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Nella Stamperia De Romanis, 1815-1817. 4 volume set, 11 inches tall. A magnificent straight grain morocco by J. Clarke, one of the finest binders in London in the early years of the Georgian period. With gilt raised bands, elegant gilt tooling to the panels and boards. All edges gilt. Portrait and 3 engraved plans. With the armorial bookplate of William Strahan. Considered the greatest poem of the Middle Ages and the most important work in the Italian language. In the original Italian.

London Pickering, 1825. Full calf, 7.5 inches tall. A ravishing full Spanish Calf binding by Riviere with gilt bands, triple labels and ornate rococo gilt tooling to the spine. The boards are framed within triple gilt fillets. Gilt dentelles and top edges. This set has the bookplate of the Rosenbach Foundation, from which it was released in 1968. A truly beautiful set.

Bruxelles: Paul Lacomblez, 1914. Full morocco, 13 inches tall. A truly magnificent binding in pristine condition by Paul Affolter with gilt raised bands, superb gilt tooling with onlays to the panels and framing the boards. Wide gilt dentelles and watered silk doublures and free endpapers. Number 50 of 75 copies on 'japon imperial' with an extra suite of colour plates. In the original felt lined and leather trimmed slipcase also signed by Affolter. Based on an obscure 16th century romance, Coster's masterpiece tells of the adventures of a Flemish prankster, Thyl Ulenspiegel, during the wars of the Reformation in the Netherlands and became popular all over the world.

London: Bohn, 1848. Half morocco, 15 inches tall. A glorious tall copy from the library of the Duke of Gloucester at Kensington Palace. Prince Henry Duke of Gloucester was the third son of King George V, brother of King George VI and King Edward VIII. In pristine condition this copy was bound by J. Wright, one of the finest binders of the early Victorian period, with gilt raised bands, label and magnificent gilt armorial centre tools. All edges gilt. Decorated with 60 full page hand coloured plates, all dated 1811-13.

London: The Punch Office, 1847-1848. Bradbury and Evans. 3 volumes, 9 inches tall. A wonderful set of the first editions of these great comic works. Bound by Bradstreet in the finest full crushed morocco with raised bands and gilt dentelles. From the Duke of Gloucester's library at Kensington Palace, each volume with his bookplate. Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester was the third son of King George V, brother of King George VI and King Edward VIII. Original wrappers bound in. With a total of 30 hand coloured engravings and over 300 woodcuts by John Leech.

London: Edward Moxon, 1843-1846. 11 volume set, 8.75 inches tall. A truly splendid full hard grain morocco by one of the greatest binders of the period, White of Pall Mall. With gilt raised bands, unusual dense gilt tooling to the panels and gilt dentelles. All the edges are gilt over marbling. The heraldic crest on both boards is framed within magnificent gilt rolls and individual tooling. The crest with the motto 'Sic Donec' is that of William Tatton Egerton, 1st Baron Egerton of Tatton Park. A wonderful set of the Works of these two early 17th century English playwrights, often considered successors to Shakespeare.

London: Macmillan, 1920. Full morocco, 6 inches tall. A glorious little binding by Ramage in pristine condition with gilt raised bands, extra gilt panels and extraordinary extra gilt onlays to the panels and boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Watered silk doublures and free endpapers. A binding of the highest quality. We have seen this design by Ramage before but not in this condition. Marcus was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and a Stoic philosopher acquiring the reputation of a philosopher king.

Boston & New York: Houghton Miflin Company, 1909. 16 volume set, 9 inches high. A truly splendid set bound by OLDASH in full morocco with raised bands, fine gilt tooling to the panels, wide dentelles and top edge. Watered silk doublures and endpapers. With full page illustrations throughout. With the armorial bookplate of John J. Raskob. A superb set in pristine condition.

London: Sotheran, 1874. Full Morocco, 15.5 inches tall. A spectacular tall full crushed morocco by Hammond with gilt raised bands, splendid gilt centre tools, dentelles and all edges. The boards are remarkably finely gilt tooled and framed within a wide extra gilt red calf onlay. I have had an example of this extraordinary binding before but not in this exceptionally fine condition. The volume is decorated with 104 tinted lithographs evoking a romantic period in England's history.

London: The Florence Press by Chatto & Windus, 1909. Full crushed morocco, 11 inches tall. A remarkable binding by J(ulius) Dratva of Vienna with large raised bands and simple gilt framed panels. The upper board shows St Francis kneeling before a winged Christ through an arch with dragon heads in the top corners. All edges have very unusual floral gilt gauffering. A gilt armorial device G.T. with a Griffin wielding an anchor and sword on the paste down endpaper. Number 191 from a limited edition of 500. An exceptional item.

London: R. Ackermann's Repository of Arts, 1812, 1820 & 1821. 3 volume set, 9.5 inches tall. A glorious set of the 3 Tours, all first editions, in a wonderful full calf by Tout with gilt raised bands, triple labels, ornate, dense floral gilt tooling to the panels. The boards are framed within triple gilt fillets and ornate corner tooling. Gilt dentelles and all edges. With 2 engraved title pages and a further 78 full page hand coloured aquatints, as called for, by Thomas Rowlandson. A fine clean set. The red label of the first volume is, as is often the case, a slightly different shade. Armorial bookplate and a neat ink owner's name on the title pages. Creasing to the joints but still a wonderful set of this great comic creation.

London: William Pickering, 1846. 2 volume set, 12 inches tall. A magnificent crushed morocco by J. Clarke with gilt raised bands, very finely tooled panels, gilt dentelles and all edges. With the gilt embossed arms of Earl Cawdor on the boards. Beautifully embellished with 16 plates, 3 coloured, 1 folded and 60 illuminated initials. Some foxing to the engraved plates, otherwise pristine. A very fine set.

London: J.Johnson et al, 1798. 10 volume set, 7.5 inches tall. Splendid bindings, bound by the great Christian Kalthoeber, and with his ticket. Full 18th century tree calf with gilt 'Greek key' bands, twin labels and charming gilt floral tools to the panels. Fine gilt rolls frame the tree calf of the boards. With the armorial bookplate of Edward Astle. There is a slight nick to the head cap of volume 4 and a one inch split to the head of volume 1, but still a superb set by one of the greatest London binders of his period.

London: G. Virtue, 1830. Full calf, 9.5 inches tall. A pristine copy in glorious full calf by Root with gilt raised bands, triple labels and wonderful gilt centre tools indicative of our heroes dissolute adventures in London, playing cards, Champagne bottles and dancers. The boards are framed within gilt corner tools and triple fillets. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Embellished with all 36 hand coloured aquatints from designs by Robert Cruikshank.

London: Patrick Martin, 1815. Full calf, 8.5 inches tall. A delightful later binding by Riviere with gilt raised bands, label and elegant floral gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt dentelles and all edges. The boards are framed within corner tools and triple fillet. From the library of the Duke of Gloucester, Son of King George V and Queen Mary and brother of George VI and Edward VIII, at Kensington Palace. Embellished with 15 splendid satyrical hand coloured aquatints by Thomas Rowlandson. This anonymous work has been ascribed to Colonel David Roberts. In pristine condition.