Asher Rare Books

First complete edition of Cosmas's Christiana topographia describing his travels
in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf

MONTFAUCON, Bernard de (editor). Collectio nova patrum et scriptorum Graecorum, Eusebii Caesariensis, Athanasii, & Cosmae Aegyptii.
Paris, Claudius Rigaud, 1707. 2 volumes. Folio. With 4 engraved plates, and 3 woodcut illustrations in the text. Each volume with an engraved headpiece, the first incorporating the coat of arms of Pope Clement XI, and the second that of Jean-Paul Bignon. Contemporary calf, richly gold-tooled spine and binding edges. [14], XL, [1], [1 blank], 732, [26], [2 blank]; [16], LXVIII, 112, [2], I-XXIV, 113-593, [26], [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 25,000

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Church History & Missions Classical Antiquity Egypt India & Sri Lanka Iran / Persia North Africa Travel & Voyages Africa Travel & Voyages Asia Travel & Voyages Middle East Travel & Voyages Southern Asia

One of the most important dictionaries on the Tamil language published today
from the French mission press in Pondicherry

[MOUSSET, Louis-Marie and Louis-Savinien DUPUIS]. Vocabulaire Français-Tamoul.
Pondicherry, Imprimerie des Missionnaires Apostoliques de la Dite Congrégation, 1850. 8vo. With the text printed in two columns in roman and Tamil type. Contemporary speckled sheepskin, gold-tooled title label on spine, gold-tooled spine, blue sprinkled edges. [10], 420 pp. Full description

€ 3,800

Church History & Missions Dictionaries & Encyclopedias France India & Sri Lanka Language & Linguistics Religion (19th Century) VOC

Large-margined copy of a classic incunable with sections on witchcraft, by Ulms first printer, in a contemporary, richly blind-tooled Augsburg binding

NIDER, Johannes. Preceptorium divine legis [preceded by] Prologus in expositionem decalogi [= Praeceptorium divinae legis, sive expositio decalogi].
[Colophon:] Ulm, Johann Zainer the elder, [1478/79]. Chancery (Foolscap) folio. Set in a rotunda gothic type, the preliminaries in two columns, with spaces for manuscript paragraph marks and initials, filled in in red ink, the initials Lombardic, one with interior decoration. Contemporary richly blind-tooled calf over square-edged wooden boards (from an Augsburg bindery active 1473-1494: Eindbanddatenbank workshop w002141). Further with a brass catchplate on the front board and a brass anchor plate on the back board. [246] ll. Full description

€ 35,000

Bindings Church History & Missions Early Printing - 15th century Philosophy & Humanism

The Carnatic coast in south east India and the Dänisch-Hallesche mission

NIEKAMP, Johann Lucas. Kurtzgefasste Missions-Geschichte oder Historischer Auszug der evangelischen Missions-Berichte aus Ost-Indien von dem Jahr 1705 bis zu Ende des Jahres 1736, ...
Halle, Waisenhaus, 1740. 4to. With 2 engraved folding maps (the second crudely highlighted in colour by a later hand). Contemporary tanned sheepskin. [22], 506, [54] pp. Full description

€ 1,500

Anthropology & Ethnography Church History & Missions Humanism & Reformation India & Sri Lanka Philosophy & Humanism

Rare 17th-century work, explaining how heliocentrism is in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church

NIEROP, Dirck Rembrantz. van. Des aertryks beweging en de zonne stilstant, bewijsende dat dit geensins met de Christelijke religie is strijdende.
Amsterdam, Gerrit van Goedesbergh [colophon: printed by Tymon Houthaak], 1661. 4to. With an engraved frontispiece, showing how the earth revolves around the sun, 29 mathematical and astronomical woodcut illustrations in the text, 3 decorated woodcut initials, 2 woodcut tailpieces, and a woodcut printer's device of a turtle on the title-page. Contemporary marbled paper wrapppers, stitched on 3 vellum tapes. [8], 151, [5 blank] pp. Full description

€ 4,500

Astronomy & Cosmography Church History & Missions Science

Manuscript letter by one of the first missionaries in Samoa, being a rare first-hand account
of missionary life in the South Pacific

NISBET, Henry. [Letter to his sister Sarah Nisbet].
Upolu, Samoa, 7 January 1844. Folio. Written in one column in brown ink in a cursive 19th-century hand. Folded. [2] ll. Full description

€ 5,000

Autographs & Letters Church History & Missions Pacific Islands

Against the Jesuits: funeral oration for Claude Visdelou, important in the "struggle on the Chinese rites"

NORBERT de Bar-le-Duc (= Pierre PARISOT or NORBERT von Lothringen). Oraison funebre de Monseigneur Visdelou Jesuite, Evêque de Claudiopolis, vicaire apolostique de la province de Kuey-cheu dans l'empire de la Chine, & administrateur de la province de Huguang dans le même empire, &c. décéde le onze Novembre 1737. & inhumé dans l' eglise des RR. PP. Capucins de Pondichery, missionaires apolostiques, & curés en lad. ville. Prononcée le onze Décembre de la même année par le R.P. Norbert de Bar Le Duc, Capucin missionaire apolostique.
[Avignon?], [no publisher], 1742. 8vo. Contemporary calf, gold-tooled spine with red label, marbled endpapers, red edges. [12], 201, [1], XVI pp. Full description

€ 2,500

China Church History & Missions Jesuits

Extremely rare works describing miracles performed in the early 17th century

NUMAN, Philip. Historie vande mirakelen die onlancx in grooten ghetale ghebeurt zyn, door die interesse ende voor-bidden van die H. Maget Maria. Op een plaetse genoemt Scherpen-heuvel by die stadt van Sichen in Brabant.
Brussels, Rutgeert Velpius, 1606.
With: (2) IDEM. Toe-voechsele van den mirakelen gheschiedt op Scherpen-heuvel, door het aenroepen van onse Lieve Vrouwe ...
Brussels, Rutgeert Velpius, 1606.
2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. With an engraved vignette of the Holy Virgin on the title-pages of ad 1 and ad 2, woodcut decorated initials (at least 2 series) and head-pieces. 19th-century gold-tooled half red leather and marbled paper sides, with the title lettered in gold on the spine. [1], [1 blank] [12], 257 [1]; [1], [1 blank], [14], 88, [37], 48, [1] pp. Full description

€ 700

Belgium Church History & Missions History / 17th Century

The first book ever printed in Setúbal

[ORDER OF SANTIAGO - RULES AND STATUTES]. Regra, statutos, e diffinções[!] da ordem de Sanctiaguo.
(Colophon:) Setúbal, Herman de Kempis, 13 December 1509. Folio. With a xylographic title, 4 woodcut illustrations (3 full-page and partly hand-coloured, 1 in the text), the partly hand-coloured woodcut coat of arms of the order as a tailpiece at the end of the text, a decorative woodcut border on the first page of the prologue, and numerous decorated woodcut initials. The first three leaves and fol. XCVI are supplied in facsimile. Late 19th- or early 20th-century gold-tooled quarter brown-burgundy goatskin, burgundy pebble-grained cloth sides, with the title and year of publication lettered in gold on the spine, marbled end papers, red edges. The work is kept in a mottled brown leather slipcase with a front flap, with the title and publication details lettered in gold on the spine. [3], CXV ll. Full description

€ 15,000

Early Printing - 16th century History / 16th Century Law & Politics Military History (16th Century) Portugal Religion (16th Century)

Ottoman ambassador's audiences before the Emperor Charles VI and Prince Eugene of Savoy

[OTTOMAN EMPIRE]. [Drop-title:] Distinto ragguaglio della solenne udienza che alli 4. Settembre ebbe dall' Augustissimo Imperatore Carlo VI. re della Spagne, d'Ungheria &c. a Vienna nel Palazzo Cesareo della Favorita l'ecc[ellentissi]mo sig[nor]. grande ambasciatore Ottomano visire Mückerem Ibrahim Pascia, ...
Including:
Racconto della solenne visita, che alli 7. Di Settembre 1719. Il Sig[nor]. Grande Ambasciatore Ottomano Ibrahim Pascià diede al Seren[issimo]. Prencipe Eugenio di Savoja, ...
(Colophon: Rome, Giovanni Francesco Chracas, 1719). 4to. With a hatched roman capital used as an initial. Set in roman types with extensive italic. Modern boards covered with chemical-marbled paper, black morocco spine label. 8 pp. Full description