/Collection
  • Iron tsuba of mokko form with rough surface decorated in low relief carving (sukidashi-bori) and openwork (sukashi) with a flying bat, a crescent moon, and a cloud over the moon. Bat's eyes inlaid with gold. Crescent moon and cloud on the reverse. Copper sekigane. Kogai hitsu-ana plugged with shakudō.

    Unsigned.

    Edo period.

    Size: Height: 83.7 mm; Width: 80.3 mm; Thickness: 2.9 mm; Weight: 141 g.

  • Iron tsuba of octafoil form with design of rudder (kaji) and lake in openwork (sukashi) outlined with brass wire. Thin plate also decorated with three concentric circular rows of brass dots (nail heads) in ten-zōgan. Center of the plate outlined with the inlaid circular brass wire. Cut-outs for kozuka and kogai probably added later.  Slightly raised rim between the indentations (suki-nokoshi-mimi). The inlaid metal of red-ish hue, so it may be copper, not brass. Sekigane, visible on the NBTHK paper photo, are missing, possibly removed by a previous owner. Muromachi period. Ōnin school. Unsigned. Dimensions: 81.2 mm x 81.8 mm x 2.7 mm. Weight: 79.0 g. Large nakago-ana: 34 mm high and 10 mm wide. NBTHK certificate №455786: Hozon. Note regarding design: it was quite hard to interpret the big oval opening. The first suggestion was 'sea cucubmer', and it was based on a design published by Kazutaro Torigoye [Kodogu and tsuba. International collections not published in my books (Toso Soran), 1978] on page 202: Katchūshi tsuba: Sea cucumber and butterfly. Look and judge yourself:

    Torigoye: sea cucumber and butterfly.

    The second suggestion - 'lake' - came from [Iron tsuba. The works of the exhibition "Kurogane no hana", The Japanese Sword Museum, 2014], page 14 №5:

    Ko-Katchūshi tsuba: Lake and pine.

    Opening on my tsuba looks more like the 'lake'. Also, rudder and lake make more sense than rudder and sea cucumber. At least to me...    
  • Iron tsuba of round form decorated with eight roundels – circular emblems of flowers and/or family crests (mon) made of cast brass, pierced and chiseled in kebori, and with flat brass inlay (hira-zōgan) of vines or leaves all over the plate. Both hitsu-ana could have been trimmed with brass now lacking. Nakago-ana of triangular form, possibly enlarged, with copper sekigane. All typical emblems with bellflower, two variations on suhama theme, and 3, 4, 5, and 6-poinitng mon variations. A distinctive character of this tsuba is a mon at 12 hours depicting water plantain (omodaka).

    “Omodaka was also called shōgunsō (victorious army grass); because of this martial connotation, it was a design favored for the crests of samurai families” [Family crests of Japan, Stone Bridge Press, Berkeley, California]. Yoshirō school (Kaga-Yoshirō). The Momoyama or early Edo period, beginning of 17th century. Size: Height: 81.4 mm; width: 81.2; thickness 3.8 mm at seppa-dai.
  • Ivory netsuke with the design of wrestling Oni by Kaigyokusai Masatsugu [懐玉齋正次].

    Signed: Masatsugu [正次] Osaka School. Made: 1850-1900; Late Edo - Meiji Period. Dimensions: 44 x 40 x 33 mm.

    The right hand of the upper Oni and one toe of the lower Oni are missing. Ref.: Raymond Bushell. Collector's netsuke. Weatherhill, NY, Tokyo; Ninth printing, 2002, pp. 84-87. "Kaigyokusai Masatsugu (1813-1892) was an Osaka based carver renowned for his flawless technique as illustrated upon this netsuke with its finely carved ivory form, with no staining and bright inlaid eyes" (V&A).

  • Amoris Divini Emblemata, Studio Et Aere Othonis Vaeni Concinata. — Antverpiae: Ex Officina Plantiniana Balthasaris Moreti, MDCLX [1660]. — pp.: [1] (Van Veen port.), [1] title, [2] (Isabella port.), 3-127 [1], 60 illustr. — 2nd impression. Octavius Vaenius, a.k.a. Otto Vaenius or Otto Van Veen (c. 1556-1629) was Rubens's last and most influential teacher. The Amoris divini emblemata was first published in 1615 by Nutius & Meursius in Antwerp. Vaenius’s book was to influence Herman Hugo's Pia desideria (LIB-1657.2018). Book structure: On frontispiece, trimmed and mounted portrait of Octavius Vaenius painted by his daughter Gertruida van Veen (signed Gertrudis filia) and engraved by Nicolas de Larmessin. Trimmed portrait of the Infanta Isabella Clara of Austria (1566 – 1633) pained by Peter Paul Rubens and engraved by Jan de Leeuw mounted to title verso.  60 engraved plates with emblems are on recto pages with facing texts: Latin quotations from Bible and Fathers, Spanish verses by Alphonso de Ledesma, Dutch by Vaenius and French by Carolus Philippus Hattron (d. 1632). Rebound in the mid-19th century in brown quarter Morocco with blind marbled boards and gilt lettering to spine. Inscription in ink on verso to van Veen portrait: "I bought this volume with the portraits inserted at the sale of the library of my uncle Samuel Rogers, Esq." Signed: "Frederick Sharpe, 1856". Frederick Sharpe (born was a son of Samuel Sharpe (1799–1881), the nephew of Samuel Rogers (1763–1855), a celebrated English poet. Size: 23.3 x 17.9 cm. Ref.: Emblem Project Utrecht (with an explanation of all the emblems); PETER BOOTHUYGENS: Similar or Dissimilar Loves?    
  • A two-volume set in the contemporary full calf, imitating the editorial cloth binding. Vol. 1: SCÈNES | DE LA | VIE PRIVÉE ET PUBLIQUE | DES ANIMAUX | VIGNETTES | PAR GRANDVILLE. | — | ÉTUDES DE MŒURS CONTEMPORAINES | PUBLIÉES | SOUS LA DIRECTION DE M. P. – J. STAHL , | AVEC LA COLLABORATION | DE MESSIEURS | DE BALZAC. – L. BAUDE. – E. DE LA BEDOLLIERE. – P. BERNARD. – J. JANIN. | ED. LEMOINE. – CHARLES NODIER. – GEORGE SAND. | [VIGNETTE] | PARIS. | J. HETZEL ET PAULIN , ÉDITEURS , | RUE DE SEINE-SAINT-GERMAIN , 33. | 1842 Pagination: [2 blanks] [2 - ht. / imprim.] [2 - blank / frontis.] [2 - t.p. / blank] [4] [1] 2-386 [6 - table] [2 blanks], 96 whole-page wood-engravings after Grandville, vignettes within the text including head and tailpieces, together with a frontispiece. VOL. 2: SCÈNES | DE LA | VIE PRIVÉE ET PUBLIQUE | DES ANIMAUX | VIGNETTES | PAR GRANDVILLE. | — | ÉTUDES DE MŒURS CONTEMPORAINES | PUBLIÉES | SOUS LA DIRECTION DE M. P. – J. STAHL , | AVEC LA COLLABORATION | DE | MM. DE BALZAC, – L' HERITIER (DE L' AIN), – ALFRED DE MUSSET – PAUL DE MUSSET, | CHARLES NODIER, – MADAME M. MENESSIER NODIER, – LOUIS VIARDOT. | [VIGNETTE] | PARIS, | J. HETZEL , ÉDITEUR , | RUE DE SEINE-SAINT-GERMAIN , 33. | 1842 Pagination: [2 - ht. / imprim.] [2 - blank / frontis.] [2 - t.p. / blank] [1] 2-390 [6 - table], 105 whole-page wood-engravings after Grandville, vignettes within the text including head and tailpieces, together with a frontispiece. Size: Each volume 27 x 18 cm; In-4to (usually classified as 8vo, however, the numeric signatures provide for gathering in-quarto). Binding: Full burgundy calf, gilt embossed Grandville's characters to boards and spine, lettering to spine, white moire end-papers to vol. 1, and yellow end-papers to vol. 2, all margins gilt. Combination of the 1st and 2nd print-runs of the 1st edition. Ref.: L. Carteret, 1927: pp. 552-558. Wikipedia; Gallica; Hathi Trust. In: British Museum, MET, RISD Museum, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
  • 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°.  
  • Engraved title with the portrait of Torquato Tasso, displayed in an oval medallion, bound in “TORQUATO TASSO”, between two naked putti; Architecture with two columns and Ionic capitals supporting an architectural pediment; between the columns is a table with the inscription: LA GIERVSALEMME | LIBERATA | DI TORQVATO TASSO | Con le Figure di Bernardo | CASTELLO; | E le Annotazioni di Scipio | GENTILI, e di Giulio | GVASTAVINI. | IN GENOVA. M.D.LXXXX .|| Contents: The 20 cantos are followed by: Tutte le stanza intere, che dall'autore sono state refiutate in questo libro; Annotationi di Scipio Gentili; Luoghi osservati dal mag. Giulio Guastavini, quali il Tasso nella sua Gierusalemme hà presi & imitati da poeti & altri scrittori antichi; Allegoria del poema; Tavola di tutti i nomi proprii et di tutte le materie principali contenute nel presente libro. Pagination: [2] engraved t.p. / blank, 3-11, [1] 2-255 [256], 1-71 [72] [1] 2-40, 4 unpag. leaves ‘Allegoria del poema’; total 387 pp. Collation: 8vo; π6 A-Q8 A-D8 E4 A-B8 χ4 (in the first quire M4 marked L4), ills. signed in collation. At p. 17 canto 3rd marked as 2nd, pp. 135 and 139 in 12th canto marked as 11th. Binding: later full polished calf, blind double-ruled covers, blind double-ruled raised bands, gilt lettering: GIERVSALEMME | LIBERATA and GENOVA | 1590. TMG. Printed on laid paper. Front joints split at head and tail. Title page and twenty full-page ill. facing the opening of each canto, engraved by Agostino Carracci and Giacomo Franco after Castello. Those for cantos 6-8, 10, 12, 16-17, 19-20 are by Carracci, 8 and 19 with his initials. The remainder are by Franco and are signed by him. Woodcut head and tailpieces, the Argomenti at the head of each canto within cartouches, initials. Catalogue raisonné: Adam Bartsch. Le peintre graveur. — Vienne: J. V. Degen, 1803.

    Author: Written by Torquato Tasso (Italian, Sorrento 1544–1595 Rome)

    Designer: Illustrations designed by Bernardo Castello (Italian, Genoa (?) 1557–1629 Genoa)

    Engraver: Illustrations engraved by Agostino Carracci (Italian, Bologna 1557–1602 Parma)

    Engraver: Illustrations engraved by Giacomo Franco (Italian, Venice 1550–1620 Venice)

    Publisher: Published by Girolamo Bartoli , Genoa

    Ref.: MET, HathiTrust,
  • Two-volume set. MÉMOIRES | DE | JACQUES | CASANOVA | DE SEINGALT | 1734 — Extraits — 1755 | COLLIGÉS PAR | RÉNE GROOS | ILLUSTRATIONS | DE | BRUNELLESCHI | {vignette} | GIBERT JEUNE | LIBRAIRIE D’AMATEURS | 61, BOULEVARD DE SAINT-MICHEL, 61 | PARIS || Pagination: [6], 1-345 [346], [8]; frontispiece and 15 colour plates (collotype), b/w tail-pieces and vignettes (offset). MÉMOIRES | DE | JACQUES | CASANOVA | DE SEINGALT | 1755 — Extraits — 1772 | COLLIGÉS PAR | RÉNE GROOS | ILLUSTRATIONS | DE | BRUNELLESCHI | {vignette} | GIBERT JEUNE | LIBRAIRIE D’AMATEURS | 61, BOULEVARD DE SAINT-MICHEL, 61 | PARIS || Pagination: [6] 1-337 [348] [8]; frontispiece and 15 colour plates (collotype), b/w tail-pieces and vignettes (offset). Limited edition, №2507 of 3000. Binding: original tan pictorial wrappers, in a slipcase.  
  • ERNEST HEMINGWAY | A Moveable Feast | {Citation} | CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS, | New York || Pagination: [12] – incl: advert., h.t., t.p., colophon, contents, preface, and note, [1, 2] - f.t. / blank, 3-211 [212]. Publisher’s cloth-backed stamped boards, original dust jacket. Ref.: Hanneman A31a.
  • Japanese binding, 2 leaves of pictorial wrappers, [10] 11-63, 10 b/w plates, 63 colour plates within pagination; in a green cloth folder with gilt lettering to front and spine.
  • Front wrapper, t.p.: Общедоступная философiя | ВЪ ИЗЛОЖЕНИИ | АРКАДIЯ ПРЕССА | — | ГРОЦIЙ. | О ПРАВѢ ВОЙНЫ И МИРА. | Цена 40 коп. | [two medals] С.-Петербург | Изданiе П. П. Сойкина [two medals] | Книжный Складъ / Стремянная, 12 | Книжный Магазинъ / Невский, 96 || Verso to front wrapper: publisher's advert.; verso to back wrapper: publisher's advert.; back wrapper: Series advert. Series: Общедоступная философия в изложении Аркадия Пресса Pagination: [1, 2] – t.p. /censor's approval dated September 30, 1902 г., imprint, [3] 4-50 [2] – publisher's advert. Collation: 8vo;  [1]8 2-38 42. Inscriptions: Handwriting to front wrapper "1902"; to title page "1902" and  in Russian: "Ензику от Тышки 19/III-26г." Size: 19.5 x 12.3 cm. Binding: original publisher's wrappers, lettering, pp. 35-46 loose. Author: Hugo Grotius [Huig or Hugo de Groot] (Dutch, 1583 – 1645). Originally published by Nicolas Buon in Paris in 1625 in Latin under the title: De iure belli ac pacis (English: On the Law of War and Peace). Compiler/translator: Аркадий Германович Пресс [Аркадиус Пресас or Arkadius Presas] (Russian-Finish, 1870 – 1952).
  • Cover: ИЗ ИСТОРИИ | ВЕЛИКОЙ ФРАНЦУЗСКОЙ | РЕВОЛЮЦИИ | ЖАН ЖОРЕС | ИСТОРИЯ КОНВЕНТА | ИЗДАНИЕ 2-е | “Книга” | • МОСКВА • 1923 • ПЕТРОГРАД • || Title page: Жан Жорес | История Конвента | Сокращенный перевод В. Левицкого | под редакцией Ф. Дана. | Второе издание. | {publisher’s device} | “Книга” | Москва. […] Петроград | Тверская, 38, тел. 2-64-61. […] Невский, 74, тел. 1-34-34. || Print run: 3,000 copies. Printer: 10-я типография МСНХ «Мосполиграф». Original Title:  Histoire socialiste : 1789-1900. La convention nationale / par J. Jaurès.  — Paris : Jules Rouff et Cie, 1901 Bibliographical description: 23.5 x 16 cm, publisher’s letterpress wrappers, pp. [1-3] 4-191 [192]; collation: 8vo, [1-2]8 3-128; ink inscription to front wrapper: Я. Безруков Jean Jaurès [Жан Жорес] (French, 1859 – 1914) Цедербаум, Владимир Осипович [Левицкий, В.] (Russian-Jewish, 1883 – 1938) Дан [Гурвич], Федор Ильич (Russian-Jewish, 1871-1947)  
  • Жан де Лабрюйер | ХАРАКТЕРЫ, | ИЛИ | НРАВЫ | НЫНЕШНЕГО | ВЕКА | Перевод с французского | Э. ЛИНЕЦКОЙ И Ю. КОРНЕЕВА | ИЗДАТЕЛЬСТВО | «ХУДОЖЕСТВЕННАЯ ЛИТЕРАТУРА» | МОСКВА  • ЛЕНИНГРАД | 1964 || Pagination: frontis., [2] 3-413 [414-416]; print run 50,000 copies. Collation : 8vo, [1]-268. Binding: 21 x 13.5 cm, olive buckram, lettering to cover and spine. Jean de La Bruyère (French, 1645 – 1696). Юрий Борисович Корнеев (Russian, 1921—1995). Эльга Львовна (Лейбовна) Линецкая [b. Фельдман] (Russian-Jewish, 1909 — 1997)
  • Cover: La Conspiration Juive contre les Peuples | « Protocols » | Procès-verbaux de réunions secrètes | des | SAGES D'ISRAËL | ÉDITION DE | “La Vieille-France” | 1920 | 5Rue du Pré-aux-Clercs, 5 | PARIS (7e) || Title: « Protocols » | Procès-verbaux de réunions secrètes | des | SAGES D'ISRAËL | ÉDITION DE | “La Vieille-France” | 1920 | 5Rue du Pré-aux-Clercs, 5 | PARIS (7e) || Pagination: [1, 2] – t.p. / blank, 3-141 [142 blank] [2] – table / blank. Pp.: 1-11 – Introduction; 13-82 – Protocols; 97-141 – Le Bolchevisme, c’est les Juifs. Collation : 8vo; [1]8 2-98. Binding: Publisher’s blue black-lettered wrappers, lettered spine. Printer: Imprimerie Chantenay (Paris). The French translation of "Протоколы синоских мудрецов" written in Russian by Сергей Нилус (Sergei Nilus, 1862 – 1929) was published in “La Vieille-France” by Urbain Gohier (1862 – 1951). Inside front wrapper: "Brave French! Please note that the format of this book allows you to hide it in your pockets. Your Jewish masters strictly forbid you to read it. Its existence is hidden in every possible way by the Jewish-controlled press. But fear not! While carefully hiding it, read carefully about what your Jewish masters forbid the newspapers to tell you. And you will understand – who and how will take your homeland away from you."
  • Title page: ФРАНСУА ДЕ ЛАРОШФУКО | МАКСИМЫ | • | БЛЕЗ ПАСКАЛЬ | МЫСЛИ | • | ЖАН ДЕ ЛАБРЮЙЕР | ХАРАКТЕРЫ | ПЕРЕВОД С ФРАНЦУЗСКОГО | {publisher’s device “ИХЛ”} | ИЗДАТЕЛЬСТВО | «ХУДОЖЕСТВЕННАЯ ЛИТЕРАТУРА» | МОСКВА • 1974 || Content: В. Бахмутский. / Французские моралисты. / Франсуа де Ларошфуко. Максимы. Пер. Э. Линецкой. / Блез Паскаль. Мысли. Пер. Э. Линецкой. / Жан де Лабрюйер. Характеры. Пер. Ю. Корнеева и Э. Линецкой. Примечания В. Бахмутского, И. Малевич, М. Разумовской, Т. Хатисовой. Pagination: [1-5] 5-541 [3], 13 illustrations (unpag.) Collation: [1]16 2-1716 + 13 photomechanical plates extraneous to collation. Binding: serial design red cloth, gilt-stamped cover with a serial device, gilt lettering to spine, pictorial dust jacket. Contributors: Blaise Pascal (French, 1623 – 1662) – author. François La Rochefoucauld (French, 1613 – 1680) – author. Jean de La Bruyère (French, 1645 – 1696) – author. Эльга Львовна [Лейбовна] Линецкая [Фельдман] (Russian-Jewish, 1909 – 1997) – translator. Юрий Борисович Корнеев (Russian, 1921 – 1995) – translator. Владимир Яковлевич Бахмутский (Russian, 1919 – 2004) – author/foreword.
  • Two volumes, 12mo; 14 x 9 cm, uniformly bound in speckled calf with dentelle border in gilt, gilt-stamped spine with two crimson lettered labels, marbled endpapers. Inscription to h.t.: P. Leigh Smith | Moscow | 1921 || Vol. 1: Half-title: MIROIR | DE L'ANCIEN ET DU NOUVEAU | PARIS, | AVEC TREIZE VOYAGES | EN VÉLOCIFÈRES, |DANS SES ENVIRONS. | TOME I. || Title page: MIROIR | DE L'ANCIEN ET DU NOUVEAU | PARIS, | AVEC TREIZE VOYAGES | EN VÉLOCIFÈRES, |DANS SES ENVIRONS. Ouvrage indespensable aus Étrangers et même | aux Parisiens, et qui indique tout ce qu’il faut | connoître et éviter dans cette capitale. | Orné d’un Plan de Paris et de 18 Gravures | {to the right, in single rules} Tels temps, telles mœurs. | Par L. Prudhomme. | Tome I. | PARIS, | PRUDHOMME, fils, rue des Marais, F. B. St.-G. | DEBRAY, rue St. Honoré, barrière des Sergens. | AN XIII. — (1804.) || Pagination: [i-vii] viii-xxxvi, 1-260; total 296 pages + 15 copperplate engravings and 1 folding plan of Paris. Collation: πA-πC6, A-C6, 4-216 224; total 148 leaves + 15 plates + 1 folding. Note: 12mo; πA1 unsigned, A2 unsigned, A–C3 signed A-C5, respectively, 4* unsigned, 9* marked 8*, 18* marked 17*. Vol. 2: Similar half-title and title, TOME II instead of TOME I. Pagination: [4] 1-408; total 412 pages + 3 copperplate engravings. Collation: π2, 1-346; total 206 leaves + 3 plates.
  • Title page (frame, three compartments: LAURENCE STERNE |—| A | SENTIMENTAL | JOURNEY | THROUGH | FRANCE AND ITALY | ILLUSTRATED BY | MAHLON BLAINE |—| THREE SIRENS PRESS | NEW YORK || Title verso: (top) COPYRIGHT, 1930, BY WILLIAMS, BELASCO & MEYERS | PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | (bottom) BY J. J. LITTLE & IVES COMPANY, NEW YORK || Pagination: [1-6] 7-192, frontispiece, headpiece, and 4 plates within collation (pp. 45, 85, 141, and 185) after Blaine’s pen drawings in the woodcut manner. Binding: quarter lilac morocco with stamped brown lettering over blue cloth, design elements and lettering to spine, top edge gilt, fore-edge untrimmed. Size: 24.5 x 16 cm Edition: presumably 1st edition with plates after Blaine. Contributors: Sterne, Laurence (British-Irish, 1713 – 1768) – author of the text. Blaine, Mahlon (American, 1894 – 1969) – illustrator (pseudonym: G. Christopher Hudson). Three Sirens Press (NY); Williams, Belasco, and Meyers (NY) – publishers. J. J. Little & Ives Company (NY) – printer. Compare to the re-printed edition by Halcyon House, [c. 1950] in the collection [LIB-2783.2021]. As stated, the copyright is held by Williams, Belasco, and Meyers, who are: Joseph Meyers (c. 1898 – 1957), his sister Edna Williams, and David Belasco (1853 – 1931). "Joseph Meyers was described by Bennet Cerf (Modern Library, Random House) as a “notorious pirate” in Gertzman’s book Bookleggers and Smuthounds, and the trio of presses allegedly indulged in reprinting numerous books without holding the copyright to those titles. By not paying copyright fees, Meyers and Williams were able to print and sell good quality illustrated books at prices that were below typical smaller, unillustrated reprint series of the 1930s." [cit.]