Recent Acquisitions

[AHMED-I MISRI and/or SEYHZADE]. BELLETESTE, Henri-Nicolas (editor). [in Arabic type:] Kýrk vezir hikâyeleri ... = Contes Turcs en langue Turque, extraits de roman intitulé, Les quarante vizirs.
Paris, Imprimerie Impériale ("chez" (sold by?) Guillaume Debure and sons), 1812. 4to. With the text in Ottoman Turkish set entirely in Arabic type, with only a second title-page in French, the book opening from the left wrapper with the Turkish title-page and the pages proceeding from left to right, while it opens from the right wrapper with the French title-page. The Turkish and French title-pages, the former in a decorative frame, include Napoleons woodcut imperial coat of arms: eagle clutching a thunderbolt, mantled and with the imperial crown, the collar (with an "N") and badge of the Legion of Honour and the crossed sceptres of mercy and justice, printed from two different blocks (that on the Turkish title-page is smaller and the points of the sceptres extend beyond the mantling). The first page of the text is set in a richly decorated frame in the traditional Islamic style. With: (2) IDEM. A second copy of the same edition, omitting the Turkish title-page and the last 50 leaves (pp. 161-258 & 2 unnumbered), but including the original publishers front wrapper (containing a short form of the title), and with a French manuscript translation of the Turkish text written in the margins.
Ad 1 in contemporary blue paper wrappers with a white printed spine label, stored in a 20th-century custom-made case: half red morocco with the title in gold on the spine and block-printed (green on white) paste-paper sides; ad 2 sewn and with the original publishers printed-paper front wrapper. [2], 258, [2]; 160 pp. Full description

AL-ZAMAKHSHARI, Abu al Qasim Mahmoud ibn Omar (Joseph von HAMMER-PURGSTALL, ed.). Samachschari's Goldene Halsbänder. Als Neujahrsgeschenk arabisch und deutsch.
Vienna, widow of A. Strauss, 1835. 8vo. With two identical plates showing the golden necklace around a calligraphic Arabic inscription, the necklace hand-coloured in gold and the inscription in blue, as a frontispiece for both the Arabic and the German text (on the first and the last page). The Arabic title is incorporated into a printed circular medallion with decorative points at the head and foot on the first page, and the main Arabic text opens on the back of the same leaf with an elaborate headpiece. Text set in German and Arabic. Contemporary green calf (spine faded to brown), with a gold- and blind-stamped frame on each board. [1], [1 blank], 54 pp. (German text); 27, [1] ll. (Arabic text). Full description

ABULCASIS (Abu al-Quasim Khalaf Ibn Al-Abbas). Chirurgicorum omniu[m] primarii, lib. tres.
I. De cauterio cum igne & medicinis acutis per
singula corporis humani membra ...
II. De sectione & perforatione, phlebotomia, & ventosis ...
III. De restauratione & curatione dislocationis me[m]brorum ...
preceded by:
[THEODORUS PRISCIANUS] (mis-attributed to "Octavius HORATIANUS"). Rerum medicarum lib. quatuor ... Per Herma[n]num Comitem a Neüenar, nuper restitutus autor.
Strasbourg, Johannes Schott, 1532 (colophon: 26 February). 2 works in 1 edition. Folio in 6s (32.5 x 21 cm). With a 5-piece woodcut frame on the title-page (each side piece with 2 roundels containing a portrait and coat-of-arms), 8 full-page woodcuts by Hans Wechtlin (ca. 1480-post 1526) and numerous woodcuts in the text. Set in Venetian-style roman types, with 14 mm typographic Roman capitals (probably by Peter Schoeffer the younger) used as initials. Later half sheepskin, with the title in ink on the foot edge. [8], 319, [1 blank] pp. Full description

AL-JAZULI, Muhammad ibn Sulaiman. Dalâ'il al-khayrat. [= "Waymarks of benefits"].
[Eastern Turkestan, now Xinjiang, China, early 17th century CE]. 4to (19 x 14 cm). Manuscript written in black ink on paper in Arabic script, with a red single- or double-line frame around each page, rubricated throughout, and two illustrations on pages 47 and 48) showing the "Ka'ba of Allah" (!) and the burial sites of the first three Rashidun Caliphs. The Arabic script is in the sini calligraphic style used in China, an archaic form mixing features of naskh and muhaqqaq. Contemporary(?) black, red and gold painted and lacquered leather over paper and cloth. The painted sides show floral designs in black and gold on a red background, in a black border with red wave designs. With remnants of leather on the brown cloth spine. [1], 337 pp. Full description

ANTONIO, João Carlos (pseudonym of António Correia de LEMOS). Relaçam de huma solemne, e extraordinaria procissam de preces, que por ordem da corte Ottomana fizeraõ os Turcos na cidade de Meca, no dia 16. de Julho de 1728. ... Primeira[-segunda] parte.
Lisbon, Pedro Ferreira, 1730. 2 volumes bound as 1. 4to. With woodcut title vignettes, headpieces and initials. Modern blue marbled paper wrappers. 23, [1 blank]; 24 pp. Full description

ARABIAN AMERICAN OIL COMPANY. 1955 Report of operations to the Saudi Arab government.
[Dhahran], Saudi Arabia, Arabian American Oil Company, 1956. 28 x 21.5 cm. With a portfolio of photographs, 8 pages in the middle of the work, with captions in both English and Arabic. Thoroughly and colourfully decorated with photographs, maps and other decorations in the text. The 56 pages of text appear twice in the present work as published, once in English on the left side of the portfolio and once in Arabic on the right side of the portfolio. Original publisher's decorated wrappers, with the title in English on the front wrapper and the title in Arabic on the back wrapper. VIII, 48, [8 - portfolio of photographs], 48, [8] pp. Full description

[ARCHAEOLOGY - PHILOLOGY] BARTHÉLEMY, Jean-Jacques and others. [Collection of texts on early archaeology and philology].
[Various places], [various publishers], 1760-1827. 9 works in 1 volume. 4to.
Containing:
(1) [CHRISTIE'S - LONDON]. A list of the very rare and valuable Aethiopic and other oriental manuscripts, collected by the celebrated traveller, James Bruce, esq. of Kinnaird, taken from the catalogue of them made by the late Alexander Murray, editor of the travels by Mr. Bruce in Abyssinia.
[London, 1827].
(2) WEBER, Georg Friedrich. Observationes sacrae circa funera populorum orientis. ...
Strasbourg, Joh. Henrici Heitzii, 1767.
With a woodcut headpiece, tailpiece and decorated initial in the prologue.
(3) SEYFFARTH, Gustav [and Friedrich August Wilhelm SPOHN]. Brevis defensio hieroglyphices.
Leipzig, Johann Ambrosius Barth, 1827.
(4) SCHLICHTEGROLL, Friedrich von. Ueber die bey Rosette in Aegypten gefundene dreyfache Inschrift. Erste Abhandlung. Zur Feyer der neun und funfzigsten Wiederkehr des Stiftungstages der k. baier. Akad. der Wisschenschaften in einer öffentlichen Versammlung derselben am 28. März 1818 vorgelesen von Friedrich von Schlichtegroll.
München, Ignaz Joseph Lentner (printer), [1818?].
(5) BARTHÉLEMY, Jean-Jacques. Explication de la mosaïque de Palestrine. Paris, H.L. Guerin & L.F. Delatour, 1760.
With 1 large folding plate of the mosaic, 1 plate showing the names of animals written in the mosaic, and 1 plate showing Samaritan medals (probably mis-bound, printed in 1790).
(6) BARTHÉLEMY, Jean-Jacques. Lettre de m. l'abbé Barthelemy, a messieurs les auteurs du Journal des Sçavans, sur quelques médailles Phéniciennes. [Paris?, 1760].
With 2 plates of the Phoenician medals and Phoenician inscriptions found on Malta, with an elaborate woodcut headpiece and a woodcut tailpiece.
(7) BARTHÉLEMY, Jean-Jacques. Seconde lettre de m. l'abbé Barthelemy, a messieurs les auteurs du Journal des Sçavans, sur quelques médailles Phéniciennes. [Paris?, 1763].
With one plate of the Phoenician medals and an elaborate woodcut headpiece.
Including: [PARQUOY (second clerk to the custodian of manuscripts in the library of the king)]. Lettre à messieurs les auteurs du Journal des Savans, sur un projet d'edition du Syncelle. [No place, no publisher, no date].
(8) BARTHÉLEMY, Jean-Jacques. Lettre a monsieur le Marquis Olivieri, au sujet de quelques monuments Phéniciens; pour servir de réponse à deux lettres insérées dans le 54e volume des Transactions Philosophiques. Paris, L.F. Delatour (printer), 1766.
With 4 plates (including 2 folding), the first 3 signed by P.L Charpentier, of Phoenician inscriptions, alphabet and medals. With a printer's device on the title-page and a woodcut headpiece.
(9) [D'ANSSE DE VILLOISON, Jean-Baptiste-Gaspard (draughtsman) and DROÜET (engraver)]. Alphabetum codicis bibliothecae coislininae, nunc sangermanensis, ineunte decimo saeculo manu exarati, ex quo Apollonii lexicon descriptum est. Paris, 1771.
Half red goatskin and marbled paper sides. 16; 43, [1 blank]; 24; 28, XIV; [2], 44; 12; 8, 12; [1], [1 blank], 45, [1 blank]; 9, [1 blank] pp. Full description

CAÑES, Francisco. Gramatica Arabigo-Española, vulgar, y literal. Con un diccionario Arabigo-Español, en que se ponen las voces mas usuales para una conversacion familiar, con el texto de la doctrina Cristiana en el idioma Arabigo.
Madrid, Don Antonio Perez de Soto, 1775. 4to. With Perez de Soto's device on the title-page. Set in roman, italic and Arabic type. Contemporary mottled sheepskin. [1], [1 blank], [14], 272, [5], [2 blank], XVII pp. Full description

[CAPITULATIONS OF 1740]. [Kitabi-i ahdname-i hümayun-u saadet-makrun].
[No place (possibly Paris or Istanbul?), no date (possibly 1816 or 1835?]. Large 4to (31.5 x 24 cm). The text is set in the Ottoman Turkish alphabet, a version of the Arabic script. Half calf and marbled paper sides, gold-tooled spine. 45, [1 blank] pp. Full description

[DESMAISONS, Jean-Jacques-Pierre]. The collection and research library of Jean-Jacques-Pierre Desmaisons (1807-1873), oriental scholar, diplomat, secret agent, and writer.
Various places, late 15th century to 1873/74. 193 catalogued iems, comprising printed books and manuscripts in 237 volumes. In Arabic, French, Greek, Latin, Ottoman Turkish, Persian, Russian, Syriac, and Sanskrit. Full description