Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information
Auction PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

Bloomsbury New York Important Books and Manuscripts

Bloomsbury Auctions has announced its April 4th Important Books and Manuscripts sale which coincides with the highly acclaimed New York Antiquarian Book Fair. The sale brings together a wealth of important early printing and manuscripts, with over 40 medieval texts and illuminated manuscripts, 40 incunabula, and numerous 16th century volumes and early illustrated books.

illuminated-manuscript.jpgIn the major section of the sale are contents from The Harry and Virginia Walton Library. Largely unknown to the general public, the Walton’s reputation as collectors is widely respected in Bibliophile and Academic circles. Mr. Walton served as a fellow of the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York and was well received in the rare book room in the Library of Congress. Their extensive collection has been exhibited in many colleges, universities and art centers. The Walton collection (1945-1980) comprises a diverse library of early printed books, illuminated manuscripts, fine bindings and original artwork ranging from the 12th to the 20th century.

The sale opens with a remarkable selection of illuminated manuscripts. An outstanding note is the rare Silesian Missal [Breslau, c.1470], a complete and magnificently embellished manuscript with two large illuminated and sixteen large historiated initials with eighteen full illuminated borders. A full-page miniature of the Crucifixion opens the Canon of the Mass and is beautifully rendered, conveying a clear sense of expression. The bright and fresh colors are representative of the Silesian palette, the illuminations are sparkling and well-preserved ($60,000-$80,000). A Book of Hours is probably from Northern France, 1500 ($30,000-$50,000). The richly colored leaves are clear and vivid and 31 full-page illuminated miniatures are framed with wide borders of plant and animal life. Also offered is a fine Biblia Latina, 1250- a Vulgate translation attributed to St. Jerome with a prologue and an index of Hebrew names ($20,000-$30,000).

Early Printing offerings include a fully colored Biblia Germanica from 1483 – the first Bible printed in Nuremburg and the only German edition printed by Anton Koberger ($30,000-$50,000) and a Hartmann Schedel’s Liber Chronicarum (Nuremburg Chronicles) 1493 features a fold-out map by William Blaeu and there are over 1800 woodcut illustrations, many from a workshop that included Albrecht Dürer ($20,000-$30,000). Lot 72- a complete copy of the Speculum Historiale was the main encyclopedia used during the Middle Ages ($15,000-$20,000).

In science, a first edition- first printing of Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species ($10,000-$15,000) will be offered, along with one of the earliest scientific texts written in Hebrew- a rare 16th century manuscript which is almost certainly the first exposition of the Ptolemaic system in Hebrew ($20,000-$30,000).

Fine Binding includes a great collection of exotic animal skin bindings from the Harry and Virginia Walton Library. The bindings, done by J. Franklin Mowery, include snake-skins, elephant, antelope and hippopotamus, rabbit and exotics, such as African springbok.

The general section of the Important Books and Manuscripts Sale includes a fine example of 15th century Korean ‘Kabin-Ja’ or printing from copper movable type ($40,000-$60,000), a complete set of Denis Diderot’s Encyclopédie ($25,000-$35,000), and a first edition of Frederick Catherwood’s Views of Ancient Monuments in Central America, Chiapas and
Yucatan ($20,000-$30,000).

The sale also features a private collection of costume books with a particular emphasis on both French fashion and Spanish costumes and also includes a fine array of 19th century color plate books. This comprehensive group belonging to the long-time collector, Fred Ruffner, includes several highlights of the genre. Sets of Ferrarios classic Le Costume Ancien ($8000-12,000) as well as the very scarce 1577 edition of Omnium Poene Gentium Imagines by De Bruyn ($7000-10,000) and several lots of bound volumes of original watercolors of Indian, Turkish and Middle Eastern costumes.

For further information visit http://ny.bloomsburyauctions.com

Exhibition Viewings:

Wednesday 1 April, 10-5
Thursday 2 April, 10-5
Friday 3 April, 10-5
Sale: Saturday 4 April, 10 am