Asher Rare Books

First edition of two of the most important works on twilight and optics

NUNES, Pedro. De crepusculis liber unus, nu[n]c rece[n]s & natus et editus.Including: [Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn MU'ADH] (mis-attributed to Ibn AL-HAYTHAM). De causis crepusculorum liber unus, à Gerardo Cremonensi iam olim Latinita te donatus, nunc vero omniu[m] primum in lucem editus.
(Colophon: Lisbon, Ludovicus Rodericus, January 1542). 4to. With woodcut architectural title page, 40 woodcut diagrams in the text, Rodericus's spectacular full-page emblematic woodcut device, numerous woodcut initials (several series), and a vine-leaf ornament. Set mostly in the first successful italic type to have sloped capitals, cut by Peter Schoeffer the younger, but with extensive passages in roman. Bound in a period-style Italian calf binding, gold-tooled spine, each board with a blind-tooled frame and a gold-tooled centrepiece, with "Petri Nonii" on the front and "MDXLII" on the back. [73], [1 blank] ll. Full description

€ 75,000

Astronomy & Cosmography Early Printing - 16th century Mathematics Optics & Perspective UAE - United Arab Emirates

The Ottoman-Mamluk war and the conquest of Mecca and Medina

[OTTOMAN-MAMLUK WAR]. Omnia que gesta sunt in Orie[n]te inter Sophi & Maximum Turcarum & Suldanum, & que[m]admodum dux Turcaru[m] caepit Alepum & Damascum & Hierusalem cum om[n]ibus circumiace[n]tibus oppidis, & quo[rum] maximus Turcaru[m] voluit audire una[m] missam apud sanctu[m] sepulchru[m] Iesu Christi.
[Basel, Pamphilus Gengenbach, 1518]. 4to. With woodcut illustration on title-page. 19th-century pink wrappers. [6], [2 blank] pp. Full description

€ 35,000

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Early Printing - 16th century Military History (16th Century) Turkey & Ottoman Empire

International weights, measures and monetary units in the 16th century

PASI, Bartolomeo. Tariffa de i pesi, e misure corrispondenti dal Levante al Ponente.
Venice, per Paolo Gherardo (colophon: per Comin da Trino), 1557. 8vo (15.5 x 11 cm). With the title in a woodcut border of 4 matching parts, and with a crowned eagle device. 18th-century half green morocco, gold-tooled spine. [12], 200 ll. Full description

€ 4,750

Aldine Press Early Printing - 16th century Eastern Mediterranean & Cyprus Italy Numismatics

Very rare first issue of the first edition of a collection of letters
by the 16th-century Jesuit missionaries in the Far East

[RUTILIUS SOMBERGIUS, Joannes (editor and translator)]. Epistolae Indicae, de stupendis et praeclaris rebus, quas divina bonitas in India & variis insulis, per societatem nominis Jesu, operari dignata est, in tam copiosa gentium ad fidem conversione.
Leuven, Rutger Velpius, 1566.
With:
(2) PAYVA de ANDRADE, Diogo de. De societatis Jesu orgine libellus. ... contra Kemnicii cuiusdam petulante[m] audacia[m].
Including: Societatis Jesu defensio adversus obtrectatores, ex testimonio, & literis Pii Quarti Pontificis Maximi.
Leuven, Rutger Velpius, 1566.
2 works in 1 volume, the second in 2 parts. Small 8vo (ca. 15 x 9.5 cm). Ad 1: with a woodcut head-piece with the title set in its banner and Velpius' woodcut device on the title-page, woodcut decorated initials throughout, and some woodcut tailpieces. Ad 2: With Velpius' woodcut device on the title-page, the last page of part 1, and the last page of part 2. The divisional title-page for part 2 contains the woodcut coat-of-arms of Pope Pius IV, with several woodcut decorated initials in both parts. Late 19th-century half brown cloth and marbled paper over boards, with a red morocco title-label lettered in gold on the spine, boards covered with marbled paper. [24], 496; [80]; [32] pp. Full description

€ 18,000

Church History & Missions Early Printing - 16th century Japan & Far East Jesuits

The conflict between Europe and the Ottoman Empire for control of the Mediterranean

[ULLOA, Alfonso de]. La historia dell'impresa di Tripoli di Barbaria, fatta per ordine del Sereniss. Re Catolico, l'anno M.D.LX. Con le cose avenute a Christiani nell'Isola delle Zerbe. Nuovamente mandata in luce.
Venice, Francesco Rampazetto, 1566. 4to. 18th-century(?) sheepskin parchment. [7], [1 blank], 88, [4] ll. Full description

€ 7,500

Early Printing - 16th century Eastern Mediterranean & Cyprus Malta Military History (16th Century) North Africa Turkey & Ottoman Empire

First edition of Vadianus’ important description of the world, including the very rare map

VADIANUS, Joachim (Joachim von WATT). Epitome trium terrae partium, Asiae, Africae et Europae compendiariam locorum descriptionem continens ...
Zürich, Christoph Froschauer, 1534. Folio. With woodcut printer's device on title-page, numerous decorated woodcut initials and a double page woodcut world map "Typus cosmographus universalis" after Sebastian Münster. Modern calf. [44], 273, [1] pp. Full description

€ 38,500

Charts & Maps Early Printing - 16th century Iran / Persia Latin America Middle America South America USA - United States of America

First English edition of Varthema’s travels in the Middle East and beyond

[VARTHEMA, Ludovico di, Pietro Martire d’ANGHIERA and others]. The history of travayle in the West and East Indies, ...
London, Richard Jugge, 1577. Narrow 4to (19 x 13.5 cm). With a woodcut celestial map of the South Polar sky in the text. With 14 leaves in a 19th-century facsimile. Gold- and blind-tooled maroon morocco (ca. 1860?), in allusive style. In a modern clam-shell box. [10], 466, [6] ll. Full description

€ 120,000

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Ceylon Early Printing - 16th century Eastern Mediterranean & Cyprus India & Sri Lanka Iran / Persia Islamic Art, Culture & Science Travel & Voyages Asia Travel & Voyages Europe Travel & Voyages Middle East Travel & Voyages Southern Asia West Asia

Swedish account of a journey through Arabia

WALLIN, Georg August (Yrjö Aukusti). Första Resa fran Cairo till Arabiska Öknen i April 1845. Fragment. ... Med en karta.
Helsinki, (S. Baranovskij for) J. Simelius, 1853. 8vo. With lithographed map at the end; printed music for a Bedouin melody in the text. Green half calf, contemporary marbled boards, title in gold on rebacked spine. VII, [1], 126, [2 blank] pp. Full description

€ 8,500

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Egypt North Africa Saudi Arabia Travel & Voyages Middle East

28 books found / Show all

Advanced Search

Early Printing & Manuscripts / Asia & Middle East