Livres precieux - Wertvolle Bücher - Valuable books

Image for PUSHKIN. Eugene Oneguine. First English translation, inscribed. London, 1881. #2

Onegin in English for the first time, "with the translator's compliments"

PUSHKIN, Alexander and Henry SPALDING (transl.)

Eugene Onéguine

£8,000

Onegin in English for the first time, "with the translator's compliments"
PUSHKIN, Alexander and Henry SPALDING (transl.). Eugene Onéguine.
Published/created in: 1881

£8,000

Desirable copy of this landmark translation, the first into English and here inscribed by the translator.

Image for BYRON & KOZLOV. Nevesta Abidosskaia [The Bride of Abydos]. First edition in Russian verse, Skt. Peterburg, 1826. #2

Byron's Turkish poem in Pushkin's Russia

[BYRON, George Gordon] Dzh.-G. BAIRON and Ivan KOZLOV (transl.)

Nevesta Abidosskaia. Turetskaia povest [The Bride of Abydos. A Turkish Story]

£4,750

Byron's Turkish poem in Pushkin's Russia
[BYRON, George Gordon] Dzh.-G. BAIRON and Ivan KOZLOV (transl.). Nevesta Abidosskaia. Turetskaia povest. [The Bride of Abydos. A Turkish Story]
Published/created in: 1826

£4,750

Very attractive copy of this rare work, the first translation in verse of Byron's 'Eastern poem'. Praised by contemporaries and influential, here retaining its original wrappers. Only 3 copies traced in WorldCat.

Image for [BIBLE, Slavonic]. Evangelie [Gospels]. First edition under Catherine the Great. Complete. Moscow, 1762. #2

Catherine the Great's first Gospels, attractively bound

[BIBLE, Slavonic] – Vailei IKONNIKOV (engraver) and Semen VTOROV (artist)

Evangelie [Gospels]

£8,500

Catherine the Great's first Gospels, attractively bound
[BIBLE, Slavonic] - Vailei IKONNIKOV (engraver) and Semen VTOROV (artist). Evangelie. [Gospels]
Published/created in: November 1762

£8,500

Very rare, with no copy traced outside Russia, and only two there. First separate edition of the Church Slavonic Gospels published under Catherine's reign, illustrated, complete and in a lovely, fragile velvet binding.

Image for A. BENOIS. Russian ABC in Pictures. First edition, St. Petersburg, 1904. #2

Beautifully fresh

BENUA, Aleksandr [Alexandre BENOIS]

Azbuka v kartinakh [Alphabet in Pictures]

£7,500

Beautifully fresh
BENUA, Aleksandr [Alexandre BENOIS]. Azbuka v kartinakh. [Alphabet in Pictures]
Published/created in: 1904

£7,500

A very desirable copy of this great artist's book and one of the best ABCs ever published, rare in such a fresh condition. First edition.

Image for P. RYCHKOV. Essay on the History of Kazan. First edition, in original Russian, St. Petersburg, 1767. #2

First edition of a groundbreaking work on one of Russia's major regions

RYCHKOV, Petr

Opyt kazanskoi istorii drevnikh i srednikh vremian [Essay on the History of Kazan in Ancient Times and the Middle Ages]

£10,000

First edition of a groundbreaking work on one of Russia's major regions
RYCHKOV, Petr. Opyt kazanskoi istorii drevnikh i srednikh vremian. [Essay on the History of Kazan in Ancient Times and the Middle Ages]
Published/created in: 1767

£10,000

A major work in Catherine the Great's active discovery of her empire: the first printed book on Kazan, its history and the Tatar region. First edition, in contemporary binding. Rare: the last copy at auction in the West was 50 years ago.

Image for W. SIMPSON. The Seat of War in the East. First edition, hand-coloured, London, 1855-56. #2

The preferred hand-coloured version - here with the rare text volume

SIMPSON, William

The Seat of War in the East

£17,500

The preferred hand-coloured version - here with the rare text volume
SIMPSON, William. The Seat of War in the East.
Published/created in: 1855-56

£17,500

A most famous plate book on the Crimean War. First edition, a very good example complete of the deluxe version, with the smaller text volume.

Image for G. SHVETSOV. Three works on Tsar Alexander II and Russia, inscribed to Olga Aleksandrovna. St. Petersburg, 1884-87. #2

Inscribed by the liberated serf to the Tsar's natural daughter

[ROMANOVS – ALEXANDER II] – SHVETSOV, Gordei Mikhaïlovich

Sochineniia russkogo poeta prostoliudina [Title on cover] [Works of the Russian Common-Man Poet]

£4,750

Inscribed by the liberated serf to the Tsar's natural daughter
[ROMANOVS - ALEXANDER II] - SHVETSOV, Gordei Mikhaïlovich. Sochineniia russkogo poeta prostoliudina [Title on cover]. [Works of the Russian Common-Man Poet]
Published/created in: 1887, 1884 and 1885

£4,750

A fascinating volume concentrating various aspects of Tsar Alexander's II legacy, with poems celebrating his achievements, written by a former, freed serf and inscribed to the tsar's daughter with his mistress. An exceptional copy.

Image for GEISSLER, GRUBER & RICHTER. Russian Folk Amusements. First edition, Leipzig 1801. Complete with hand-coloured plates #2

Partying in late 18th-c. Russia

GEISSLER, [Christian Gottfried Heinrich], J.G. GRUBER and J. RICHTER

Russische Volke-Vergnügungen [Russian Folk Amusements]

£5,750

Partying in late 18th-c. Russia
GEISSLER, [Christian Gottfried Heinrich], J.G. GRUBER and J. RICHTER. Russische Volke-Vergnügungen. [Russian Folk Amusements]
Published/created in: [1801]

£5,750

Very rare large-format plates in striking colours, by a master of the genre. Last copy traced on the market: in 1931, incomplete.

Image for MEYER & VELTEN, Vues pittoresques des palais et jardins impériaux...de Saint Pétersbourg. St. Petersburg, 1850s. #2

In stunning colour

MEYER J[ohann Jacob] (artist)

Vues pittoresques des palais et jardins impériaux aux Environs de St. Pétersbourg

£65,000

In stunning colour
MEYER J[ohann Jacob] (artist). Vues pittoresques des palais et jardins impériaux aux Environs de St. Pétersbourg.
Published/created in: [1850s]

£65,000

One of the best plate books on St. Petersburg, here in a fantastic example in excellent contemporary hand-colour. Beautiful and very rare.

Image for RYNKIEWICZ Family. Ms. documents for its 'szlachta' status. Vilnius, 1819 & 1863. In fine binding with brass seal. #1

Impressive manuscript confirmation of nobility

RYNKIEWICZ, Efim and family

Certification of 'szlachta' (nobility) status for the family

£5,950

Impressive manuscript confirmation of nobility
RYNKIEWICZ, Efim and family. Certification of 'szlachta' (nobility) status for the family.
Published/created in: 1819 and 1863

£5,950

Striking official documents in manuscript, related to the Rynkiewicz family and its nobility status, in Polish and Russian with fresh watercolour illustrations. A fine item of heraldry, very well preserved its red-morocco binding and large brass seal: rare so.

Image for Gd Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich ROMANOV. Musical Sketches, Potpurri. Manuscript, 1888. #2

La Marseillaise, European operas, and romantic Russian songs

[ROMANOV, Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich] – TSVETKOV M. and Vasilii KITAEV (artist)

Muzykalnyia stsenki. Popuri [Musical Sketches. Potpourri]

£8,750

La Marseillaise, European operas, and romantic Russian songs
[ROMANOV, Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich] - TSVETKOV M. and Vasilii KITAEV (artist). Muzykalnyia stsenki. Popuri. [Musical Sketches. Potpourri]
Published/created in: [8 November] 1888

£8,750

An interesting compilation of various international and Russian music, all manuscript, with a lovely watercolour title page and all kept in a refined master binding: a very attractive imperial portfolio made for the Grand Duke. Very rare.

Image for ATKINSON. Picturesque Representation...of the Russians. First edition, folio. London, 1804. #2

In signed full contemporary red morocco

ATKINSON, John Augustus (artist)

A Picturesque Representation of the Manners, Customs, and Amusements of the Russians

£16,500

In signed full contemporary red morocco
ATKINSON, John Augustus (artist). A Picturesque Representation of the Manners, Customs, and Amusements of the Russians.
Published/created in: 1804

£16,500

One of the most beautiful and impressive British works on Russia, with many great plates in fine colouring. Here unusually bound in a luxury full red morocco gilt signed.

Image for ALBERT & MEKHITAR. Mec Alpert [Compendium of Theology of St. Albert]. First edition, Venice, 1715-16. #2

Mekhitar of Sebaste arrives in Venice

ALBERT THE GREAT and Mekhitar SEBASTATSI (editor)

Mec Alpert; tʹargmaneceal ʹi vałnǰoucʹ žamanakacʹ, ʹi mecamecacʹ vardapetacʹ merocʹ, ʹi Latʹin lezuē ʹi Hay barbaṙ: Ew nardenis ʹi luys acecʹeal, ew srbagreʹceal.. [Compendium of Theology of St. Albert the Great]

£14,500

Mekhitar of Sebaste arrives in Venice
ALBERT THE GREAT and Mekhitar SEBASTATSI (editor). Mec Alpert; tʹargmaneceal ʹi vałnǰoucʹ žamanakacʹ, ʹi mecamecacʹ vardapetacʹ merocʹ, ʹi Latʹin lezuē ʹi Hay barbaṙ: Ew nardenis ʹi luys acecʹeal, ew srbagreʹceal... [Compendium of Theology of St. Albert the Great]
Published/created in: 1715-16

£14,500

A very important edition symbolically: the first book printed by Mekhitar in Venice. A fine copy of this rare work - no copy traced in the USA.

Image for Armenian Bible, edited by H. ZOHRAPIAN. First edition, 4 volumes, complete. Venice, 1805 #2

"One does not have to go very far to gain an immense appreciation for the magnitude of Zohrapian's contribution" (Cox)

[ARMENIAN BIBLE] – ZOHRAPIAN, Hovhannes (editor)

A[stuats]ashunch' matean hin ew nor ktakaranats' ěst chshgrit t'argmanu[t']ean nakhneats' merots' i hellenakann hawatarmagoyn bnagrē i haykakans barbaṛ hashkhatasirut'[en]ē Hovhannu Zōhrapean [Sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testament.[...] With prefaces to each book and an appendix of Apocryphal writings]

£4,250

"One does not have to go very far to gain an immense appreciation for the magnitude of Zohrapian's contribution" (Cox)
[ARMENIAN BIBLE] - ZOHRAPIAN, Hovhannes (editor). A[stuats]ashunch' matean hin ew nor ktakaranats' ěst chshgrit t'argmanu[t']ean nakhneats' merots' i hellenakann hawatarmagoyn bnagrē i haykakans barbaṛ hashkhatasirut'[en]ē Hovhannu Zōhrapean. [Sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testament.[...] With prefaces to each book and an appendix of Apocryphal writings]
Published/created in: 1805

£4,250

A landmark edition of the Armenian Bible, in a pleasant example. Rarely found.

Image for GOGOL. Mertvie dushi [Dead Souls]. First edition. Moscow, 1842 #2

Gogol's masterpiece with "All of Russia"

GOGOL, Nikolai

Pokhozhdeniia Chichikova, ili Mertvyia dushi. Poema [The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls. A Poem]

£39,500

Gogol's masterpiece with "All of Russia"
GOGOL, Nikolai. Pokhozhdeniia Chichikova, ili Mertvyia dushi. Poema. [The Adventures of Chichikov, or Dead Souls. A Poem]
Published/created in: 1842

£39,500

A pinacle of humour and Russia's second great novel (after Lermontov's 'Hero of our Times'), here in a fine example of the first edition, with the very rare and famous upper wrapper.

Image for FOSSATI & BARATTI. Currus triumphales..., First edition, in colour; Venice, 1782. #2

Russians in Venice, celebrated with merchants, peoples of the world and bullfighting

FOSSATI, Giorgio and Domenico, [with] Antonio BARATTI

Currus triumphales ad adventum clarissimorum Moschoviae principum Pauli Petrovitz et Mariae Theodorownae conjugis regali orandum spectaculo in Divi Marci venetiarum foro die 22 Januarii anno MDCCLXXXI

£22,500

Russians in Venice, celebrated with merchants, peoples of the world and bullfighting
FOSSATI, Giorgio and Domenico, [with] Antonio BARATTI. Currus triumphales ad adventum clarissimorum Moschoviae principum Pauli Petrovitz et Mariae Theodorownae conjugis regali orandum spectaculo in Divi Marci venetiarum foro die 22 Januarii anno MDCCLXXXI.
Published/created in: [1782]

£22,500

Fine and scarce Italian "livre de fêtes" with beautiful contemporary colour - with an added suite of prints related to the same event, the Venitian reception of the future Tsar of Russia.

Image for LEVINSON, A. Bakst: The Story of the Artist's Life. First edition, copy num. 1; Berlin, 1923. #1

Copy Number 1

[BAKST] – LEVINSON, André

Bakst: the Story of the Artist's Life

£4,250

Copy Number 1
[BAKST] - LEVINSON, André. Bakst: the Story of the Artist's Life.
Published/created in: 1923

£4,250

The most celebrated artist of the Ballets Russes, celebrated here in this beautiful production - of which it is the copy num. 1 out of only 315 printed for the UK.

With two suites

POUCHKINE, Alexandre and Vasily CHOUKHAEFF (artist) [PUSHKIN and SHUKHAEV]

Boris Godounov

£5,250

With two suites
POUCHKINE, Alexandre and Vasily CHOUKHAEFF (artist) [PUSHKIN and SHUKHAEV]. Boris Godounov.
Published/created in: 1925

£5,250

One of the great artists' books of the Russian Paris school - here in the deluxe version on Japon Impérial: one of 18 copies only.

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