Rare books from Georg Schneebeli :: Rare Books & Prints

First edition of one of the artist's major works and one of the most important art theories of the 20th century. Limited to 300 copies, of which this is no. 277.
Description: Original blue cloth binding, upper cover lettered in gilt; housed in original blue cloth slipcase. Oblong folio: 39 × 52 cm; pp.: [2], 112, [2]. Text and 350 drawings by the author printed in faksimile (title page in blue), 4 colour charts in the text, composed of a total of 53 tipped-in colour samples, each hand-painted in gouache on cardboard, 77 (122) tipped-in b/w and 5 colour illustrations.
Ref.: Bolliger 1977, 545; Rotzler 1978, 396; Wagner 2018, 74
Condition: The binding shows very little wear, the slipcase has some stains and surface scuffs. Occasional spotting to fore-edge of some leaves, otherwise in very fine condition for its age.
Notes: Johannes Itten (1888–1967) is undoubtedly one of the most influential art teachers of the 20th century. He developed his teaching methods between 1919 and 1923, when he was… Read More

First edition with wood engravings by Frans Masereel. No. 115 of the limited edition of 250 on laid paper. Signed by Frans Masereel in the imprint.
Description: Original half calf over marbled boards, gilt title to spine. Quarto: 28 × 18,5 cm; pp. 57, [4] ll. With 37 original woodcuts (of which 7 full-page, printed recto only) by Frans Masereel.
Ref.: Ritter: C 29, S. 258; Rodenberg: 448
Condition: Binding somewhat scuffed at joints and corners and partly faded. Contents clean and free of marks, but slightly toned with age. Overall a very good copy.
Notes: The Ballad of Reading Gaol was printed by Offizin Mandruck in Munich as the 11th Obelisk print with the original English text. The woodcuts were cut by Masereel in early 1923 and were printed from the original woodblocks. In addition to this edition, 70 copies were published, numbered I to LXX, in which the full-page woodcuts were also signed by Masereel, and 20 unnumbered and unsigned copies.

First edition in French detailing superstition and the cult of witchcraft in India. Translated into French by Thomas La Grue from the Dutch.
Description: Contemprary calf, gilt titles to spine and decoration in compartments between five raised bands. Octavo: 24 × 18 cm; pp. [7] ll., 375. With an engraved frontispiece plate and seven engravings, (five of which are full-page), and one fold-out plate.
Ref.: Graesse: xi, 147
Provenance: Handwritten bookplate of Stanislaj de Guaita and a small bookseller's label of the Librairie Sainte-Marie, Moissac, on the front pastedown.
Condition: Binding scuffed and bumped, front joint starting but firm, capitals with losses. The rear flyleaf removed. Textblock a little shaken, somewhat toned, stained and waterstained throughout. Quire H (pp. 57–66) is missing. Chip to pp. 67 not affecting text, paper repair due to loss of paper in outer margin on pages 357–373, not affecting text. A burned hole with minor text loss in quire Vu. Annotations in a early hand on… Read More

First edition of Louis Antoine de Bougainville's account of his famous circumnavigation between 1766 and 1769.
Description: Near contemp. green and brown morocco, separated with gilt fillet; spine with 4 raised bands decorated with gilt fillets; gilt titling on spine. Brown marbled endpapers. Quarto: 27 × 20 cm; [4] ll., 417, [3] pp. With 20 maps (17 fold-outs, incl. the large world map) and 3 engraved plates.
Ref.: Brunet i, 1167; Hill p.31; Sabin ii, 6864
Condition: Boards somewhat rubbed and bumped. Pages slightly yellowed with age, occasional light mainly marginal spotting, some maps slightly tanned.
Notes: French Navy admiral and diplomat Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729–1811) was commissioned by Louis XV in 1766 to circle the Earth in a voyage of exploration with the frigates La Boudeuse and L'Etoile. The purpose of this expedition was to explore the Pacific, especially the Australian coast and New Guinea, to examine the geographical and ecological conditions for economic benefit and… Read More

A masterpiece of Chinese multi-block colour printing, masterfully reprinted, in exactly the same technique as the original and printed on the most magnificent paper.
Description: 4 vols. stab bound with gold speckled, ochre coloured paper wrappers, paper label with calligraphic lettering to front; housed in the original silk brocade folding box with calligraphic paper label and 2 bone clasps. Quarto 31 × 21 cm; unpaginated. With 283 woodblock prints on double-folded leaves (coloured [taoban], black and white, embossed [gonghua]).
Ref.: Cahill, Pictorial Colorprinting in China and Japan; Tschichold, 1970; Wright, Fashioning Biography
Condition: A near fine copy.
Notes: The late Ming/early Qing dynasty publisher Hu Zhengyan (ca. 1584–1674) is one of the most frequently studied figures in the history of Chinese prints. Hu came to Nanjing in 1619 and opened a print shop which he called Shizhuzhai (Ten Bamboo Studio). Hu was a successful publisher and businessman, producing a variety of books, for which… Read More

First German edition with 39 superb engravings in vigorous impressions. Rare German edition.
Description: 3 parts in 1 vol. Contemporary vellum, spine lettered in ink. Quarto: 31 × 20 cm; pp. [4] ll; 206, [1] ll; 209-336; 76, [2] ll; 164, [4] ll. Internally illustrated with a engraved titel page, 39 engravings on 38 plates of which 27 double-page and 5 fold-outs. Additionally 55 text engravings.
Ref.: VD17 7:692863P; SUB Göttingen PPN615812651
Condition: Binding lightly soiled, endpapers lightly worn and text block occasionally lightly stained. Missing the plates 'Keyserthums Sinae Land-Karte', 'Abgötts Vitek oder Ninifo' and 'Der Grund-Rissen von der Mandarynen hoch- und niedrigen Standes Wohnungen und Pallästen'. Else a very good copy.
Notes: Between 1656 and 1664, the Dutch East India Company sent three legations to the imperial court in Beijing. Their economic success was modest, but the travel reports of Jan Nieuhof (Het Gezandtschap, 1665) and Olfert Dapper (1636–1689) from the second and… Read More

A landmark in the literature of naval architecture and shipbuilding.
Description: Contemporary calf, with gilt titles and decoration to spine, raised bands. Contemporary marbled endpapers. Octavo: 25 × 19 cm; pp. [1] ll., xliv, 1-49, ii-xxix, [51]-484. With the frontispiece engraved by Chedel, and engraved by Nicolas Ozanne, 2 vignettes (one on the title page and one on the dedication page), 9 headpieces and 24 numbered plates (on 23 folding plates).
Ref.: Polak: 2859; Scheepvaart Mus.: ii, 747; OL-ID: OL24604183M
Condition: Binding shows some minor bumps and scuffs and a few surface abrasions. The joints are somewhat age brittle. Contents with occasional minor blemish but generally clean. Nonetheless a very good copy.
Notes: Duhamel du Monceau's manual is considered a milestone in the literature of naval architecture and shipbuilding. This second edition, with an additional chapter by the author himself, contains corrections and additional illustrations not included in the first edition of 1752.

Probably a pirated copy of the original edition published by Léonard. Printed without the frontispiece showing St Mark's Square.
Description: Contemp. vellum, spine lettered in ink. Vigesimo-quarto: 14 × 8 cm; pag.: 211, [2].
Provenance: Bookplate "Libro Liber. G H".
Ref.: BSB: 10882446, 10882435
Condition: Covers slightly dusty and with some spotting, spine title faded. Joints and endpapers in very good condition. Ink notations in a later hand on the history of this edition to front flyleaf. Pages slightly browned due to age, occasional small stains. Top edge a little dusty, small stain to fore edge and lower edge.
Notes: Around 1669, Amelot de La Houssaye (1634–1706) was appointed legation secretary to the French ambassador in Venice. From this period he drew the information for his "Histoire du gouvernement de Venise", an unsparing description of the political constitution of the city-state, published in Paris in 1676. After the publication, the outraged protests of the Venetian ambassador led… Read More

First edition of the famous 4-volume edition of Ovid's Metamorphoses by Pierre-François Basan (1723-1797) and Noël Le Mire (1724-1801), illustrated by Baquoy, Choffard, Duclos, Legrand and many others after Bocuehr, Eisen, Gravelot, Moreau, etc. "It is one of the most brilliantly illustrated of the entire century" (Cohen). Large paper issue.
Description: 4 vols., contemporary marbled calf, sides ruled with triple gilt fillet and decorative gilt roll to board edges. Spine richly gilt in compartments between five raised bands, with two brown morocco labels, lettered gilt. Marbled endpapers. Large square octavo: 25 × 19 cm; pag.: vol.1: [5]ll., pp. xc, [2 (approbation)], 264. vol.2: vii, 352. vol.3: viii, 360. vol.4: viii, 367, 8 (explication). With 140 numbered copper-engraved plates (No. 1 frontispiece, 2-140 with printed captions), 1 final plate (vol.4), 4 title page vignettes, 3 engraved dedication vignettes (vol.1), 30 engraved headpieces. All edges gilt.
Provenance: Bookseller's paper label… Read More

Second edition of the French translation by M. Gauthier de La Peyronie in 8 text vols. and 1 atlas.
Description: Contemporary marbled calf, sides with gilt frames, spines gilt in compartments with red morocco labels lettered in gilt. 8 text vols., octavo: 20 × 13 cm; 1 atlas, folio: 33,5 × 25 cm. pp. (vol.1): xl, 422; (vol.2): [2]ll., viii, 490; (vol.3): [2]ll., 492; (vol.4): [2]ll., 499; (vol.5): 443; (vol.6): 455; (vol.7): 448; (vol.8): [2]ll., 463; (atlas): 108 pl. Atlas with 108 plates, including four large folding plates (including the large general map of the Russian Empire) and 104 plates (several folding) on ethnology, archaeology, flora and fauna (complete).
Ref.: Brunet: IV, 325
Condition: The boards of the atlas are in very good condition, with only minor signs of wear, such as light rubbing and a few small chips. The bindings of the text volumes are generally in good condition, although they do show some chipping, scratches and washed-out areas on the covers. The gilt frames are partly… Read More

Rare edition by Officina Bodoni with songs by Robert Burns translated into Swiss German. Limited edition, number 69 of only 100 numbered copies. Dedication copy.
Description: Publisher's pigskin, double-ruled border to boards in black, gilt spine label, in original slipcase. Octavo: 20 × 13 cm; pp. 119, [2] ll. Title page with coloured woodcut vignette. Top edge gilt. Bilingual text: English-Swiss-German.
Provenance: Dedication by Georg Reinhart in his own hand on the front flyleaf, dated 1950.
Ref.: Schmoller: 93
Condition: Slipcase somewhat dusty. Spine somewhat faded. Binding, endpapers and textblock otherwise impeccable.
Notes: The volume presents a selection of poems by the Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759–1796) compared with the original English text and the Swiss German translation by August Corrodi (1826–1885). Privately printed by order of the Winterthur patron Georg Reinhart and not published in the trade. With a manuscript dedication by Georg Reinhart.

Second edition of the work first published in 1755. Undoubtedly one of the best general treatises on gnomonics of its time.
Description: Contemporary calf, gilt titles and decoration to spine, raised bands. Octavo: 20 × 12 cm; pp. [6], xxii, 404, [4]. Engraved frontispiece by Gazot, a printer's device on title page, 34 fold-out plates and a map of France dated 1760, engraved after R. Bonne.
Provenance: An older small label on the front pastedown: M. Daupeley, propriétaire, Nogent. Neat ownership signature of Lanoir to verso of front free endpaper.
Condition: Some rubbing to extremities and slight wear to the spine, headcap is missing, outer hinges somewhat fragile with age. Front flyleaf with an open tear in the gutter area. Text with block occasional mainly marginal spotting and browning. Paper repair in margin of plate 25 and the 'Map of France'. Despite the described blemishes, still a good copy.

First edition of the French translation reviewed by the Richardsons and collectors A. Rutgers and L.H. Ten Kate.
Description: 3 parts in 2 vols. Contemporary marbled calf, spine with raised bands and gilt in compartments, morocco label lettered in gilt. Octavo: 19 × 12 cm; (v.1): [14] ll., 216 pp., [3] pl.; (v.2): [2] ll., 238 pp.; (v.3): [2] ll., lxxii pp., [12] ll., 759 pp. Title page printed in red and black with engraved vignette. Red edges.
Condition: Spine ends and corners gently rubbed and bruised. A short tear to upper front joint of vol. 2. Some worming to front cover of vol. 1 and spine of vol. 2. Handwritten numbering on the front flyleaf: No. 359 (vol. 1), No. 360 (vol. 2). Some leaves somewhat browned, the first 80 leaves of vol. 2 somewhat soiled at lower margin.
Notes: Jonathan Richardson the Elder (1665–1745) and his son, Jonathan Richardson the Younger (1694–1771), were renowned specialists in Italian painting. Their description was published in 1722, based on notes taken by the… Read More

Two works in one volume, with the editorial notes by François Sweerts (1567-1629). 2nd edition.
Description: 2 works in 1 vol. contemporary calf, spine with raised bands, decorated with single gilt fillets and red morocco label lettered in gilt. Vigesimo-quarto: 13 × 7 cm; (vol. 1): [1]ll., [15]ll., 151pp., [13]ll. (vol. 2): [16]ll., 196pp., [7]ll. With a engraved frontispiece by P.[ierre] Philippe, 2 printer's marks (1 right reading, 1 reverse reading; the motto is right reading in each case), 1 double-page, 20 full page (thereof 2 fold-out) plates.
Provenance: On the front pastedown the bookplate of Ramon Sarro, Catedratico de Psiquiatria de Barcelona.
Condition: Binding a bit scuffed and rubbed, spine ends somewhat nibbled, outer hinges somewhat age brittle. Inner hinges cracked but sound. A few wormholes at the lower margin of the front pastedown. Contents with occasional slight spotting but generally clean.
Notes: Little is known about the Italian scholar Girolamo Maggi (c. 1523–1572). The… Read More

Atlas to the English edition of the report of the famous voyage around the world by La Pérouse, who - in addition to Bougainville and Cook - contributed decisively to the exploration of the Pacific region. Without the two text volumes.
Description: Contemporary quarter calf with marbled paper boards. Flat spine lettered and decorated in gilt. Quarto: 44 × 28.5 cm; unpag., 1 engr. frontispiece, 1 engr. title page and 67 full-page copper-engraved plates, thereof are: 37 plates and 30 maps (20 fold-outs).
Ref.: Boucher i, p. 149-54; Cox i, 67; Sabin 3896
Condition: Binding a bit scuffed and with a few surface abrasions at edges. Light waterstains to the gutter of first few leaves. Contents occasionally somewhat soiled (more noticeable in the first few leaves), slight tanning at edges. Three small brown spots on plate 29, visible between plates 27-37. Lacking plates 1 (map of the world) and 36 (male and female Partridge of California). Some offsetting from plates. Despite the occasional minor blemish, a… Read More