Vellum

Augsburg (Augustae Vindelicorum): Sumptibus ignatii adami & Francisci Antonii Veith, 1759. 6 volume set, 14.5 inches tall. Full vellum, dating from the middle of the 18th century with gilt tooled labels and unusual pink and green edges. The Codex Regularum, created in Aachen in 817, was designed by Benedict to restore the strict observation of monastic life which had been relaxed over recent centuries. Complete sets in contemporary bindings are scarce. There is some scuffing and staining to the vellum, in particular at the tails of each volume but there is no splitting and the bindings are in excellent condition. 2 bookplates. In the original Latin.

London: The Stock Keeper Company, 1899. Half vellum, 11 1/4 inches tall. A splendid example of the scarce first edition in original half vellum with gilt titles and pallets on the spine and gilt decorated cloth upper board. All edges gilt. With colour frontispiece and photographic illustrations throughout.

Paris: Garnier Frères, c.1900. 8 volume set, 9 inches tall. A striking set in half vellum with hand painted love birds and rosebuds framing the volume number. Vignettes throughout. A handsome set, in the original French, of possibly the most reliable and entertaining description of European social life during the 18th century.

Florence: Baracchi, 1860. 2 volume set, 7 inches tall. A delightful full vellum with a smooth back and very ornate gilt tooling to the spine and boards. Pink edges. With the armorial bookplate of R.P.Stuart. Slight foxing, but a fine copy of this very scarce work by the son of Felicia Hemans.

Paris: Curmer, 1858. 2 volume set, 10.5 inches tall. A simple but pleasing mid 19th century full vellum with gilt bands, dentelles and all edges gilt. Each page decorated with wide lithographic borders. With the gilt stamp of 'Schafer of Piccadilly', purveyors of luxury items. A fine set of this classic Christian guide based on the monastic practice of devotional reading by the 'Gentleman Saint'.

Göttingen: Ruprecht, 1807. 6 volume set, 7 inches tall. A handsome full vellum with calf labels, some chipped. Foxing. A set of Livy's Histories in the original Latin edited by Georg Alexander Rupert. From an Oxfordshire Country House.

Vellum blotter, 18 x 11.5 inches when closed, 36.5 x 11.5 inches when open. Beautifully made and signed by Sangorski & Sutcliffe, one of the finest firms of bookbinders at the time. Vellum with gilt rolls and ornate gilt centre tools. V.C on the left hand 'panel', A.C on the right. In remarkably fine condition (with no ink stains!).

Vellum wallet, 4.5 inches tall. Very fine gilt tooling by Guilio Giannini, the famous Florentine binders, covering a double pocket watered silk lining.

ünchen, Bremer Presse, 1921. Full vellum, 10.5 inches tall. A very attractive yapp edged vellum binding with simple gilt tooling to the panels and boards. Gilt top edge. No 49 of a limited edition of just 270. Bound by 'Bremer Binder F. TH.' A finely printed and bound collection of early French love songs in French.

Paris: Baudouin Fréres, 1824. Half vellum, 8 inches tall. an elegant volume in a neat half vellum binding with gilt pallets and centre tools and contrasting green label. With the bookplate of Vane Londonderry. From the library of Charles William Vane (formerly Stewart), third Marquess of Londonderry. Vane served with distinction throughout the Peninsula War. His dashing and dandified portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence is at the National Portrait Gallery. He amassed magnificent libraries in his various Country Houses. Engraved frontispiece. Following the revolution, Antoine, the younger brother of the last King of France, fled France and died in exile in England. In the original French.

London: Essex House Press, 1901. Full vellum, 6 inches tall. A fine example with yapp edges and black lettering to the spine. Uncut. One of 250 copies, of which this is number 74. A delightful work printed at this great Private Press 'under the care of C.R. Ashbee'.

apoli, Presso Agnello Nobile, 1819. 4 volume set, 7 inches tall. Full vellum with gilt bands and twin labels. Armorial bookplate. Engraved frontispieces. The tiny blue ticket of P. Rolandl, foreign bookseller of Berners St.. Some marking to the boards but overall a fine set. Including examples of the poetry of Dante, Petrach, Tasso up to Metastasio and De'Coletti, selected by the Englishman, Mathias.

London: Dove, 1827. Full vellum, 5 inches tall. A beautiful little vellum binding with label and fine gilt tooled panels, the boards are framed within a blue outline. A particularly clean copy inside and out. A collection of letters critical to George III, the true authorship has been much debated but never verified.

London: Henry Frowde, 1912. Quarter vellum, 8 inches tall. An attractive binding in the Art Nouveau style with gilt bands on a smooth back with a gilt rose design. Gilt top edge. Some foxing to the preliminaries, then clean. This edition "including materials never before printed in any edition of the poems".

London: Routledge, 1905. Half vellum, 9 inches tall. A smooth back with a gilt label and fine gilt tooling in the 'Art Nouveau' style. Illustrated with12 photogravures.

London: J.F.Dove, 1826. Full vellum, 5 inches tall. A delightful little full vellum with gilt bands and delicate gilt tooling to the panels. A blue fillet frames the boards. Engraved frontispiece and title page.

London: J.F. Dove, 1826. Full vellum, 5 inches tall. A delightful little full vellum with gilt bands and delicate gilt tooling to the panels. A blue fillet frames the boards. With 'The Life of Robert Burns' by Dr. Currie. Engraved frontispiece and title page.

Napoli: Gio. Batista, 1818. Full Vellum, 6 1/2 inches tall, A charming Italian 'rustic' full velum from the early 19th century with gilt framed painted labels and blue speckled edges. In Italian.

Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1906. Quarter Vellum, 7 inches tall. A sparkling half vellum on a smooth back with twin labels and gilt floral tooling in the Art Nouveau style. A splendid anthology containing 100 songs and ballads about the sea over a period of 500 years.

Paris: Borel, 1902. Full vellum, 7.5 inches tall. With a label and gilt tooling to the spine and a charming gilt design on the upper board with a butterfly alighting on a lotus. Tales of love from classical writers. From the Selbourne collection and with their tiny ink stamp on the reverse of the title page.