Middle East & Islamic World / Turkey & Ottoman Empire

[AHMED-I MISRI and/or SEYHZADE]. BELLETESTE, Henri-Nicolas (editor). [in Arabic type:] Kýrk vezir hikâyeleri ... = Contes Turcs en langue Turque, extraits de roman intitulé, Les quarante vizirs.
Paris, Imprimerie Impériale ("chez" (sold by?) Guillaume Debure and sons), 1812. 4to. With the text in Ottoman Turkish set entirely in Arabic type, with only a second title-page in French, the book opening from the left wrapper with the Turkish title-page and the pages proceeding from left to right, while it opens from the right wrapper with the French title-page. The Turkish and French title-pages, the former in a decorative frame, include Napoleons woodcut imperial coat of arms: eagle clutching a thunderbolt, mantled and with the imperial crown, the collar (with an "N") and badge of the Legion of Honour and the crossed sceptres of mercy and justice, printed from two different blocks (that on the Turkish title-page is smaller and the points of the sceptres extend beyond the mantling). The first page of the text is set in a richly decorated frame in the traditional Islamic style. With: (2) IDEM. A second copy of the same edition, omitting the Turkish title-page and the last 50 leaves (pp. 161-258 & 2 unnumbered), but including the original publishers front wrapper (containing a short form of the title), and with a French manuscript translation of the Turkish text written in the margins.
Ad 1 in contemporary blue paper wrappers with a white printed spine label, stored in a 20th-century custom-made case: half red morocco with the title in gold on the spine and block-printed (green on white) paste-paper sides; ad 2 sewn and with the original publishers printed-paper front wrapper. [2], 258, [2]; 160 pp. Full description

[LETTERS]. ALVAREZ DE TOLEDO, Pedro and Maria OSORIO Y PIMENTEL. [Three letters to Ferrante Gonzaga, Viceroy of Sicily, two from Pedro Alvarez de Toledo and one from his wife Maria Osorio y Pimentel].
Andria (in the Kingdom of Naples), 13 August to 10 September 1539. Folio (21.5 x 30 cm).
(1) Letter in Italian, signed, from Pedro Alvarez de Toledo in Andria to Ferrante Gonzaga, 13 August 1539, with a 23 mm seal bearing Alvarez de Toledo's coat of arms (with a chain of flags) stamped on a slip of paper attached with red wax.
(2) Letter in Spanish, signed, from Pedro Alvarez de Toledo in Andria to Ferrante Gonzaga, 3 September 1539, with the 45 mm imperial armorial seal stamped on a slip of paper attached with red wax.
(3) Letter in Italian, signed, from Maria Osorio y Pimentel [in Andria] to Ferrante Gonzaga, 10 September 1539, with the remains of what appears to be her husband's 23 mm red wax seal.
Each letter, in brown ink, occupies one page, with the last page containing the address and the sender's seal. The two inside pages of the second and third letter are blank. Each formerly folded for posting, so that the address would have appeared on one side and the seal on the other. [4]; [4]; [2] pp. including blanks. Full description

[ARABIC-SCRIPT PRINTER’S WOODBLOCK]. Hand-cut woodblock bearing the text "Safr Nishd al-nishad li-Süleyman ..." (Book of the Song of songs of Solomon) in naskh Arabic script.
[Probably Ottoman provinces, mid-18th century (ca. 1750)]. A single hand-cut woodblock (17 x 9 x 2.2 cm, with protrusions to the left and right making it wider - 11 cm - near the head to accommodate the wider 2nd line) intended for use as printing block, with 6 lines of text, together with an inked impression on 18th century paper (16.5 x 10.5 cm). Full description

[ARIF PACHA, Muchir]. [Les anciens costumes de l'empire Ottoman, depuis l'origine de la monarchie jusqu'a la reforme du Sultan Mahmoud. Volume I = all published].
[Paris, Lemercier, 1863]. 1mo (54.5 x 40 cm). With lithographic portrait of Arif Pacha, drawn on stone by M. Julien, printed on India paper, cut in an oval and mounted on a leaf of stiff paper, with caption and imprint lithographed directly on the leaf, 16 tinted lithographic plates after Arif Pacha (image size 24.5 x 34 cm). Lacking lithographed title-page. Contemporary black half morocco. 24 ll. printed both sides, plus plates Full description

ARIF PACHA, Muchir. Les Anciens Costumes de l'Empire Ottoman, depuis l'origine de la monarchie jusqu'a la reforme du Sultan Mahmoud ... Tome 1er [all published].
Paris, Lemercier, 1863. Folio (54.8 x 40 cm). With lithographic portrait of Arif Pacha, drawn on stone by M. Julien, printed on India paper, with caption and imprint lithographed directly on the leaf, 16 tinted lithographic plates after Arif Pacha (image size 24.5 x 34 cm), coloured and finished by hand. Modern cloth. 24 ll. printed both sides, plus plates. Full description

ARVIEUX, Laurent d'. Reis naar de legerplaats van den Grooten Emir, en beschrijving van de zeeden en gewoonten der woestijn-bewoonende Arabieren ... Tweede druk.
Dordrecht, A. Blussé & Zoon, 1802. 8vo. With 3 full-page engraved plates and 1 engraved illustration in text. Contemporary gold-tooled half calf, shell-marbled sides. [4], XL, 384, [16] pp. Full description

[ATLAS - HISTORICAL]. Atlas historique. - Souvenirs historiques. - Tableaux et cartes.
[Montpellier?], [date on spine of vol. 1:] 1851. 3 volumes. Folio (vol. 1) and large 4to (vols. 2-3). Neatly written manuscripts on paper with 23 graphically vibrant maps, coloured in outline with subtly shaded washes in grey (for the coasts) and numerous bright colours (for political boundaries), and with calligraphic headings. Contemporary bindings: vol. 1 red half goatskin; vol. 2 black half goatskin; vol. 3 black sheepskin. [1], [26 double]; [1], [22 double]; [1], 30 double, [1] ll. Full description

AZPEITIA DE MOROS, Luis. En busca del caballo Árabe. Comisión á Oriente. Turquía, Siria, Mesopotamia, Palestina. Memorias del viaje.
Madrid, Tip. "Sucesores de Rivadeneyra" 1915. Large 8vo. With photographic illustrations printed from halftone relief blocks in the text throughout and a lithographed map showing the sailing route in blue. Original publisher's printed and illustrated paper wrappers. 297, [1 blank], [1], [1 blank], [2], [2 blank] pp. Full description

[BALIGOT DE BEYNE, Arthur]. Constantinople et le Bosphore.
Paris, A. François et Ce, Décembre 1845. 8vo. Original green printed wrappers. 64 pp. Full description

[BAQI - FUZULI - HAYALI (et al.)]. Mirda-i gonca-dehen-i Iala-zar [= Rosebud shawls of the tulip bed].
[Western Anatolia?, ca. 1580 CE?]. 8vo (12.5 x 20 cm). Ottoman Turkish manuscript on paper in several hands. Mainly on polished paper, also including 18 leaves of silhouette paper with a floral pattern in pink and mint green. Contemporary limp leather with a remnant impression of a library chain. 206 ll. Full description