EXPLORING MYSTIC DZI 3 - Organization, Chronology and Classification. By Yam Sheung-cheong. (Volume 3 in the Exploring Mystic Dzi series.)

HONG KONG: Aglow Trading Co., 2011. First edition. ISBN: 9789881724847. TEXT in CHINESE and ENGLISH.

Hardcover Book, in Dustjacket, in Slipcase, 8.5x12 inches (22x31 cm), 192 pages. ILLUSTRATED with hundreds of color photographs.

Condition: The book is in VERY GOOD condition, it is signed and inscribed on the front free endpaper in the year of publication, but the signature is a monograph that is unidentifiable by me, so I don't know if it does or does not have any relevance to this book; the rear bottom cover's corner tip is bumped, otherwise the book is tight, bright, clean and unmarked. In a GOOD dustjacket and slipcase that have superficial scratches, rubs, and general signs of handling, else both are bright and are doing their job well.

An important resource for anyone interested in dZi beads.

From the Publisher:

"For thousands of years, Tibetans have believed that dzi beads fell from the sky or were transformations of divine insects. In the 1970s, some scholars believed that dzi beads were made by Tibetans. Author Yam Sheung-cheong conducted in depth research in Tibet, Persia, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Southeast Asia, unveiling the mystery of the origin of dzi beads. From an academic perspective, he determined dzi beads were neither fallen from the sky, nor naturally formed, nor made by Tibetans - a revolutionary truth. Another key focus of this book is its exploration of the development of ancient dzi bead etching techniques and the classification and dating of various types of dzi beads. The author devoted considerable resources to collecting samples and conducting on site photography in countries and regions related to the history of dzi beads, resulting in a captivating and engaging book. Printed on high quality pastel paper in A4 format, the book contains 192 pages and hundreds of exquisite photographs. Traditional hardcover binding: hard cardboard cover with gold stamped lettering, plus a beautifully printed gold stamped slipcase, and thread stitched inner pages, From the content and photographs to the book's production, meticulous attention to detail is evident."

Uncommon antique illustrated guide to building American Victorian homes.

SUPPLEMENT TO BICKNELL'S VILLAGE BUILDER, containing eighteen modern designs for country and suburban houses of moderate cost, with elevations, plans, section and a variety of details, all drawn to scale, also a full set of specifications, with approved form of contract, and estimates of cost.

Published by A. J. Bicknell & Co., Architectural Book Publishers, New York, 1871. Folio, hardbound in Publisher's textured brown cloth with embossed gilt printing on the front cover, 13.75" x 10.5" inches, brown endpapers, 70 un-numbered pages, richly illustrated with 20 architectural plates (one printed in color) printed on one side only, plus 17 pages of advertisements (including several printed in color, the final leaf being a full page color ad for Minton's floor tiles). GOOD CONDITION: Covers have edge, corner and spine-end wear, light bubbling/wear to the cloth, but remain solid and the gilt bright. Internally, hinges are tender but holding, some smudges in the margins from age/use, otherwise the inner pages are tight, bright, clean and unmarked. Uncommon.

This separately issued supplement to Bicknell's Village Builder (1870) includes designs by Architects D. B. Provoost, T. Thompson, C. Graham & Son, C. T. Rathbone, Lyman Underwood and B. H. Brooks. The plates provide scaled drawings of elevations and floor plans and include the estimated costs to build the homes at 1870 prices!

RARE ANTIOCH CHINESE FAMILY'S 1907 ANTIOCH GRAMMAR SCHOOL CABINET CARD CLASS PHOTOGRAPH. Antique photograph featuring the students and teachers of the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classes posing on the front steps of the Antioch Grammar School building. The classes are a mixture of girls and boys, all the students are white except for one Chinese boy partially obscured by the child in front of him.

Original 1907 Cabinet Card Photograph. 12" x 10". With Chinese language handwritten note in black ink on the verso "1907 Antioch Elementary School Class" and in English in the same hand "3rd, 4th, and 5th Grades." The photographer is not stated nor is the name of the Chinese boy or his family identified. NEAR FINE CONDITION: a bright and clean image. Scarce.

Antioch, a Bay Area city on the banks of the San Joaquin River in Contra Costa County has a complicated history of discrimination against Chinese immigrants. Chinese people began to arrive in Antioch during the Gold Rush of 1848 and established a small Chinatown downtown. They faced ongoing racism, scapegoating and xenophobia between 1850 and 1876. Antioch officially became a "sundown town" banning Chinese residents from walking city streets after sunset. In 1860 the State banned Chinese children from attending public schools with white children, and created the Chinese Exclusion Acts. In 1876 the anti Chinese sentiments of the Antioch community reached a point of no return when white mobs forcibly displaced Chinese residents and burned Chinatown to the ground. For nearly 100 years after this, almost no Chinese people lived in Antioch. In 2021, Antioch became the first city in the U.S. to officially apologize for mistreatment of Chinese people.

FINE-ENAMELLED WARE OF THE CH'ING DYNASTY - YUNG CHÊNG - PERIOD I AND PERIOD II (Two Volumes) - PORCELAIN FROM THE NATIONAL PALACE MUSEUM.

Published by CAFA, Hong Kong, 1967.

Two Folio Volumes, hardcover books in dustjackets, one in a slipcase, both in their original boxes; 11x15 inches. The two "Yung Chêng Period" volumes have a total of 149 text pages and 110 pages of photographic plates illustrating 55 YUNG CHÊNG PERIOD PORCELAINS from various angles including the bottoms.

The PLATES are gorgeous, full color photographs on glossy heavy-stock paper. The colors are brilliant.

CONDITION: NEAR FINE books, sharp cornered, tight, bright, clean and unmarked. In VERY GOOD dustjackets; the dj of Volume I has some light indents to its dj likely from being used as a backing for writing a brief note; the dj of Volume II has some foxing / offsetting (mainly at the spine folds and top margin), otherwise both are bright and solid. Volume II is in a GOOD slipcase that has wear to its spine ends and the front top opening, otherwise it is solid and doing its job well, Volume I does not have a slipcase. Both Volumes are in GOOD boxes. All the photographic plates are in FINE condition.

This two volume set of the Yung Chêng Period was published as part of the twenty volume set published by the Chinese National Palace Museum which covered fine porcelain from the Sung to the Ch'ing periods. These two volumes are the complete publication of the Yung Chêng Period.

Rare Set of Both Volumes of the Fine Enamelled Ware of the Yung Chêng Period, in their original packing boxes.

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: These two large volumes are 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.

THE BILLINGS ROLLOGRAPHY - PLAYER PIANO MUSIC FROM 1917-1934, by Ginny and Bob Billings. THREE VOLUME SET: Volumes One, Two and Three complete.

(A rollography is a systematic listing of all known music rolls intended to form an authoritative guide to the subject, and usually includes history and artist biographies.)

Self-Published, 1990. "This three-volume set has been compiled, edited, written, typeset, reproduced, bound and published by ROCK SOUP, Ginny and Bob Billings, Belmont, California...1990".

This is the First Edition of The Billings Rollography, self-published as a three volume set in 1990. Softcovers with tape covered spine, clear vinyl cover protectors, and photocopied pages. The set was later issued in a hardcover edition as well.

VERY GOOD condition, some scratches and shelf rubs to the clear plastic over-covers, overall lovely, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked.

The three volumes are:

VOLUME ONE: Two complete listings of all 88-note QRS Word Rolls, from the beginning (R No. 100, issued in 1916) to Roll No. 6000, issued in November 1934, one numerical by se number and one alphabetic by title. 357 pages.

VOLUME TWO: A history of the roll companies included in Recordo and QRS; tech information on Recordo; a complete listing by roll company of all Recordo-coded and So Carola-coded expression rolls, numeric by serial number and alphabetic by title, then a separa combined section of classical music listed alphabetically by composer; and finally, a compen composite listing of all Recordo-coded rolls, alphabetic by title. 382 pages.

VOLUME THREE: A complete listing of all pianists credited in the above two groupings, biographical information and photographs where possible, including an alphabetic list of all they played: QRS 88-note, Recordo and Solo Carola. 435 pages.

This sale is for the three volume set, Player Piano Music 1917-1934. Years later Ginny and Bob Billings compiled and published a volume 4, 5 and 6, comprising Player Piano Music from 1934-1994.

From the Introduction (on the verso of the title page):

******This three-volume set is the culmination of twenty years of combing available literature, grilling original artists, and basic research. Had the Editors worked another twenty years, the project still would not have been error free or completely to their satisfaction, but it is as close to that goal as can reasonably be expected.

The significance of QRS Word Rolls to Recordo is that most popular QRS Recordo rolls were first issued in the 88-note version before being coded with Recordo expression. The Editors hope that 88-note Imperial and 88-note U.S. lists will be compiled and published by someone else to complete the correlations.******

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: These three books are 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.

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.

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.

A rare and forgotten artifact of early 20th century postcard printing. This original black & white 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition Key Plate photograph is mounted on cardboard, measures 9.75" x 6.75" and features unique hand painted alterations and additions. Used as the Key Plate for printing a well known chromolithographed architectural postcard of the Utah State Building. The photograph was taken by the Cardinel-Vincent Company, official PPIE Photographers. Hand painted and retouched by production staff at the San Francisco postcard empire of Edward H. Mitchell's Souvenir Publishing Company & Pacific Novelty Company. The hand painted details include: title lettered by hand; postcard series number painted in; American flags painted; sky darkened; clouds hand painted; man with top hat, walking stick and shadow painted in; woman ascending stairs with shadow painted in; shadows and perspective accentuated; and painted crop marks. VERY GOOD Condition: light foxing, a thin horizontal crack/line in the paint, cardboard is slightly bowed, otherwise an excellent and historic deltiology piece. See photos for an image of the chromolithographed Utah Building postcard (not included).

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.

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.