Selection of Items Presented at the 2020 New York Antiquarian Book Fair (Full Descriptions Available on Request)
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Selection of items presented at the 2020 New York Antiquarian Book Fair (Full descriptions available on request) 1- Extraordinary Spanish medieval illuminated Antiphonal leaf given by the Catholic Kings of Spain to the Dominicans [Illuminated antiphonal leaf on vellum commissioned by the Catholic Kings]. Leaf from one of the most important antiphonals ever produced in Spain, presented by the Catholic Kings to the Dominican Convent Saint Thomas Aquinas [‘In nativitate virginis m introyto’]. c.1482-92. [Spain, probably Avila]. 35,000 $ This is an extraordinarily rare example of Spanish medieval art, “one of the most sumptuous and artistic series of choir-books in all Spain” (Bordona, Spanish Illumination). Enormous decorated leaf made for the Gradual of Ferdinand of Aragon (1452-1516) and his wife Isabella of Castille (1451-1504), joint rulers of Spain, known as the Catholic Monarchs, patrons of Christopher Columbus and conquerors of the last Spanish city still under Muslim rule (Granada). The dense decoration is constituted by an abundant flora and fauna (monkeys, birds, dears, and foxes), as well as putti, all painted in lively colors and gold. The arms emblazoned on this leaf can be dated to after their marriage in 1469 and to before their conquest of Granada in 1492. The Gradual was presented by the Catholic Kings to the Dominican Convent of Santo Tomas (Avila, in Old Castille), founded in 1478 and still in existence, as stated in Bordona’s Spanish Illumination. Provenance: Sotheby’s, London, 10th December 1996; Sam Fogg, London, 1998. WWW.HSRAREBOOKS.COM San Martin de Tours 3190, Capital Federal - (CP 1425) Argentina / (+54) 911 5512 7770 / [email protected] 1 2- The most important Spanish Architectural treatise of the 17th century, a magnificent publication from a private press [Architecture & Art] Caramuel Lobkowitz, Juan. Architectura civil recta, y obliqua. Considerada y dibuxada en el Templo de Ierusalen. 1678. Vigevano (at the author’s private press). Emprenta Obispal, Camillo Corrado. Three parts bound in one volume. Contemporary calf. 46,000 $ First printing of the most ambitious Spanish architectural treatise to date, magnificently illustrated with finely crafted full page plates, it contains chapters on painting, sculpture, physiognomy, perspective, amongst other subjects. A provocative work in which the author argues the superiority of “oblique” architecture to “straight” (Vitruvian) architecture, and famously censures Bernini’s designs for the colonnade around St. Peter’s Square, staircase in the Vatican, and equestrian statue of the Emperor Constantine. It is notably difficult to obtain “complete” and in good condition, and its absence from collections of architectural books such as the RIBA/British Architectural Library, Fowler Collection of Early Architectural Books at Johns Hopkins, and Canadian Centre for Architecture, is telling evidence of the difficulty of procuring a copy. The illustrations comprise 8 plates of the Temple of Jerusalem (Villalpando’s model is rejected in favor of the asymmetrical reconstruction of Jacob Juda León); 49 plates accompany the discussion of the sciences useful to architects; 59 plates illustrate the ‘architectura recta’ and his improvements (eleven different orders of columns); and 41 plates explain the laws of ‘architectura obliqua’, including a series showing how to determine the optical distortions of sculptures. Provenance: the Earls of Macclesfield Library. WWW.HSRAREBOOKS.COM San Martin de Tours 3190, Capital Federal - (CP 1425) Argentina / (+54) 911 5512 7770 / [email protected] 2 3- The first atlas printed in Mexico, first American edition of the West Indies Portulano [Atlas printed in Mexico]. Portulano de la America Setentrional Dividido en quarto partes. Publicado Por Order del Esemo. Sor. D, Guadalupe Victoria Primer Presidente de la Republica Mexicana. 1825. Mexico. Contemporary green morocco gilt, blue silk endpapers. 45,000 $ First atlas printed in Mexico, and first edition printed in America of the rare Spanish West Indies Portulano, showing the Spanish controlled ports in the United States, Mexico, the Antilles, Cuba, amongst other places; exceptionally rare, only 6 copies known in institutional collections. The Portulano was first published in Madrid in 1809, a second Madrid edition appeared in 1818, and this is the third overall, entirely re-engraved, a masterpiece of Mexican printing. Commissioned by the first President of the Mexican Republic, it shows the interest the novel republic in cartography and the mapping of the region. The Portulano is comprised of 112 maps of the West Indies and coastal South America, divided in four parts: Antilles, 15 maps including the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Saint Thomas, Antigua, Martinique, Trinidad and Tobago; Colombia, Florida, Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico, 41 maps (including maps of Saint Augustine, Tampa, Pensacola); Cuba, 34 maps; Haiti and Jamaica, 22 maps. This Portulano is one of the first publications of its kind by the Spanish government, prior to this, navigational maps from the Malaspina expedition had been issued –after Galiano y Valdes, Churruca, Langara, amongst others-, but that was about it. This was the first time a significant corpus of maps was issued on the North American colonies. WWW.HSRAREBOOKS.COM San Martin de Tours 3190, Capital Federal - (CP 1425) Argentina / (+54) 911 5512 7770 / [email protected] 3 4- Completely annotated and extensively interleaved copy of the Laws of the Indies by 18th century Panama born Jurist [Ayala, Manuel José de]. Recopilación de Leyes de los Reynos de las Indias. Mandadas imprimir, y publicar por la Magestad Católica del Rey Don Carlos II. 1774. Madrid. Andrés Ortega. 8 volumes in large folio, printed in large paper. Contemporary calf. 90,000 $ An extraordinary copy of the standard lawbook for the Americas, completely annotated and interleaved by Manuel de Ayala, a special version intended to assist in the project of which Ayala was a leading figure: reform the Spanish crown’s legal code for the Americas, however the project never received the official approval and remained unpublished; normally this book consists of 4 volumes, this variant consists of 8 volumes in large folio with very large margins, commissioned to allow hundreds of long annotations and extensively interleaved. The notes record the history of the individual laws, making corrections to the printed text and recording more general observations on the governance of Spanish America. This exceptional and unique copy remains unstudied and unpublished, and is thus ideal for research. Panama-born jurist Manuel José de Ayala (1728– 1805) was archivist of the Secretaría de Estado and Despacho Universal de Indias and instrumental in the reformation of the legislation of Spain governing American colonies. ‘Es una obra que ofrece un interés extraordinario’ (Ots Capsegui The Hispanic American Historical Review). This work constitutes ‘one of the most valuable sources that can be used for the historical study of our colonial institutions’ (Ots Capsegui). WWW.HSRAREBOOKS.COM San Martin de Tours 3190, Capital Federal - (CP 1425) Argentina / (+54) 911 5512 7770 / [email protected] 4 5- Description of the festivities held in Bahia, by the author of the first history of Brazil to be born in Brazil [Bahia; Brazil] Pitta, Sebastian da Rocha. Breve compendio e narracam̧ do funebre espectaculo, que na insigne cidade da Bahia, cabeca̧ da America Portugueza, se vio na morte de el Rey d. Pedro II. 1709. Lisbon. Valentim da Costa Deslandes. Contemporary decorated wrappers. 3,500 $ First edition, a rare work which narrates the festivities and funeral procession carried out in Bahia (Brazil) on the occasion of the death of Pedro II of Portugal, by Rocha Pitta (1660-1738), a Brazilian born writer and historian, author of the first history of Brazil by a Brazilian; such events were a highlight in colonial daily life, works of this nature provide us with a unique glance of the life of the city in the 18th century. Includes sonnets in praise of the author by Francisco de Sousa de Almada, a description of the funeral commemorations, a sermon in honor of Dom Pedro II given at the Cathedral of Bahia, etc. Rocha Pitta wrote Historia da America Portugueza (1730) “the first history of Brazil to have been printed… written by a Brazilian” (Borba de Moraes). 6- Rare journal of the festivities occurred in Bahia for a royal marriage [Bahia festivities] Matos, Jose Ferreira de (fl. 1729). Diario historico das celebridades, que na Cidade da Bahia se fizeraõ em acca̧ o ̃ de gracaş pelos felicissimos cazamentos dos serenissimos senhores Principes de Portugal, e Castella. 1729. Lisbon. Manoel Fernandes da Costa. Contemporary vellum. 3,000 $ First edition, interesting narration of the festivities and parties that took place in Bahia (Brazil) on the occasion of the marriage of Jose I, King of Portugal, with Maria Ana Victoria of Spain, daughter of Philip V, a significant alliance between the crowns of Spain and Portugal; “esta obra descreve as celebraco̧ es̃ na bahia, por ocasiaõ do matrimonió do principé de espanha com a princesa de portugal” (Borba de Moraes). Includes the ‘Sermaõ na acçaõ de graças, que na cathedral da Bahia…’ by Sebastiaan do Valle Pontes. WWW.HSRAREBOOKS.COM San Martin de Tours 3190, Capital Federal - (CP 1425) Argentina / (+54) 911 5512 7770 / [email protected] 5 7- Magnificent copy in contemporary red morocco of a most important Spanish scientific publication of the 18th century Bails, Benito. Elementos de matematica. Joaquin de Ibarra & Viuda de Ibarra. 1775 – 1796. Eleven volumes. Contemporary red morocco, boards with supralibros of the Real Seminario de Nobles de Madrid. 29,500 $ First edition, extraordinary copy of this beautifully illustrated Spanish scientific encyclopedia, here bound in fine contemporary red morocco with the arms of the Biblioteca del Real Seminario de Nobles de Madrid, written by Benito Bails, Director of mathematics and the Real Academia de San Fernando; the illustration is comprised of 314 folding plates, all specifically made for this work, and of singular beauty.