ITALIAN MANUSCRIPT Accounts Book kept by LUCIDO SPARAPANI. Handwritten Italian text. Dates appear to be from 1669 to the 1680s. Possibly Trento, Italy.

Contains 156 leaves completely filled with handwritten text. The leaves are hand numbered in two sections 1-71 and 1-85, with some blank leaves between the sections. Contemporary plain pasteboard covers, three cord binding, 5x7.5 inches (13x19 cm).

The names I was able to identify include: Giuseppe Brunelli, Felice Vergelli, Andrea Pittore, Francesco Benigni, Giovanni Cortini; but there are more.

Condition: Surprisingly GOOD condition, the pages are firm and well bound. The handwriting is sharp and clear but the small calligraphy and the iron in the ink makes it rather difficult to read (especially if, like me, you don't read Italian). The covers have wear and a piece missing at the bottom of the pine. A wonderful, very presentable copy.

My research shows that the SPARAPANI family was a renowned family of nobility from the Trento province of Italy. The family held a number of noble titles. The family was apparently affluent, socially connected, and produced many notaries.

I found that LUCIDO SPARAPANI wrote a book about Saint Vittorino in 1701 titled:

"Notizia compendiosa della vita di S. Vittorino confessore, descritta dal conte Lucido Sparapani da Camerino nell'anno 1701. A cui furono aggiunti il panegirico composto per il sudetto santo, la narrazione della traslazione del suo corpo, e molti componimenti poetici..."

(Compendium of the life of St. Vittorino confessor, described by Count Lucido Sparapani from Camerino in the year 1701. To which were added the panegyric composed for the aforementioned saint, the narration of the translation of his body, and many poems.)

Because of the difficulty I have with Italian and the handwriting, there are likely errors in my description. Please correct me when you find them.

LES DERNIERS EFFORTS DE L'INNOCENCE AFFLIGÉE - Volume I and II (bound together in this single book), par (PIERRE JURIEU). A LA HAYE : CHEZ ABRAHAM ARONDEUS, Marchand Libraire au Palais, a l'Enseigne du Roy de France, M. DC. LXXXII (1682). This book almost immediately became an important and controversial work that was quickly reprinted, most notably by Chez David Dufour, Ville Franche, who republished the book in several editions also in the year 1682. VELLUM BOUND, small format 3" x 5.25", two parts in this one book (complete), pagination: [4], 182; [2],160 pages. I collated both Volume I and Volume II page-by-page with the copy of each volume held in the Rare Book

Holdings of the Bavarian State Library, Germany. Those rare copies were digitized in 2010. Condition: The vellum covers are yellowed with age, stained, worn through along some of the edges, are peeling at the folds and edges, and have a 1/2 piece missing at the bottom of the spine; the inner rear hinge has completely split, exposing the inner binding and meaning that the vellum covers are almost disbound (a strong tug would remove them from the inner bound text. There is interesting very early writing, in French, on the front pastedown, the rear free endpaper, and on a laid-in slip of paper; there is also a signature on the very last page of text of Volume II. There is a handwritten date of 1712 on the front pastedown, but I don't know if all the writing is from that time or not. The front and rear pastedowns are soiled, creased, and have large tears. The first page of Volume I is soiled, has a dime-size edge chip (not affecting text), a couple hand-written letters "m" and "o.u." and a signature. Overall the inner pages are very nice - light foxing, mostly on the first and last few pages, some soiling, overall still tight, bright, clean and unmarked. Complete TRUE FIRST EDITION / FIRST PRINTING (Published by Chez Abraham Arondeus, La Haye) of this IMPORTANT WORK by PIERRE JURIEU. This true first printing is SCARCE, with copies only to be found in a few rare book rooms of Major Universities and National Collections (see WorldCat).

TEXTILE SAMPLE BOX of The National Dress Goods Company, with 598 FABRIC SWATCHES tipped onto captioned cards or into single-fold folders. The swatches are of various sizes: 2.75x3.75 inches (on cards), 3x4.5 inches (on cards), 2x2.5 inches (in folders). They are arranged in a box which is divided into several sections. Circa 1910. The sample box likely belonged to a saleswoman, as women were primarily who the National Dress Goods Company hired to sell their goods.

All the fabric swatches and cards are in VERY GOOD condition, some of the swatches and some of the folders are creased, "sold out" is written beside some of the swatches, overall everything is present and bright, clean and clear. The box's lid is splitting for a few inches along one of its top edges and has a few creases, otherwise the box is solid and doing its job well.

A RARE COLLECTION of HUNDREDS of ACTUAL FABRICS for use in designing all sorts of early 20th century fashions - women's dresses, children's wear, robes, pajamas, towels, etc. From NEW YORK'S HEYDAY as the TEXTILE CAPITAL OF AMERICA

******THE NATIONAL DRESS GOODS COMPANY, NEW YORK, needs competent responsible women to represent them in each locality. Pleasant permanent work. Free outfit. Good pay. Write today for full particulars. NATIONAL DRESS GOODS COMPANY Department 18 No 260 West Broadway New York.****** (From an AD in a 1910 issue of MUNSEY'S MAGAZINE.)

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: This fabric sample box is heavy and will require substantial additional shipping charges. After placing your order you will be notified of the additional charges and be able to accept or reject them before your payment is processed. Or you can contact us ahead of time to find out the shipping charge to your country. Thanks.

ORANDAE-IMARI WARE, by KEIICHI NONOGAMI. Published by GOHACHIPURESU, Tokyo, Japan, Showa 48 [1973]. LIMITED EDITION of ONLY 500 COPIES. This is copy number 248. JAPANESE TEXT, but there is an Introduction in English. Hardcover Book in clear plastic dustjacket, in Slipcase with printed titles in Japanese and English, all in the original cardboard shipping box, 8.5x12 inches. Unpaginated, but contains 105 PLATES on 77 pages, including 13 TIPPED ON COLOR PLATES. The plates are printed on one side only i.e. blank backsides, and the tipped on color plates are each on their own leaf. There are also 33 pages of Japanese text, a 5 page English introduction, and a few title and prelim pages, All the text pages are printed on both sides of the leaves. Condition: NEAR FINE BOOK in a NEAR FINE SLIPCASE. The cardboard shipping box looks like it was trimmed at both its ends, turning it more into a secondary protective slipcase than a box. The shipping box shows some marks, creases and signs of handling. A solid, lovely copy. SCARCE and Important Reference to Japanese Imari Ware. INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: This book is large and heavy and will require additional shipping charges. After placing your order you will be notified of the additional charges and be able to accept or reject them before your payment is processed. Or you can contact us ahead of time to find out the shipping charge to your country. Thanks.

VOYAGE TO THE WORLD OF KOREAN EMBROIDERY. By Ho Tong-hwa (Huh Dong-hwa), Director of the Museum of Korean Embroidery; with essays by a number of experts on Korean Embroidery. Lavishly Produced, Gorgeously Illustrated, Large Format Book in Folding Case. Published by the MUSEUM OF KOREAN EMBROIDERY, Seoul, Korea, 2001. First (and only) edition. Text in Korean and English. SIGNED and INSCRIBED in KOREAN by the AUTHOR, Ho Dong-hwa, on the title page. The author has put HIS CHOP beside his inscription. Large Format Hardcover Book, blue cloth covered boards, gilt titling to the front cover and spine, 10.5 x 14.5 inches, textured silver endpapers, 323 pages plus a Colophon page, housed in a matching blue paper covered folding case. The book contains 38 pages of Essays in English, followed 168 Color Plates on 218 pages (some plates double page), followed by 38 pages of Essays in Korean, followed by an Explanation of the Works (each of the 168 plates is described, this section in Korean only), followed by a Bibliographical Chronology of Huh Dong-hwa in English and Korean, and ending with the Colophon Page. The gorgeous 168 Color Plates, illustrated on 218 pages, are divided into the following four categories: FOLDING SCREEN EMBROIDERY; WRAPPING CLOTH; COSTUME AND EVERYDAY ARTICLES EMBROIDERY; and BUDDHISM EMBROIDERY. Condition: FINE book, tight, bright, clean and unmarked; in a NEAR FINE case that just has slight wear to a couple corner tips. A BEAUTIFUL COPY. SCARCE and LOVELY. INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: This is a very large and very heavy book. It will be expensive to ship and will require substantial additional shipping charges. After placing your order you will be notified of the additional charges and be able to accept or reject them before your payment is processed. Thanks.

Original mounted albumen photograph, circa 1890 of a Ten Mule Jerk Line Wagon Stagecoach parked in front of an unidentified building somewhere in the Napa Valley. 7" x 5" photograph mounted on 9" x 7" mounting board with beveled edges. VERY GOOD Condition: antique photograph has a touch of surface wear and a few tiny stains, the mount has corner wear, otherwise an excellent image. The back of the mount has the ownership label of Helen Sturdivant.

The 10 mule jerk line transport wagon was the 18 wheeler of its time, transporting harvested grapes or prunes to their respective wineries or processing facilities. The term "jerk line" refers to the method used by the driver to steer the mules, that is, jerking the reigns. Men would earn $1.50 to $2.00 a day in the 1890's driving freight by jerk line.

From the collection of John Emmett Cakebread (1930-2022) Pioneering Napa Valley Winemaker, Philanthropist, and Bohemian Club Member. The Sturdivant family owned 22 acres in the Napa Valley, Sturdivant Cattle Ranch and vineyards, now Cakebread Cellars. In the 1970s the Cakebreads purchased the property from the Sturdivants.

THE ASAHI POTTERY in UJI. Text by Miyako Matsubayashi. Photography by Shibata Akisuke. An illustrated history of Asahiyaki, the famous pottery kiln in Uji, Japan, its gardens and grounds, and the multi-generational family of potters that have made tea ceramics there for over 400 years.

Published by Asahi Pottery, Uji, Kyoto, Japan, 1991. 1st Edition.

Softcovers, French flaps, 8.5x11.5 inches (21x29.5 cm), 126 pages, illustrated throughout with color photographs. Text in Japanese and English..

FINE CONDITION: looks and feels barely read, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. A lovely copy.

About Asahiyaki (from the Company's website, which leads with the tagline "Asahiyaki Uji, Kyoto, Since 1600"):

******ASAHIYAKI is located in the Uji region of Kyoto Prefecture which is known as the center of tea culture, just across the Uji River at the foot of Mount Asahi, opposite the Byodo-In Temple. ASAHIYAKI started the pottery works about 400 years ago during the Keicho era (Momoyama Edo period) under the guidance of Kobori Enshu. It is regarded as one of the "Enshu Seven Kilns (Enshu Nanagama)". In the times tea masters such as Sen-No-Rikyu and Kobori Enshu were active, the first kiln master Tosaku used Mt. Asahi pottery clay to create tea utensils such as tea bowls and freshwater containers that were favored by daimyo and tea masters.

After that, ASAHIYAKI have continued to make tea utensils in Uji without interruption for generations, in the latter half of the Edo period, the eighth generation Chobei started to make the sencha wares that is the prototype of the current shape. ASAHIYAKI grew up with the development of tea culture in Uji. ASAHIYAKI will continue to cherish the tea culture of the past and continue to walk with them.******

This is a JAPANESE ART MONOGRAPH on a POTTER / CERAMACIST. The monograph consists mainly of his GORGEOUS TEA CUPS, though there are some paintings and calligraphy as well. I do not read Japanese and can not figure out who the potter is, but perhaps you can do both. He seems to me to be a somewhat recent ceramicist making teacups in a traditional style. Softcover book, 8.5x10.5 inches. There are 80 COLOR PLATES of CERAMIC WORKS, either 1 or 2 to a page, plus 24 PLATES of CALLIGRAPHY and PAINTINGS, mostly 1 to a page. There are also some pages of text at both the front and rear of the book, text entirely in Japanese. VERY GOOD condition, a bit of shelf rubbing and signs of light handling, overall tight, bright, clean and unmarked. A very nice copy. I tried to provide enough photos to give you a good idea of the book.

Scholarly Study of CHINESE BAMBOO & WOODEN SLIPS. A Chinese Book, published in China. Text Entirely in Chinese. Many b&w Illustrations. I cannot determine the date, but clearly somewhat recent (probably 1980s or later). Softcovers, 6x8 inches (15x21 cm), 213 pages. The latter half of the book, approximately 100 pages), are entirely b&w illustrations with captions. There are also 4 color plates at the front of the book and 3 fold open tables in the text. VERY GOOD condition, the covers have some creases and rubs from handling, overall just lightly used, still tight, bright, clean and unmarked. I do not speak or read Chinese, so that is all I have been able to figure out, but I have tried to provide enough images to allow those of you who can figure out more to be able to do so. About BAMBOO AND WOODEN SLIPS (from Wikipedia): ******Bamboo and Wooden Slips were the main media for documents in China before the widespread introduction of paper during the first two centuries AD. (Silk was occasionally used, but was prohibitively expensive.) The long, narrow strips of wood or bamboo typically carry a single column of brush written text each, with space for several tens of visually complex ancient Chinese characters. For longer texts, many slips may be bound together in sequence with thread. Each strip of wood or bamboo is said to be as long as a chopstick and as wide as two. The earliest surviving examples of wood or bamboo slips date from the 5th century BC during the Warring States period. However, references in earlier texts surviving on other media make it clear that some precursor of these Warring States period bamboo slips was in use as early as the late Shang period (from about 1250 BC). Bamboo or wooden strips were the standard writing material during the Han dynasty and excavated examples have been found in abundance. Subsequently, paper began to displace bamboo and wooden strips from mainstream uses, and by the 4th century AD bamboo had been largely abandoned as a medium for writing in China. The custom of interring books made of the durable bamboo strips in royal tombs has preserved many works in their original form through the centuries. An important early find was the Jizhong discovery in 279 AD of a tomb of a king of Wei, though the original recovered strips have since disappeared. Several caches of great importance have been found in recent years.******

ELEGANT TREASURES FROM AN AMERICAN PRIVATE COLLECTION. China Guardian Hong Kong Auction Catalog, for the auction that took place in Hong Kong on October 2, 2018. Beautifully produced and fully illustrated. Softcovers, 8.5x10.5 inches,, unpaginated (approximately 125 pages). Text in Chinese and English. Estimated prices are in HKD and USD. 45 lots (numbered 585 to 629) of exquisite and very rare Chinese Artifacts are fully described and catalogued. Each item is illustrated with one or more color photographs. The China Guardian Auction catalogues are beautifully produced. This catalogue is a true gem and an important reference. Hard to find in the United States. NEAR FINE condition, a bit of sunning to the spine, a slight bump at the bottom of the spine, overall looks and feels barely used. A lovely, solid copy.

L'HISTOIRE DES GUERRES MITHRIDATIQUES VUE PAR LES MONNAIES, par François de Callatay.

(HISTORY of the MITHRIDATIC WARS as SEEN through its COINS, by Francois de Callatay.)

SIGNED, INSCRIBED and DATED by the AUTHOR on the half title page: "March 15, 2003 / To my friend Buzz Owen / With all my very best wishes / François de Callatay".

Also, laid-in is a brief handwritten letter from the author, along with its mailing envelope. "Brussels / January 14th, 2003 / To Buzz (Owen) / The most enthusiastic buyer of my Mithridatic book! With recent but true friendship! / Francois (de Callatay)". The return address on the envelope is Koninklijke Bibliotheek Van Belgie (The Royal Library of Belgium) where Francois de Callatay was head of the Cabinet des Medailles.

Published by Département d'Archéologie et d'Histoire de l'Art / Séminaire de Numismatique Marcel Hoc, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, 1997. First edition.

Hardcovers, green cloth covered boards, gilt titles on the front cover and spine, gilt Pegasus on the front cover, 8.5x11 inches (21x27 cm). Pagination: xii, [2], 480, [6] pp. With 54 PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES of ANCIENT COINS depicting the era of the MITHRIDATIC WARS.

TEXT in FRENCH.

VERY GOOD condition, the upper front and bottom rear cover corners are bumped, otherwise the covers are solid with bright gilt on the front cover and spine; internally near fine, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. A nice, very presentable copy.

RARE, especially so SIGNED and INSCRIBED.

About the MITHRIDATIC WARS (from Wikipedia):

******The Mithridatic Wars were three conflicts fought by Rome against the Kingdom of Pontus and its allies between 88 BC and 63 BC. They are named after Mithridates VI, the King of Pontus who initiated the hostilities after annexing the Roman province of Asia into its Pontic Empire (that came to include most of Asia Minor) and committing massacres against the local Roman population known as the Asian Vespers.******

About François de Callatay (from Wikipedia):

******François de Callatay, b.1961, is a Belgian ancient historian, professor at the École Pratique des Hautes Études (Sorbonne - Paris), who has written significant studies of coinage in the ancient Mediterranean world.******

INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS PLEASE NOTE: This book is heavy and will require substantial additional shipping charges. After placing your order you will be notified of the charges and be able to accept or reject them before payment is taken. Thanks!

LACES FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF THE JEWISH MUSEUM IN PRAGUE / Krajky ze sbírek Zidovskeho muzea v Praze. Text by Dana Veselska.

Published by the Jewish Museum in Prague, 2004. ISBN: 8085608863. TEXT in ENGLISH and CZECH.

Contents include: Laces on Synagogue Textiles, Lace in Large Compositions, Lace as Material for Iconographic Motifs, Wedding Covers, Shpanyer Arbet, Lace and Clothing.

ILLUSTRATED with color photographs and detailed b&w drawings.

Softcovers, 8.5x8 inches (22x21 cm) oblong, 115pages.

FINE condition, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. A lovely copy.

From the Publisher:

******This exhibition catalogue is the result of a two year research project by the Jewish Museum in Prague. Showcasing 70 items, it features the most important examples of predominantly metal thread laces in the museum's collections.

It is divided into three sections: Lace on Synagogue Textiles, Shpanyer Arbet, Wedding Covers and Garments. As well as detailed full colour photographs, the catalogue also contains a number of patterns and designs of vintage laces dating from the 17th-19th centuries.******