Search Results: Titles starting with L from Antiquariaat FORUM BV

XXXIII, 261 pp.Practical manual on the art of dyeing cotton screw and cotton cloth, as well as on the cultivation of plants which provide dying colours. As Le Pileur d'Apligny explains in his foreword, the art of dying cloth and the production of dyeing colours more than other arts depend on the science of physics and chemistry. Already two excellent treatises existed, one by Helot on the dyeing of linen, the other by Macquer on the dyeing of silk. So the author now adds a treatise on the dyeing of cotton. Placide Auguste Le Pileur d'Apligny, was the maître des requêts for the King's council. "He is closely linked to the history of indienne manufacture in Paris. He was involved in a manufacture established in 1759. More important perhaps are his books on dyeing cotton, on improvement to dyeing an on color and color production" (Lowengard).Old owner's autograph on French title; upper hinges broken; slightly browned. Good copyl Cf. Lowengard, The creation of color in Eighteenth-Century Europe (e-book).

26 ll.One of six deluxe copies (numbered 4) of a sumptuous edition of seven poems on Islam by the French poet, writer and publisher Maurice Heine (1884-1940). The entire edition comprised 77 copies, the first six (numbered 1-6) being deluxe copies printed on dyed Japanese paper and including the frontispiece in three versions, one painted on parchment and highlighted with gold. The frontispiece, an Arabic text surrounded by flowers, was designed and drawn by the Algerian miniature painter Mohammed Racim (1896-1975), founder of the Algerian school of miniature painting that still exists. The poems included are: La demeure harmonieuse, Dans la maison moresque, Palais d'Islam, Le voyage en faience, Le cyprès, Alger-aux-barbares and La mort d'Alger.The work opens with a half-title printed in blue, followed by a blank leaf, a leaf with the privilege, another half-title, three frontispieces, the title-page, and a dedication, followed by the prologue and the seven poems. It closes with a colophon, noting… Read More

[16], 174, [1], [1 blank] pp.Classic work on freemasonry, published in the same year as the first edition, detailing the history and the rituals of the freemasons, concluded by the text and music of several songs. The illustrations include folding plans of a freemasonry lodge and 5 plates with engraved music. The work was first published in 1745 and remained popular throughout the 18th century. According to Wolfstieg, the present edition was published by Jean Neaulme. Re-backed with the original spine laid down. Good copy.l Wolfstieg, Bibl. der freimaurerischen Lit. 29963; this edition not in STCN; cf. Cioranescu 49471 (other edition).

17th-century drawing giving a bird's eye view of the fortified French town La Capelle (Aisne). Probably after the similar view published in Mathaeus Merian's Topographia Galliae (1655-1661).In very good condition.

26 pp. and [5] lithographed leaves and 32 lithographs on 25 plates.First edition of this set of thirty-two magnificent views of China after drawings by the notable French artist Auguste Borget (1808-77), a close friend of Honoré de Balzac. Borget travelled through Asia from 1838 to 1840; his perceptive sketches include views in the area of Hong Kong (4), Macao (13), and Canton (12). "The feeling of superiority to the Chinese, so characteristic of accounts from the 1840s, is absent here. The artist observes with a fresh eye" (Lust). Explanations to all views are found in the letterpress text in the form of letters by Borget. A second edition in English was published in the same year under the title "Sketches of China and the Chinese".Some foxing, as common, especially to text leaves, due to paper stock. Waterstains to the margins of the final eight plates. A detailed list of plates is available on request.

[2], VIII, 79, [1 blank] pp.Second Bodoni edition of an Italian translation of a supposedly previously unknown work by the Greek poet Sappho (ca. 630-ca. 570 BC), discovered on papyri found by a Russian Scholar while visiting the Cape Of Leucadia. It consists of a love poem about Sappho's love for Phaon. The supposed translation was made by "S.I.P.A." (Sosare Itomejo pastor arcade), while actually being an early work of the Italian author Vincenzo Maria Imperiale (1683-1749).With the bookplate of Marcellus Schlimovich on paste-down, his library stamp at the last blank page and a bookseller's label on flyleaf. A very good copy.l Brooks 806; ICCU 010166; Palaia & Moscatelli 275; cf. Reynolds, The Sappho companion; not in Vergnano, Mostra antologia di G.B. Bodoni.

XXIV" [= XXVIII, pp. XXV-XXVI and XXVII-XXVIII are misbound), 462 pp.Beautifully illustrated edition of the French verse fables of Jean de La Fontaine, loosely based on fables by Aesop, Horace and others and first published in the years 1668-1694 here including a "Précis de la vie de J. de La Fontaine", an abridged version of the biography by Charles Athanase Walckenaer, published in 1820. At the end of the biography, the author states that this edition was especially intended for young people, which is also reflected by the fact that below each fable there are some explanatory notes for children.The beautiful engravings, including that on the title-page were drawn from the magnificent series by Jean Baptiste Oudry (1686-1755) in the 1755-1759 Paris edition of La Fontaine's fables.Binding slightly rubbed, especially around the spine, worn around the edges, corners a little bumped, some stains on the paste-downs and endpapers, pp. XXV-XXVI erroneously bound in between pp. X-XXI even as pp.… Read More

Two large complementary wall maps of the seven Dutch provinces, covering (1) the provinces Holland, Utrecht, Friesland, Groningen, Overijssel and Gelderland and a part of Brabant, bound to the line Steenbergen - Roermond, and (2) Zeeland. Both are rare, especially the map of Zeeland. They were the first maps of the Netherlands on such a large scale, mostly about 1:105,000, but with some eastern regions squeezed in at about 1:140,000. Fully assembled, the map of “Hollande” would measure about 230 x 155 cm, and the map of Zeeland about 143 x 175 cm.Originally published in 1748, Le Rouge's 21 plates for the two maps were revised for publication in a second state by Jean Crepy ca. 1770. The map in its present third state was revised and published by Jean A. Dezauche in 1790. On the back of each sheet is an engraved label with the sheet number and the name of the region covered added in manuscript.From the library of Marco-Antonio III (1730-1800), Prince Borghese: on each box is the engraved armorial… Read More

[4 of 8], 54, [2 blank]; [4], 61, [1 blank] pp.First French editions of two complementary works in matching format and layout by Simon Stevin, on the layout of army camps and on hydraulic engineering for fortifications (in particular the use of pivoted sluices for deepening waterways, draining land and operating locks). The Castrametation provides a window into daily life in the Dutch army during the Eighty Years' War of independence from Spain, shedding light on both the physical arrangement of troops, supplies, armaments, etc., and the rules that soldiers were expected to follow. The Fortification par escluses both reflects and helped to establish the Dutch mastery of the seas and waterways, which was unique among nations at this date. While the numerous fortification plans are presented as general types to illustrate principles, many are based on actual Dutch cities. The book therefore provides Stevin's analysis of the strtegic situation of many Dutch cities and the ways their security could be… Read More

272, [8] pp.Very rare second edition, one year after the equally rare first edition, of one of the earliest French treatises on falconry and hawking, by Charles d'Arcussia (1554-1628), falconer to King Henri IV (and later to Louis XIII), who dedicates it to the king. "The work is much esteemed on account of its originality and the amount of information it contains" (Harting), "the outcome of long practice and an astonishing amount of research work in every subject connected with [Arcussia's] favourite sport [hawking]" (Schwerdt). Jean Tholosan published the first edition at Aix-en-Provence in 1598, but the USTC records only 3 copies of each, all in French libraries except for a copy of the present edition at the Wellcome Library in London. The six birds of prey illustrated are described as: De l'espece du faucon premier de noz oyseaux, Du Lanier Nyais, Du sacre, Du Gerfaut, De l'Emerillon and De l'Autour Nyais.With an 18th-century endleaf, a ca. 1800(?) monogram stamp on the title-page and a modern… Read More

[16], 83, [1 blank]; 83, [1 blank]; 128 pp. plus plates.Beautifully and extensively illustrated early work on the art and science of fortification, first published in 1624 and here in the 1630 issue of the 1624 edition. As the title indicates, it discusses the fortification, defence and conquest of fortresses used in various wars.Francesco Tensini (1581-1632 or later) had been a military engineer and officer in the service of the Duke of Bavaria, of the Spanish under Spinola against the Dutch before the Twelve Years' Truce of 1609, and of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. When he wrote the present work in 1624 he was in the government of the city of Venice. Jähns suggests Tensini's theories on fortification resemble those of his countryman Alessandro di Grotti, who had worked with him in the Bavarian army, suggesting they may have developed some of their innovative ideas together. But Van den Heuvel points out influences from Dutch fortification. The Dutch introduced many new ideas in fortification… Read More

Manuscript table recording and tallying the supplies and consumptions on board of the French frigate L'Amphitrite during December 1824, signed by its lieutenant C. Laplace, that is the French navigator Cyrille Pierre Théodore Laplace (1793-1832), famous for two of the most important 19th-century circumnavigations of the globe. On the Amphitrite Laplace made several trips to the Antilles. The table gives great insight into the expenditure on board a ship in the first half of the 19th century. A wormhole at the head, just shaving one letter of the title, but otherwise in very good condition.l Cf. Howgego, 1800 to 1850, L12-L13; Mittheilungen aus Justus Perthes' Geographischer Anstalt XXII (1876), p. 69.

[7], [1 blank], 88, [4] ll.Second edition (first dated), of Alfonso de Ulloa's account of the Siege of Tripoli (1551), the Battle of Djerba (1560) and the Great Siege of Malta (1565): a series of conflicts between a large Christian Mediterranean Alliance and the Islamic Ottoman Empire for control of the Mediterranean. The Ottomans attacked and took Tripoli (modern day Libya) in 1551, held since 1530 by the Christian military order known as the Knights Hospitaller. A powerful naval force was sent to recapture Tripoli in 1560, but that force was defeated near the island of Djerba. The climax of the conflict was the Great Siege of Malta, when the Ottomans unsuccessfully attacked the island defended by the Knights Hospitaller, whom they had earlier defeated at Tripoli.With early 19th-century manuscript bibliographical note on flyleaf. First few leaves foxed (especially the title-page, which has some stains as well), some occasional minor spots and the edges of a few leaves slightly tattered. A good copy.… Read More

VIII, 440; VIII, “116” [= 416]; [2], 167, [1 blank], [8] pp. plus 65 plates.Only copy known with all engraved plates printed in colour, of the first edition of an Italian florilegium. The 65 engravings really stand out and are sometimes printed in up to 6 different colours. The text is written by Filippo Arena (1708-1789), a Jesuit professor of mathematics and philosophy at the University of Palermo, with a real passion for botany. "But because La natura, e coltura de' fiori was printed in Sicily, an island far from the principal intellectual centres of Europe, his work became known only to a handful of contemporaries, and his significant contributions to the history of botany were never fully recognized. … Volume one is devoted to a general discussion of botany … In fact, it contains a remarkably advanced dissertation on the sexual generation of plants, including the function of pollen and the importance of its transmission by insects, a discovery that has traditionally been attributed to the… Read More

24 pp.Only copy located of a memento book for the occasion of the marriage of Silvestro Michele Arnolfini and Beatrice Luisa Bernardini, both from noble families that had been prominent in Lucca since the 16th century. The present copy is bound in red velvet with gold and silver embroidery and brocade paper endpapers, no doubt for the bride and groom. The text is a dramatic composition in verse to be sung at the wedding, with a 4-page introduction where the priest-author speaks of music and poetry, but also takes the opportunity to provide moral advice while flattering the bride and groom. Very slightly and evenly browned and with minor wear to the corners of the binding, with the book and binding in very good condition. An extremely rare memento of the 1767 marriage of a noble couple in Lucca, giving us a view of attitudes toward and social circumstances of marriage, in an emblematic red velvet binding, embroidered in silver and gold.l Memorie e documenti per servire all' istoria del Ducato di Lucca,… Read More

engraved title + [5], 49, [16] ll. including engravings.First edition of a famous and original treatise on perspective by the prominent mathematician Salomon de Caus (1576?-1626), here in the very rare issue with the imprint of John Norton in London (alone) in 1612, with the name and date revised in the title-plate. The ESTC records 1611 London and 1612 London/Frankfurt issues of Caus's Perspective, but not the present 1612 London issue.Caus was renowned as an inventor of mechanical devices, both utilitarian and entertaining. His present work clearly explains and illustrates all aspects of perspective drawing, including intricate projections, optical illusions, shadows, anamorphic images and the mirroring of objects. With 2 contemporary perspective construction drawings in the foot margin of one page and some manuscript annotations. One plate has two small abrasions in the corner, but the book is further in very good condition, with only some small marginal tears and minor marginal water stains.… Read More

XVII, [1 blank], [1], [1 blank], 294, [2] pp.First edition of a work on the relation between the Republic of Venice and the Persian Empire (present-day Iran), focusing on their diplomatic and commercial relations, written by the Italian historian and politician Guglielmo Berchet (1833-1913). It contains valuable information on how goods from Asia, like spices and silk, were transported to Venice via Persia. Included at the end are transcriptions of related material, mostly state documents and letters, dating from 1463 to 1718.Some foxing and plates slightly browned. Paper wrappers worn, cracked along the spine, partly separating the bookblock. Fair copy.l A.M. Ansari, Perceptions of Iran, p. 178; Slot, The Arabs of the Gulf 1602-1784, p. 410.

[1], [1 blank], [6], 212 pp.First edition of a rare, complete, and richly illustrated guide to chiromancy, better known as palmistry or palm reading. It describes and explains the practice of fortune-telling through the study of the palm of one's hand. The present work is often attributed to Jean Taisnier (or Johannes Taisnerius, 1508-1562), but the name of the author is not mentioned anywhere on the title-page or in the text. The text starts with the definition of the practice of chiromancy, a compilation of information by other authors, and an explanation of the basic principles of palm reading. The majority of the work is dedicated to an extensive explanation of the location, name, meaning, and importance of every line to be found on hands. The whole is illustrated with 90 engraved plates of hands and the different lines different hands can have, showing a total of nearly 1300 hands with varying sets of lines.The purported author of the present work, Taisnier, was a 16th-century musician,… Read More

[1], [1 blank], [13], [1 blank], 891, [49] pp.Sixth (?) edition of Michel de Montaigne's (1533-1592) translation of the Book of creatures or Natural theology by the Catalan theologian Raymund of Sabunde (ca. 1385-1436). Written round 1436, "the Book of creatures belongs to the tradition of medieval works that follow the imperative according to which faith must evolve into seeking understanding. It was given the name of Natural theology because, as asserted in the prologue, it sets out to offer every human being the means of reaching the truth of Christian dogma, thanks to his own efforts, just by reading into the book of God's creation". However, although the book tries to guide the reader towards the fundamental truths of Christianity, basing itself on the visible order of creatures, it is halfway stated that since human nature is corrupt, the scriptures are more important and "God's word is to be believed in itself" (Habert).Although the translation was commissioned by the Paris booksellers and… Read More

A nice and colourful set of jigsaw puzzles depicting scenes from the life of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), 2 of the puzzles and the sample plate with address «Ulysse Paris» engraved in the image. Each puzzle has 20 pieces. The first depicts Napoleon Bonaparte calmly sleeping in a chair after having given orders to his generals on the eve of the battle of Austerlitz (1 Dec. 1805). The second shows a still fresh Napoleon addressing an exhausted soldier, a scene from the terrible battle at Lodi, Italy, 10 May 1796, between French forces under Napoleon Bonaparte and the Austrian rear guard led by Johann Beaulieu. The third shows Napoleon as merciful Emperor, receiving the thankful wife and children of a Prussian lord accused of conspiracy, but whom he nonetheless pardoned.The puzzle matching the scene mounted on the top of the box is not included; a few pieces cracked at thin spots; box slightly defective with traces of use and browned. A good set.