick] (French, 1813 – 1883) and Adolphe Joanne (French, 1813 – 1881). Title: LA CASE | DE | L'ONCLE TOM | OU | TABLE AUX DE L'ESCLAVAGE DANS LES ÉTATS-UNIS D'AMÉRIQUE ; | PAR MISTRESS HARRIET BEECHER STOWE. | TRADUCTION NOUVELLE | PAR OLD NICK & ADOLPHE JOANNE, | Collaboarteurs de la Revue britannique, | PRÉCÉDÉE D'UN PORTRAIT ET DE LA BIOGRAPHIE DE L'AUTEUR; | ORNÉE D'IU GRAND NOMBRE DE GRAVURES D'APRES LES DESSINS DE GEORGE CRUIKSHANK ; | SUIVIE DE POÉSIES COMPOSÉES PAR DES NÈGRES ET D'UNE NOTICE SUR LA | COLONIE DE LIBERIA. | [vignette] | PARIS. | AUX BUREAUX DU MAGASIN PITTORESQUE, | RUE JACOB, 30. | 1853. Pagination:  ffl blank; [i-ii]: h.t. with stamped letters D. W. in the upper centre / imprim. to verso; [iii-iv] t.p. / blank; [v-vi] blank / frontispiece: portrait of Harriet Beecher Stowe, half-length to left, with hair in ringlets, and a shawl over shoulders, landscape behind, Henry Linton (British, 1815 – 1899) after Henry Anelay (British,1817 – 1883), wood-engraving with letterpress; [vij] Viij-xij; [1] 2-563 [564]; bfl blank; illustrations: 27 woodcuts by George Cruikshank. Collation: 8vo, π7 (1)–(35)8 363 Binding:  Quarter brown calf, spine with raised bands, gilt-ruled compartments, title lettering, "D. W." in the bottom, marbled boards and endpapers. Dimensions: 24.1 x 16.4 cm. Catalogue raisonné: Albert M. Cohen (1924), №777, p. 221. "An edition was published in French with the woodcuts direct from the blocks, not, as in the English, merely from the stereotypes. The illustrations are far more impressive than those of Cassell's edition".
  • 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.
  • Title: Life in Paris ; | COMPRISING THE | RAMBLES, SPREES, AND AMOURS, | OF | DICK WILDFIRE, | OF CORINTHIAN CELEBRITY, | And his Bang-up Companions, SQUARE JENKINS | AND | CAPTAIN O’SHUFFLETON ; | WITH THE | Whimsical Adventures of the Halibut family ; | Including Sketches of a Variety of other Eccentric Characters in the | FRENCH METROPOLIS. | BY DAVID CAREY |[Vignette]| Embellished with Twenty-One COLOURED PLATES, representing SCENES from REAL LIFE, | designed and engraved by Mr. GEORGE CRUIKSHANK. | Enriched also with Twenty-Two Engravings on Wood, drawn by the same Artist, and | executed by Mr. WHITE. | LONDON : | PRINTED FOR JOHN FAIRBURN, BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL; | Sold by Sherwood, Neely, and Jones ; Langman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown ; and | Baldwin, Craddoc, and Joy ; Paternoster-Row ; Simpkin and Marshall, Statio- | ners’ Court ; Whittakers Ave-Maria-Lane ; Humphrey, St. James’s | Street ; and Wilson, Royal Exchange. | 1822. ||

    Edition: 1st edition in book form, 1st issue; large-paper copy bound from the parts in original blue paper boards, "most scarce" (Cohn).

    Pagination: ffl, [i, ii] – h.t. ‘LIFE IN PARIS’ / ‘MARCHANT, Printer, Ingram-Court, London’, [2] – blank / Frontispiece (Ville la Bagatelle!!) hand-coloured, [iii, iv] – t.p. with vignette / blank, [v] vi-xxiv, [1] 2-489 [490 blank], [2] – 'TO THE BINDER' and 'Marchant, Printer, Ingram-Court, Fenchurch Street' "considered indispensable to a complete copy" (Cohn) / blank, bfl watermarked 1800; 21 hand-coloured aquatints and 22 wood-engraved text vignettes; cancelled leaves 143/4 and 335/6; pinholes from printing visible in most gatherings.

    Collation: 4to; [a]-c4, B-Z4 Aa-Zz4 3A-3Q4 3R1 + [Ω]1

    Binding: Original boards sometime re-backed with red paper, binder's end leaf watermarked 1800; red hard-grained morocco clamshell box.

    Catalogue raisonné: Albert M. Cohn, 1924: № 109 p. 37/8; Abbey, J. R. (Life in England), 112; Tooley (Some English Books with Coloured Plates) 129; Hardie (English coloured books) 199.

    Description of Shapero Rare Books, London: Of the copies that have come to auction since 1975 only one has been a large-paper copy in original boards. "The pictures are extremely spirited and true and are all the more wonderful in view of the fact that the artist’s continental experiences were limited to one day spent in Boulogne." (Hardie). In 1821, the journalist Pierce Egan published Life in London, an immediate success illustrated by the Cruikshank brothers, George and Robert. In order to capitalise on this success, another journalist, David Carey, decided to publish his own Life in Paris in monthly instalments (just like Life in London) and with a very similar frontispiece to the one that appears in Egan’s work; Life in Paris, however, was illustrated only by George Cruikshank. One of the earliest and most notable examples of the work of George Cruikshank, with fine, clean plates.
  • First MGM edition, original maroon cloth, front and spine panels stamped in gold with decorations and lettering, partially darkened, wrap-around dust-jacket, chipped and torn near the head of spine with some loss, small chip and larger closed tear to lower panel. Photoplay edition. Film tie in edition for the 1926 French silent film which does not exist at this time in a full version. The front and rear panels depict scenes from the film. Bleiler (1978), p. 161. Not in Reginald (1979; 1992). Pagination: [2] – blank / advert., [2]  – t.p. / coloph., [4] –advert.  / editor's note, [2] – advert. / blank, [13] 14-251 [252: printer's imprint] [2] – blanks, note: [first and last leaves used as front and rear paste-downs]. Dimensions: 17 x 10.7 cm. Publisher: The Readers Library Publishing Company Ltd. (London). Publishing Year: 1927 (not indicated). Description of Shapero Rare Books, London: An attractive copy from this popular series of film editions, notable for their use of actors and scenes from the film version in question on the wrap-around dust-jacket, and sometimes photographic plates. A number of the film-makers involved were exiles from the Russian Revolution of 1917. The film's art direction was by Eduardo Gosch (Russian, American, 1890 – ?), César Lacca, Alexandre Lochakoff (Russian, French, fl. 1918–1939), Vladimir Meingard and Pierre Schild [Lakka Schildknecht] (Russian, Spanish, 1897 – 1968) who recreated the atmosphere of mid-nineteenth century Tsarist Russia. “Jules Verne has written no better book than this, in fact, it is deservedly ranked as one of the most thrilling tales ever written." Leonard S. Davidow, Classic Romances of Literature, 1937.
     
  • Half title: LA PUCELLE | D’ORLEANS.|| Title: LA PUCELLE | D’ORLEANS , | POEME , | DIVISÉ EN VINGT-UN CHANTS , AVEC | LES NOTES DE M. DE MORZA. | Nouvelle édition, corrigée, augmentée d'un Chant | entier, & de plusieurs morceaux répandus dans | le corps de l'ouvrage, avec les Variantes que | l'on a jointes à la fin de chaque Chant. | [ornament] | A LONDRES. |—| M. DCC. LXXV. || Pagination : [4] – two blank unnumbered fly leaves, [i,ii] – h.t. / double-ruled blank leaf, [2] – blank / frontispiece on verso, [iii, iv] – t.p. ruled and bordered / double-ruled blank leaf, [v]vi-viii – table, ix-xv – preface, [xvi] – double-ruled blank leaf, [1]2-447 [448] – double-ruled blank leaf, [2] – two blank unnumbered fly leaves; page 14 misnumbered 18; title within ornamental border; text within double-ruled borders; head- and tail-pieces; 22 leaves of plates (frontis. + one before each chant.) Collation: 8vo; a8 A-Z8 Aa-Ee8 Binding: 19.9 x 13.2 cm; full contemporary brown calf, blind ruled plates, spine with raised bands, gilt-ruled and tooled in compartments, red label with gilt lettering, all edges red; plate for chant 6, H4, H5 - separated from the block. De Morza is Voltaire (Cf. Quérard, v. 10, p. 306). Engravings unsigned; attributed to Desrais, Claude-Louis (French, 1746 – 1816). False imprint; possibly printed in Paris.
  • [François Marie Arouet de Voltaire]. La Pucelle d'Orléans, poëme, divisé en vingt chants, avec des notes. Nouvelle édition, corrigée, augmentée & collationnée sur le manuscript de l'auteur. – [Geneva: Gabriel Cramer], 1762. Half-title: LA PUCELLE. Title: LA | PUCELLE D'ORLÉANS, | POËME, | DIVISÉ EN VINGT CHANTS, | AVEC DES NOTES. | Nouvelle Edtition, corrigée, augumentée & colla- | tionnée sur le Manuscript de l'Auteur. | MDCCLXII || Pagination: [2] – blank leaf, [2] – h.t. / blank, [2] – t.p. / blank, [i] ii-viii, [1] 2-358 [2]– blank leaf; after p. 272 the following p. 277, collation and key words correct; 20 plates, one before every chant, by Gravelot, woodcut cul-de-lamps. Collation: 8vo; [π7] A-Y8 Z2 Binding: Hardcover; contemporary full mottled calf, re-backed, flat spine, ruled in gilt, remains of gilt lettering and decorations, marbled end-papers and all margins red. Catalogue raisonné: Cohen-de Ricci 1029: "Première édition avouée par l'auteur". Dimensions: book 20.2 x 12.5 cm; page 19.5 x 11.6 cm. Author: Voltair, François Marie Arouet de (French, 1694 – 1778). Printer: Gabriel Cramer (Swiss, 1723–1793). Artist: Gravelot, Hubert François (French, 1699 – 1773). Another copy in this collection: LIB-2504.2020.
  • A two-volume set. Vol. 1: LA | HENRIADE, | NOUVELLE ÉDITION | A PARIS | [medallion portrait of Voltaire] | Chez la Veuve Duchesne, Saillant, Desaint, | Panckoucke et Nyon, Libraires. || Pagination: [2] – engraved title with medallion portrait of Voltaire / blank, [i-iii] iv-xl, [1-3] 4-272, 10 plates and 10 vignettes after Eisen by de Longueil. Collation: 8vo; a-b8 c4, A-R8 Vol. 2: LA | HENRIADE, | NOUVELLE ÉDITION. | — | SECONDE PARTIE. |— | [Floral device] | A PARIS, | Chez la Veuve Duchesne, Saillant, Desaint, | Panckoucke et Nyon, Libraires. | — | M. DCC. LXX. Pagination: [1, 2] - t.p. / imprim., 3-316 [4 - table, imprint "De l'Imprimerie de Barbou."] Collation: A-V8. Binding: full brown calf, raised bands with the gilt floral tools in compartments, red and dark brown labels with gilt lettering: title, author, vol. number, and year; printed on laid paper. Wear, marks and rubbing, endpapers, corners and spine repaired/replaced; leaves are generally clean with the odd mark here or there. With frontispiece, 10 vignettes and 10 plates in vol. 1 as called for. Size: 19 x 12.5 cm each volume. Catalogue raisonné.: G. Ray, p. 59; Cohen-de Ricci p. 1026. LIB-2581-1.2020 and LIB-2581-2.2020.
    Illustrated by: Charles Eisen (French, 1720 – 1778) Engraved by: Joseph de Longueil (French, 1730 – 1792) Author: François Marie Arouet de Voltaire (French, 1694 – 1778) Publisher: Veuve Duchesne (Nicolas Bonaventure Duchesne died in 1765) Printer: Joseph Gérard Barbou (French, 1723 – 1790)
  • Volume 1: Title: HISTORY | OF | BRITISH BIRDS. | THE FIGURES ENGRAVED ON WOOD BY T. BEWICK. | VOL. I. | CONTAINING THE | HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF LAND BIRDS. | [Vignette] | NEWCASTLE: | PRINTED BY SOL. HODGSON, FOR BEILBY & BEWICK : SOLD BY THEM, | AND G. G. & J. ROBINSON, LONDON. | [Price 10s 6d. in Boards] | 1797|| Pagination: [2 blanks], [i, ii] – t.p. / blank, [iii] iv-xxx, [2] – f.t. / blank, [1] 2-335 [336 advert.] [2 blanks]; vignettes on t.p.'s; head- and tail-pieces; publisher's advertisement on final p. of v. 1. Collation: demi 8vo; a-b8, B-Y8; no sigs. A, p. 279 numbered correctly. Woodcuts: 140 descriptions of birds, 117 figures of birds, 91 vignettes, tail-pieces, etc. 1,000 copies printed. Variant B with a vignette at p. 22 printed vertically. Vignette at p. 285 without bars. Volume 2: Title: HISTORY | OF | BRITISH BIRDS. | THE FIGURES ENGRAVED ON WOOD BY T. BEWICK. | VOL. I. | CONTAINING THE | HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF WATER BIRDS. | [Vignette] | NEWCASTLE: | PRINTED BY EDWARD WALKER, FOR T. BEWICK : SOLD BY HIM, AND | LONGMAN AND REES, LONDON. | [Price 12s in Boards] | 1804|| Pagination: [2 blanks], [i, ii] – t.p. / blank; [iii] iv-xx, [1] 2-400, [2 blanks]. Collation: Demy 8vo in fours; a2 b-c4, A-3D4; E2, P2, Cc2 insigned. Woodcuts: 144 descriptions of birds, 101 figures of birds, 136 vignettes, tail-pieces, etc. Variant C:  Vignette on p. 136 in 1st state, vignettes on pp. 269 and 359 in 2nd state. Binding: speckled full brown calf (restored), contemporary boards ruled in gilt, later spine with raised bands, gilt lettering and florets in compartments, marbled endpapers; 261 woodcut illustrations; printed on wove paper. In both volumes: armorial bookplate of "Clark, Knedlington, Yorks." with the motto "The time will come" on the front pastedown. Size: 21.5 x 14 cm, page: 20.6 x 12.6 cm, demi 8vo. Catalogue raisonné: Hugo (1866): № (99) 94 –120 (108) / pp. 40-58; Roscoe (1953): № 14 a-d, 17 a-d / pp. 46-52 and 65-76. See later edition in this collection: LIB-0860.2015.
  • GEORGE CRUIKSHANK | A CATALOGUE RAISONNÉ | OF THE WORK EXECUTED | DURING THE YEARS 1806-1877 | WITH COLLATIONS, NOTES, APPROXIMATE VALUES, | FACSIMILES, AND ILLUSTRATIONS | BY | ALBERT M. COHN | Author of A Bibliographical Catalogue of the Printed | Works Illustrated By George Cruikshank, etc. | LONDON |FROM THE OFFICE OF "THE BOOKMAN'S JOURNAL" | 7 HENRIETTA STREET, STRAND, W.C.2 | 1924. Pagination: ffl, [i, ii] – h.t. / Limited edition (122 of 500), [2] – blank / frontis. lith. portrait of G. Cruikshank w/guard, [iii, iv] – t.p. / printed in G.B., [v, vi] – dedicat. / blank, vii-xvi; [1, 2] – f.t. / blank, 3-375, [376] – Imprint., bfl; 31 leaves of plates, some mounted. Binding: size 30 x 24 x 5.5 cm, hardcover, bevelled boards, original brown cloth with gilded lettering to spine. Top edge gilt, other untrimmed; printed on laid paper. To front pastedown: "Ex libris – Fred Robison Heryer" (round, 55 mm, resembles a coin, printed on heavy gold-coloured foil with embossed lettering and an image of a seated man lettered ALEXANDROY in Greek. To back pastedown: Seller's sticker "From the book of J.W.Robinson Co., Seventh & Grand, Los Angeles." J. W. Robinson Co. – a chain of department stores, established by Joseph Winchester Robinson (American, 1846 – 1891). Some Fred Robison Heryer (American, 1907 – 1992) died in Kansas.