Bloomsbury Auctions’ Comprehensive November Bibliophile Sale
The impressive selection of books on offer at Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions’ 11th September Bibliophile sale include English Botany by John Edward Sowerby and others, a superb collection of 2582 hand-coloured plates, John Boys’ - A General View of the Agriculture of the County of Kent and Fynes Moryson’s - Europe.
November’s sale encompasses a variety of interests from Travel & Topography, Science, Natural History and Sport, Art and Architecture, Children’s and Illustrated Books and Artwork, Continental Literature, English Literature and History.
Opening the sale, the first section ‘The Property of a Gentleman’ will offer collectors a fine selection of books including the two volume Ferishta's History of Dekkan, from the First Mahummedan Conquests, edited by Johnathan Scott, 1794 [lot 14, est. £600-800], John Boys’ - A General View of the Agriculture of the County of Kent, 1796 [lot 17, est. £750-1,000] and English Botany, a 20 vol. folio containing 2583 hand-coloured engraved plates, c. 1790’s-1840’s [lot 16, est. £1,000-1,500].
The travel and topographical section includes Fynes Moryson's - Europe, An Itinerary Written First in the Latine Tongue, and then Translated into English Containing his Ten Yeeres Travel Through the Twelve Dominions of Germany, Bohmerland, Sweitzerland, Netherland, Denmarke, Poland, Italy, Turky, France, England, Scotland, and Ireland, which is a particularly impressive and much esteemed work, divided into III parts and printed by John Beale in 1617 [lot 43, est. £800-1,200]. Prospective buyers will also be offered a first edition of Herman Moll’s - Thesaurus Geographicus printed in 1695 [lot 61, est. £500-800].
Of note in the Science, Natural History and Sporting section is Samuel Brookes’ - An Introduction to the Study of Conchology, a first edition with 11 engraved plates, 9 of which are hand-coloured, 1815 [lot 96, est. £300-400] and The Book of Hawking; Hunting; Coat-Armour, Fishing; and Blasing of Arms, a facsimile of the hugely important 1496 edition by Wynkyn de Worde, and one of only 150 copies printed, 1810 [lot 124, est. £400-600].
In the Arts & Architecture section is Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s -Carceri d’Invenzione, a superb 2 set compendium containing 16 engraved plates, 1961 [lot 150, est. £400-500].
Whilst in Children’s and Illustrated Books and Artwork, highlights include Sir Thomas More’s - Utopia, one of only 200 copies, translated by Ralph Robynson at the Chiswick press in 1903 [lot 181, est. £300-500], along with illustrator Arthur Rackham’s - The Compleat Angler which is a signed limited edition (485/775) containing 12 colour illustrations in original vellum gilt, 1931 [lot 185, est. £300-400].
Closing the sale is Continental and English Literature and History. On offer in these sections are many works of interest including, Giovanni Botero’s - Aggiunta alla quarta parte dell' Indie, 29 full-page and 2 smaller woodcut illustrations of fabulous creatures and natives by Hans Burgkmair and his workshop, 1623 [lot 192, est. £300-400] and Peter Walsh’s - The History & Vindication of the Loyal Formulary, 1674 [lot 207, est. £600-800].
The Bibliophile Sale will be held in the Bloomsbury Auctions’ Surrey saleroom in Baverstock House, Godalming at 11.00am on Thursday 6th November 2014. To view the catalogue online and for additional images of the lots, please visit www.bloomsburyauctions.com.
Image: Moll (Herman), Thesaurus Geographicus, 1695. Lot 61, est. £500-800.
