PRESS RELEASE
Rare Books about the best Wines, St Augustine's main Opus ‘De Civitate Dei’ in a fine Incunabula edition and a most precious Wedding Gift
Preview of the Autumn Auctions of valuable books and manuscripts,
atlases, maps and decorative prints at
Reiss & Sohn in Königstein/Taunus, Germany
from October 29 to November 1 2024
Three richly illustrated printed catalogues have been published for the auction sales from October 29 to November 1, 2024. The complete auction offer with thousands of additional images and a full text search can be browsed on the website www.reiss-sohn.de where detailed information is also given on submitting written bidding orders, live online participation in the auctions and bidding by telephone.
For further information and images please contact:
REISS & SOHN
Adelheidstraße 2 · 61462 Königstein/Ts. · Germany
phone: +49 (0)6174-92720 · fax: +49 (0)6174-927249
www.reiss-sohn.com · email: reiss@reiss-sohn.com
PRESS RELEASE
Exceptional and Oldest Manuscripts, Rare Native American Portraits, Botanical Beauties and
Scientific Treasures
Preview of the Auctions 219 and 220 of Books and Prints
of Reiss & Sohn in Königstein/Taunus, Germany
from April 23 to 26 2024
For further information and images please contact:
REISS & SOHN
Adelheidstraße 2 · 61462 Königstein/Ts. · Germany
phone: +49 (0)6174-92720 · fax: +49 (0)6174-927249
www.reiss-sohn.com · email: reiss@reiss-sohn.com
PRESS RELEASE
The Discovery of the World
and the Birth of Economic Thought
Preview of the Auctions 217 and 218 of Books and Prints
of Reiss & Sohn in Königstein/Taunus, Germany
from October 31 to November 2 2023
Collectors and archives can choose from a total offer of over 170 lots to expand their treasures with rare and sought-after travel accounts, including over 30 lots in a separate chapter on the Americas. The famous “Reise in das innere Nord-America” by Prince Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied with its vivid depictions of the prairies and the Indians of the West is offered by Reiss & Sohn in an exceptional copy with all illustrations in a very large atlas format (estimate 90,000 €).
REISS & SOHN
Adelheidstraße 2 · 61462 Königstein/Ts. · Germany
phone: +49 (0)6174-92720 · fax: +49 (0)6174-927249
www.reiss-sohn.com · email: reiss@reiss-sohn.com
Josephine Baker is jazzing, Death is dancing, Hermann Hesse is writing poetry and Anton Koberger is printing
Preview of the Bookauctions 214, 215 and 216
of Reiss & Sohn in Königstein/Taunus
from 3-6 May 2023
Königstein (Taunus), April 2023. – The spring auctions at Reiss & Sohn will offer a high-quality selection of manuscripts, books and prints in 3 catalogues with a total of more than 2000 lots. The auctions will open with a special catalogue containing 26 selected manuscripts and books from the 15th to the 20th century starting at an estimated price of 10,000 euros. In addition, the special catalogue offers an important collection on the theme of Death and the Dance of Death in books, manuscripts and drawings.
At the top of the range, with an estimate of 100,000 euros, is the most magnificent of all printed floral works: Basilius Besler’s “Hortus Eystettensis” depicting the plants of the botanical garden of Eichstätt on 367 beautiful engraved plates.
The famous Nuremberg publisher Anton Koberger is represented with two of his most important printed works. His Ninth German Bible of the incunabulum period, captivates the viewer with the splendour and liveliness of its more than 100 woodcut illustrations, its beautiful typography and print layout. The copy offered by Reiss & Sohn, splendidly hand-coloured at the time it was printed in 1483, is expected to fetch 70,000 Euros.
Ten years later, Koberger printed Hartmann Schedel’s “Buch der Chroniken und Geschichten”, which is one of the most important illustrated incunabula with over 1800 woodcuts, including numerous surprisingly accurate topographic views. Bidders should be prepared to pay 35,000 euros for the likewise splendidly old-coloured copy of the rare German first edition.
The highlights include precious illuminated manuscripts. Adorned with large miniatures, borders and drolleries in gold and colours is a Latin Book of Hours written on parchment around 1480 for the use of Paris (estimate 40.000 Euro). The English patron of a valuable prayer book created around 1490 is devotely portrayed in one of its beautiful miniatures (estimate 30.000 euros).
Among the almost 80 lots of the remarkable Dance of Death collection is the first print of the famous woodcut series of the Baseler Totentanz by Hans Holbein, published in Lyon in 1538 (estimate 12.000 Euro). The collection’s ‘memento mori’ theme extends from early depictions, such as the skeleton man in a miniature of a Book of Hours manuscript from 1475 (estimate 8. 000 Euro), to the early beautiful depictions of Johann Weichard Valvasor in his “Schau-Bühne deß menschlichen Todts” from 1682 (estimate 4.000 Euro), to Alfred Döblin’s “Das Stiftsfräulein und der Tod” with the congenial woodcuts by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, published in 1913 (estimate 2.500 Euro).
No less than 75 atlases and cosmographies, many by the most important early cartographers form a high quality selection that is likely to be among the best of the season, both nationally and internationally. Among the most valuable pieces are a Dutch edition of the Blaeu Atlas, whose 6 volumes in fine bindings with large gilt vignettes to all covers are largely extended with extra maps forming a collection of more than 500 maps with splendid contemporary colouring by hand (estimate 70. 000 Euros) and a rare first Latin edition of the handbook of the circumnavigator Jan Huygen van Linschoten, which became the authoritative logbook for later East Indies sailors (estimate 70.000 Euros), as well as a rare “Zee-Atlas” by the Dutchman Hendrik Doncker from 1666 with beautiful contemporary colouring by hand (estimate 50.000 Euros).
A chapter of special bibliophilic charm comprises 41 artistic bindings captivating with their outstanding craftsmanship. In addition to typical Baroque peasant bindings made of hand-painted parchment, there are book covers decorated with enamel miniatures, painted tortoiseshell or dyed straw inlays, or bindings made entirely of delicately painted porcelain, embroidered silk, ornamentally cut parchment or fire-gilded silver at estimated prices of 300 to 3,000 euros.
It is extremely hard to find early 19th century toy catalogues such as those used by the famous companies Lindner from Sonneberg (estimate 20.000 euro) and Bestelmeier from Nuremberg (estimate 5.000 euro). The charmingly illustrated merchandise catalogues mark the dawn of the age of mail order.
As always, numerous beautiful and rare maps are available at Reiss & Sohn. An extremely rare and one of the first printed maps depicting soley North America, engraved by Paolo Forlani in 1566, is expected to fetch 50,000 euros. Also extremely rare is the famous double-cordifom world map, the first of its kind, cut in wood by Oronce Finé in 1531 (estimate 30.000 Euro).
Exceptionally large and impressive is a Japanese manuscript scroll from 1832 depicting a whale hunt from its pursuit with numerous boats to the dismemberment of the fish at the end of the 5.40m-long scroll (estimate 12,000 euros).
The wonderful Josephine Baker and her ensemble are shown in original hand-coloured lithographs by the French artist Paul Colin in his “Le tumulte noir” from 1927, a unique tribute to the African-American entertainers who brought the Jazz Age to Paris (estimate 15.000 Euro).
3 richly illustrated print catalogues are published for the spring auctions. The complete auction offer, with thousands of additional illustrations and made accessible by full text search, can also be found on our website www.reiss-sohn.de. Registered customers can place absentee bids or may bid live online. Please contact us for further information.
REISS & SOHN
Adelheidstraße 2 · 61462 Königstein/Ts. · Germany
phone: +49 (0)6174-92720 · fax: +49 (0)6174-927249
www.reiss-sohn.com · email: reiss@reiss-sohn.com
PRESS RELEASE
Gauss writes to his Daughter
Pacioli launches first Book on Balancing
Ruysch designs World Map with the New World
Preview of the Autumn Auctions 211, 212 and 213
of the Book Auction House REISS & SOHN
in Königstein/Taunus, Germany
from October 25 to 27, 2022
Königstein (Taunus), September 2022. – A broad panorama of cultural history unfolds with the rare, valuable and beautiful manuscripts, books and prints offered in the three catalogues of the autumn auctions at Reiss & Sohn presenting almost 1900 lots.
The special catalogue 211 highlights 44 lots that surpass each other in rarity and preciousness. Among the most magnificent lots are undoubtedly four illuminated books of hours, including a copy written entirely on parchment for the use of Ghent with 12 full-page miniatures and rich book decoration in gold and colours at an estimated price of 50,000 euros. Also written on very fine parchment is an exceptional 13th century Latin Bible manuscript opulently decorated with 99 coloured decorative initials. It is one of the earliest Italian successors of the Parisian pocket Bible and is estimated at 50,000 euros.
The invention of double-entry bookkeeping first appears in print in the work “Summa de arithmetica geometria” by Luca Pacioli, which is also the first printed general work on mathematics. The second edition of 1523, nearly as rare as the first edition, is expected to fetch 70,000 euros. Albrecht Dürer developed a completely different application of mathematics, namely for artists and craftsmen, in his doctrine of proportion “Vier bücher von menschlicher Proportion” (Four Books of Human Proportion), published posthumously in 1528, for the construction of different types of bodies through certain proportions (estimate 12,000 euros).
The first theoretical ‘manifesto’ of the Sturm und Drang period of German literature was entitled “Kreuzzüge des Philologen” (Crusades of the Philologist) by Johann Georg Hamann. The special copy at Reiss & Sohn is of extraordinary historical source value, as it is annotated in the author’s own hand (estimated price € 20,000). Outstanding from a scientific point of view is the famous “Kreütterbuch” by Hieronymus Bock, which not only provides detailed descriptions of the plants, but also precise information on their occurrence and location. The extended edition from 1577 is offered in a beautifully coloured copy at an estimated price of € 45,000.
Autographs by outstanding natural scientists form the remarkable opening to the second book catalogue with over 950 valuable books and manuscripts, including a very personal handwritten letter from Carl Friedrich Gauss to his daughter Minna (estimated price 4,000 euros). Personal insights are also provided by a collection of 20 mostly handwritten letters from Katia Mann to Emil August Fester, a childhood friend of the Pringsheim children (estimate 6,000 euros).
Two authoritative historical writings of the so-called Jewish Book Controversy of 1511 can be found among the old prints. In his “Augenspiegel” (Eyemirror), Johannes Reuchlin defended Hebrew literature against Johannes Pfefferkorn, who had demanded the confiscation and burning of Jewish books. Pfefferkorn responded to this with his work “Handt Spiegel wider und gegen die Jüden” (Hand mirror against the Jews). Both works are presented by Reiss & Sohn in first editions (estimated price 3,000 euros each). A good two dozen other rare Judaica can be found in the History chapter, including Theodor Herzl’s “Judenstaat” with an estimate of 5,000 euros.
Collectors of emblem books can choose from an unusually extensive selection. For the beautifully drawn and engraved series of pictures “Emblemata miscella nova” (published posthumously in 1622) by Christoph Murer, 4,000 euros should be kept ready. The literature section shines with outstanding first editions, such as Hölderlin’s “Gedichte” (estimate 5.000 Euro), Eichendorff’s “Aus dem Leben eines Taugenichts” (estimate 6.000 Euro), Madam de Staël’s “Corinna oder Italien” with numerous manuscript annotations by Johann Gottfried Seume (estimate 5.000 Euro), or Schiller’s “Braut von Messina”, which, with luck, can be bought at auction for 3.000 Euro. Ludwig zu Anhalt-Köthen’s “Der Fruchtbringenden Gesellschaft Nahmen, Vorhaben, Gemählde und Wörter” from 1646 is an important document on the first German literary society. Comprising 400 fine copperplate engravings by Matthäus Merian it is also a botanical and emblematic work of high importance (estimate 8,000 euros). Martin Opitz’ “Buch von der Deutschen Poeterey” is represented in the special catalogue in its rare first edition from 1624 with an estimated price of 10,000 euros.
A milestone in the history of cartography is the fan-shaped world map by Johannes Ruysch published for the Ptolemy edition of 1507-08, beeing one of the first modern world maps with the discoveries of the Americas. (estimate 20,000 euros). A beautiful heart-shaped world map was made by Gerard de Jode in 1578. The rare copper engraving with contemporary colouring by hand is expected to fetch 10,000 euros. Like Ruysch’s world map, two other rare maps are offered from the Ptolemy editions of 1507-08: Italy at an estimate of 2.500 Euro and Spain at an estimate of 2.000 Euro. The first topographically accurate depictions of numerous European cities are found among the woodcut views in Hartmann Schedel’s “Liber chronicarum”. The famous world history illustrated with more than 1800 woodcuts in an exquisitely coloured copy of the first edition from 1493 is expected to fetch 120,000 euros.
Five different editions of fool’s books from three centuries seem to form an unbroken chronological sequence of these richly illustrated satires. The earliest of these books was published in 1505 by Josse Bade (estimated price 7,000 euros), followed by Johann Flittner’s “Jocoseria modernae” from 1620 (estimate 400 euros) up to the two works by Albert Joseph Conlin published in 1706-11, which depict both the male and the female fools in the “neu entdeckten Narrn-Welt” (newly discovered world of fools; estimate 4,000 euros). The works prove and give reason to hope that the special species of book fools does not seem to be threatened with extinction!
Three richly illustrated print catalogues are published for the autumn auctions. The complete auction offer, with approx. 7000 illustrations and equipped with a full-text search, can also be found on the website
www.reiss-sohn.com
REISS & SOHN
Adelheidstraße 2 · 61462 Königstein/Ts. · Germany
phone: +49 (0)6174-92720 · fax: +49 (0)6174-927249
www.reiss-sohn.com · email: reiss@reiss-sohn.com
PRESS RELEASE
Eternal Peace in Europe?
Visionary Ideas of an Early Enlightener
Preview of the Spring Auctions of the Book Auction House Reiss & Sohn in Königstein/Taunus, Germany on April 26-29, 2022
Königstein (Taunus), March 2022. – The spring offering presents more than 2300 lots of rare and valuable books and prints in three catalogues. Collectors can choose from more than 60 manuscripts, including 5 precious illuminated books of hours, more than 280 early prints with 46 incunabula, as well as numerous works from science and history of ideas.
A special catalogue with 54 selected lots from a wide variety of fields with estimated prices starting at 10,000 euros will mark the especially high-class opening. One of the most outstanding political documents of all times ranks among the top lots, the “Manifest der kommunistischen Partei” by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The very rare first printing, of which only 26 other copies are known worldwide, is expected to fetch 70,000 euros.
As a landmark in modern book art, Georg Heym’s “Umbra vitae” with original woodcuts by the expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, is expected to attract the highest interest. Heym’s “Nachgelassene Gedichte” will be presented in the well-preserved original leather binding of the special edition with original etching, limited to only 10 copies. In a set together with another numbered edition and a first text edition from 1912, it will be the most expensive lot of the auction with an estimate of 120,000 Euros.
Among the manuscripts, a remarkably illuminated Latin Bible on parchment from the late 13th century stands out. The volume was previously owned by John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury and teacher of Francis Bacon, and is valued at 60,000 euros. Illuminated books of hours are undoubtedly among the most magnificent examples of late medieval book illumination. Bidders for the five offered treasures of “Luminous Middle Ages” at Reiss & Sohn must hold 30 to 50 thousand euros in readiness.
Early scientific works enrich the offer, among them the collected works on medicine, chemistry and occult sciences by Robert Fludd in four volumes, published in 1617-1638 and partly illustrated by Matthaeus Merian. As a counterpart of Aristotle and Galen, Fludd also relied on observations and experiments, but only accepted the Bible and the secrets of the ancient occultists as the ultimate (alternative) truths (estimate 50,000 euros).
One of the prototypes of botanical-medical literature of the Middle Ages is the “Hortus sanitatis”. With its more than 1000 woodcuts of plants, animals and minerals, it is also one of the most beautiful woodcut books of the 15th century. For such a folio, printed not after 1497, in a contemporary pigskin binding with extraordinary blind embossing, 40,000 euros are expected.
The starting point for the first spread of arithmetic with decimal numbers throughout Europe was the treatise “De Thiende” by the Flemish Simon Stevin. Only the second edition, published in 1626 as an appendix to “De nieuwe Telkonst” by Ezechiël de Decker, effected the breakthrough. The estimated price of this rarity, of which only a single copy is listed in German libraries, is 30,000 euros.
In his works “Paix perpetuelle” (Paris 1712) and “Projet pour rendre la paix perpetuelle en Europe” (Utrecht 1713-17), the social philosopher and pioneer of the Enlightenment, Abbé Castel de Saint-Pierre, developed ideas for the foundation of a lasting peace among the European peoples and designed the model of a European confederation of states, which was to be sustained by an international court of arbitration, realised in today’s EU and UN. Jean-Jacques Rousseau summarised these ideas in 1761 in “Extrait du projet de Paix perpétuelle” and added further considerations of his own. Reiss & Sohn are offering these works in rare first editions as a complete collection of 7 volumes with an estimate of 35,000 euros.
A work published some 200 years later had a completely different influence on our thinking today. Sigmund Freud’s “Interpretation of Dreams” created the fundamental components of psychoanalytic theory and practice. The first printing from 1900 with the original dust jacket bound in should be worth 15,000 euros to an enthusiast.
Remarkable is the rich offer of almost 280 lots of rare modern and fine private press books including a collection of French literature and and illustrated books by important artists such as Max Beckmann, Gustav Klimt, Édouard Manet, Henry Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Wols.
Map collectors can look forward to two highlights in particular: the very rare coloured copper engraved maps of North America (estimate 12,000 Euros) and Australia (estimate 4,000 Euros), both of which appeared only in 1593 in the second and last edition of de Jode’s famous atlas “Speculum Orbis Terrae”.
3 richly illustrated print catalogues will be published for the spring auctions. The complete auction offer, with approx. 12,000 additional illustrations and made accessible by a full text search, can also be found on our website www.reiss-sohn.de/en/.
REISS & SOHN
Adelheidstraße 2 · 61462 Königstein/Ts. · Germany
phone: +49 (0)6174-92720 · fax: +49 (0)6174-927249
www.reiss-sohn.de · email: reiss@reiss-sohn.de
Top-class Finals of the Jubilee Season at Reiss & Sohn
Preview of the Autumn Auctions of the Book Auction House in Königstein/Taunus from 26-29 October 2021
Three richly illustrated print catalogues will be published for the autumn auctions. The complete auction offer accessible by a full text search, can also be found on our website www.reiss-sohn.de . Please feel free to contact us for further information.
REISS & SOHN
Adelheidstraße 2 · 61462 Königstein/Ts. · Germany
phone: +49 (0)6174-92720 · fax: +49 (0)6174-927249
www.reiss-sohn.de · email: reiss@reiss-sohn.de
Review of the Spring Jubilee Sale 2021
Königstein (Germany), June 2021. – This year’s book auctions of the spring season from April 27-30 at the book auction house Reiss & Sohn in Königstein ended with an extremely successful result. With a total turnover of 3.7 million euros, the sum of all estimated prices was exceeded. Numerically, almost 80% of the lots found a new owner. Despite numerous written bids and telephone participants, the number of online bidders increased by 15% compared to the last auction. The live online bidders thus made the auction days extremely exciting and provided many surprises. More than 500 hammer prices were above €1,000 – 50 of which were in the five- and six-figure range.
On the first day of the auction, 80 selected books, manuscripts and incunabula, united in a richly illustrated special catalog, came under the hammer. This concept of a special catalogue with 50 incunabula and books estimated between € 10,000 and € 150,000 took great success. Total estimates were exceeded by 40%. Only 6 objects remained unsold.
Particularly noteworthy is the highest hammer price of the auction, and thus a record result for the auctioned work, at € 220,000 (hammer price, estimate € 150,000) for Nicolai Copernicus “De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri VI.”, printed in Basel, 1566.
Isidorus Hispalensis “Etymologiae” was able to increase its estimate sixfold. This work from 1472 presents the knowledge of its time in 20 books and contains the first printed map of the world, which is the first printed map ever. This fact is probably largely responsible for the fantastic result of 120,000 € (hammer price, estimate 20,000 €).
The following days could follow up on the brilliant start, so the hammer price of 22,000 € (estimate 8,000 €) for a rare first Aldus edition of Erasmus Roterodamus “Adagiorum chiliades” from 1508 is especially worth mentioning.
The first edition of Spinoza’s first publication “Principiorum philosophiae” quadrupled its estimate of 4,000 € with a hammer price of 16,000 €, which is certainly also due to its interesting provenance: the copy stands out with a handwritten ownership note by Karl Friedrich Gauss.
Always highly sought after and extremely rare are the “Nachrichten von dem Leben und den Seereisen des berühmten Captain Cook” from 1780. Nevertheless, the more than good result of 44,000 € (hammer price, estimate 20,000 €) was surprising.
The section of maps also convinced with an excellent offer and was vigorously bid online and in writing. Thus, a rare engraved map of Europe by Paolo Forlani at C. Duchetti from 1571 achieved € 26,000. An Italy engraved map by G. Gastaldi from 1561 fell under the hammer at 16.500 €.
Highly motivated by the success of the spring, Reiss & Sohn is now preparing the anniversary auctions in autumn 2021. Your consignment offers are most welcome !
PRESS RELEASE - April 2021
lot 101 - Album amicorum
lot 101 - Album amicorum
50 Years Auctions at Reiss & Sohn - Rarities to Celebrate the Jubilee
Preview of the Spring Auctions at Reiss & Sohn in Königstein/Ts.
from April 27-30, 2021
Königstein (Germany), April 2021. – Reiss & Sohn has been auctioning bibliophile treasures from the Middle Ages to the present for 50 years and is today one of the world’s leading houses in its field. Since the foundation in 1971 in the Gutenberg city of Mainz, more than 200 successful auctions of high-quality antiquarian books, manuscripts, maps, prints and photography have been held by Godebert and Clemens Reiss.
For this festive occasion and in addition to the two regular auction catalogues a special catalogue is published with 80 exceptionally beautiful, rare and important books and manuscripts from the 15th to the 19th century, including about 50 incunabula. Over the four days, a total of around 3100 lots is on offer, for which bibliophiles from around the world will also be able to bid live online.
The splendid opening will be made by two precious illuminated books of hours from the end of the 15th century, written on parchment for French use. The estimated prices are 38.000 € and 40.000 € respectively.
lot 1 - Horae B.M.V.
lot 2 - Horae B.M.V. ca. 1485-95
Outstanding from the rich offer of incunabula is the “Chronecken der Sassen” of 1492 written in Low German dialect by Konrad Botho, the chronicler of the Dukes of Brunswick. This first and rarest of the great illustrated chronicles in Germany, richly decorated with approximately 1255 old coloured woodcuts, is expected to fetch 20,000 €. Twenty years earlier, the important “Etymologiae” by Isidorus Hispalensis was published in Augsburg, in the present copy also estimated at 20,000 €. It comprises the entire knowledge of the time and also contains the first ever printed map in the form of a schematic map of the world. At the same time it is one of the first books with woodcut illustrations ever.
lot 19 - Botho, Chronecken der Sassen
lot 62 - Copernicus, De revolutionibus
Undoubtedly “De revolutionibus orbium coelestium” by Nicolaus Copernicus’ is one of the books that changed the world. Copernicus opened up the heliocentric view of the world to mankind and thereby he overthrew both the teachings of the Bible and the astronomy of Ptolemy. The copy at Reiss & Sohn with an estimate of 150,000 € contains Copernicus’ epoch-making work in the second edition of 1566, substantially expanded for the first time by Joachim Rheticus’ famous “Narratio prima”.
Among the numerous scientific works an extraordinary sammelband with no less than 6 rare works by Johannes Kepler from the period 1614-1639 is worthy of attention. It includes the first edition of Keplers’ visionary treatise “Somnium”, which describes a dream journey to the moon. The volume also impresses with its remarkable provenance and is available at 30,000 €. Two of the most beautiful botanical works of the Baroque period can be purchased at Reiss & Sohn: the “Phytanthoza-Iconographia” by Johann Wilhelm Weinmann with 1025 plates of plants from all over the world in brilliant colour engraving (estimate 50,000 €) and Christoph Jacob Trew’s “Plantae selectae” with 110 old coloured copper plates of mostly exotic plants (estimate 30,000 €). The drawings for both works were partly created by the same famous painter Georg Dionysius Ehret.
lot 79 - Weinmann
lot 77 - Trew
The great navigator James Cook, who opened up the Pacific for Western civilisation, died in Hawaii in 1779. The account of his death was edited for the first time in the anonymous German booklet “Nachrichten von dem Leben und den Seereisen des berühmten Captain Cook” (News of the Life and Sea Voyages of the Famous Captain Cook). A copy of this extremely rare work, bound together with another very rare account of the Spanish expeditions by Bodega y Quadra, is expected to obtain 20,000 €. In 1596, the Dutch circumnavigator Jan Huygen van Linschoten wrote the handbook “Itinerarium, Ofte Schipvaert naer Oost ofte Portugaels Indien”, comprising the invaluable knowledge of the East and West Indies and the relevant sea routes. The estimated price for a coloured copy of the rare second edition from 1614 is 60,000 €.
The offer of atlases and town books at Reiss & Sohn is again neither lacking in quantity nor in quality. Among the most valuable items are Blaeu’s Belgian town book in the Latin edition from about 1652 with 296 views and plans and Janssonius’ rare town book of the Netherlands from 1657 with 113 views and plans, both in splendid colouring and each with an estimate of 75,000 €.
A rarity of special kind is the first edition of the so-called Peasants’ Articles of 1525, a unique document of German political and European social history, being the first German statement of fundamental and human rights. Since both the first edition of these six leaves and the numerous reprints mostly were destroyed by the opponents, the offered copy is extremely rare and precious (estimate 60,000 €).
lot 1901 - Janssonius
REISS & SOHN
Adelheidstraße 2 · 61462 Königstein/Ts. · Germany
phone: +49 (0)6174-92720 · fax: +49 (0)6174-927249
www.reiss-sohn.de · email: reiss@reiss-sohn.de
lot 1874 - Blaeu
lot 1874 - Blaeu