Asher Rare Books

Essential for the history of the Dutch War of Independence

LE PETIT, Jean François. La grande chronique ancienne et moderne, de Hollande, Zelande, West-Frise, Utrecht, Frise, Overyssel & Groeningen, jusques à la fin de l'An 1600. Receüillee tant des histoires desdites provinces, que de divers autres auteurs.
Dordrecht, Jacob Canin for the author (colophon volume 2:) printed in Dordrecht by Guillaume Guillemot, 1601. 2 volumes, Folio. With the title set within a richly engraved allegorical border, repeated for the title in volume 2, a full-page engraved portrait of the author, and 57 mostly full-page engraved portraits in the text, including one portrait in woodcut, and allegorical engraved plate of the States General of the Dutch United Provinces, by Christoph van Sichem. Further with several large woodcut decorated initials. Contemporary gold-tooled red morocco, with the small gold-tooled crest of Thomas Hutton and the title lettered in gold on the spine, gold-tooled board edges. [1], [1 blank], [38], "650" [= 656], [2], 240; [1], [1 blank], [14], "779" [= 788], [15], [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 5,000

Armorial Bindings Bindings Drente. Friesland & Groningen Gelderland & Overijssel History / 17th Century Holland Netherlands Utrecht Zeeland

In an embossed binding designed by the author, turning the boards into sundials

LE ROYER, Jacques. Oeuvres ... [with a note above the title: "Dico opera mea Regi."].
Including: Traité des influences divisé en deux parties. Premiere ... Des influences des cieux, & des astres ... Deuxie'me ... Des influences, & vertus occultes des estres terrestres.
Paris, R.J.B. de la Caille (printed [by Nicolas Motays] in Avranches), 1678. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. With engraved device on the title page, a full-page engraved astrological sundial, 14 woodcuts in the text, depicting apparatus set up for laboratory experiments, astrological diagrams, etc., woodcut headpieces, tailpieces and decorated initials, and decorations built up from cast fleurons. Contemporary tanned sheepskin over boards, designed by the author, the front board of double thickness with a hole bored in its fore-edge to hold a metal rod or gnomon (lacking) that could be inserted in any of several holes on the front and back boards to make the book into a sundial (one hole in the back board also allowed it to be inserted for use with the sundial pasted over the back paste-down when the book is open), gilt edges. The front board, back board and spine have been embossed with three different engraved plates sundials, emblems and extensive lettering. In a modern red morocco box. 14, 111, [1 blank]; [6], 109-364 pp. Full description

€ 20,000

Astronomy & Cosmography Bindings Instruments & Microscopy Science Technology Water Management

Monumental botanical work

LINNAEUS, Carl [and Maarten HOUTTUYN]. Handleiding tot de plant- en kruidkunde, benevens eene beschrijving der boomen, planten, heesters, kruiden, varens, mossen, bolen en grasplanten.
Amsterdam, Lodewyk van Es, [late 18th or early 19th century]. 14 volumes. 8vo. With 105 hand-coloured folding engraved plates. Contemporary blue wrappers. Full description

€ 4,750

Floras & General Botany

Detailed observations of life in the Ottoman Empire, Egypt and elsewhere in the Levant and Middle East ca. 1610

LITHGOW, William. Nineteen years travels through the most eminent places in the habitable world.
London, for John Wright & Thomas Passinger, 1682. 8vo. With a folding woodcut frontispiece and 6 folding woodcut plates and 1 woodcut in the text. 19th-century dark brown sheepskin, sewn on 3 recessed cords, brown spine label, Stormont on shell marbled endpapers. [8], 481, [7] pp. Full description

€ 3,500

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Balkan & Greece Eastern Mediterranean & Cyprus Egypt Italy Malta North Africa Portugal Scotland Spain Tobacco Travel & Voyages Africa Travel & Voyages Asia Travel & Voyages Europe Travel & Voyages Middle East Turkey & Ottoman Empire UK - United Kingdom

First Dutch edition of one of the greatest herbals, with approximately 2185 botanical woodcuts

LOBEL [also L'OBEL or LOBELIUS], Matthias de. Kruydtboeck oft beschrijvinghe van allerleye ghewassen, kruyderen, hesteren, ende gheboomten.
Antwerp, Christoffel Plantin, 1581. 2 volumes bound as 1, the second in 3 parts. Large folio. With an engraved title-page, the author's large "candore et spe" woodcut device on leaf *6r, approximately 2185 botanical woodcuts in the text, 8 woodcut decorated (sometimes interlaced) initials plus repeats (6 series) and 1 typographic interlaced initial. Set in fraktur types with extensive roman and textura and incidental italic and civilité. Later (17th-century?) blind tooled vellum. [10], 994, [2 blank], "312"[= 312, 294 + 2 blank], [2 blank], 15, [1 blank], [67], [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 8,500

Early Printing - 16th century Herbals & Medical Botany Plantin Press

With beautiful hand coloured views

LOOSJES, Adriaan. Hollands arkadia of wandelingen in de omstreeken van Haarlem.
Haarlem, A. Loosjes Pz., 1804. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. With an engraved title with a hand coloured view by F.A. Milatz, an engraved silhouette portrait of Hermina Christina Bicker in the text, 4 engraved folding views of Haarlem, Beverwijk and surroundings, all beautifully hand coloured, and 9 full-page engraved plates with musical scores. Contemporary gold-tooled half calf. VI, 532 pp. Full description

€ 1,750

Castles, Gardens & Mansions City Plans, Topography & Views Holland

Belgian and Dutch military uniforms, civil dress and clerical garb from antiquity to 1830,
in 124 hand-coloured plates

[MADOU, Jean Baptiste and Jean Louis van HEMELRYCK]. Costumes Belgiques anciens et modernes, militaires, civils et réligieux.
Brussels, Lithographie Royale de J.B.A.M. Jobard, 1830. Folio. With a hand-coloured lithographed title, and 124 hand-coloured full-page numbered lithographed plates, of which some heightened with gold, all protected by tissue paper guards. Contemporary gold-tooled quarter polished calf. II, 26, [27-198], IV pp. Full description

€ 1,750

Belgium Costumes, Fashion & Uniforms Military History (19th Century) Netherlands

The first comprehensive treatise on the Northern Lights

MAIRAN, Jean Jacques d'Ortous de. Traité physique et historique de l'aurore boréale. Suite des mémoires de l'Académie Royale des Sciences. Année 1731. Seconde édition, revûe, & augmentée de plusieurs éclaircissemens.
Including: [MAIRAN, Jean Jacques d'Ortous de]. Éclaircissemens sur le traité physique et historique de l'aurore boreale.
Paris, Imprimerie Royale, 1754. 2 parts in 1 volume. 4to. With a woodcut printer's device on the title page, 17 folding engraved numbered plates by Ph. Simonneau, several tables in the text, a decorated woodcut initial, 2 woodcut headpieces, 6 woodcut tailpieces, and 5 headpieces built up from typographical ornaments. Late 19th-century gold tooled brown morocco, with the title, author, and year of publication lettered in gold on the spine, red edges, contemporary marbled end papers. [1], [1 blank], [10], 570, XXII pp. Full description

€ 2,000

Astronomy & Cosmography Science

First French edition of a classic on Dutch art history

MANDER, Karel van and Henri HYMANS (translator). Le livre des peintres. Vie des peintres flamands, hollandais et allemands (1604). Traduction, notes et commentaires par Henri Hymans.
Paris, J. Rouam, 1884-1885. 2 volumes. Folio. With 77 portraits of painters in the text. Contemporary half red morocco. 415, [2], [3 blank]; 491, [3] pp. Full description

€ 750

Art & Art History Bibliography & Biography

19th-century manuscript on Chinese and Japanese painting and colouring techniques

[MANUSCRIPT - ART - PAINTING]. Manuel des arts d'agréments. Ou traité des différentes peintures, applications et procédés emproyés sur bois, sur etoffes et sur papiers.
[France, ca. 1830-1840]. 8vo (ca. 19 x 14 cm). With 30 illustrations, including 4 folding leaves with 3 illustrations each. Half beige sheepskin and red leather-patterened paper sides. [1], 56, [10 blank], [2] pp. Full description

€ 6,000

Art & Art History China Japan & Far East Manuscripts & Documents

227 books found / Show all

Advanced Search

Highlights