Islamic Art
A catalogue of 85 books on the history of Islamic art and architecture, archaeology and culture
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1Arabic life, writing, science, arts, etc.The Arab's Impact on European Civilisation.Cairo, 1961.
€ 250.00Second edition, revised by Shawki Sukkary. Abbas al-Aqqad (1889-1964) remains well known in Egypt as a versatile journalist, poet and literary critic. Translated from the Arabic original ("Athar al-'Arab fi al-hadarah al-Awrubbiyah") by Ismail Cashmiry and Muhammad al-Hadi and published under the auspices of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. …
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2Three rare studies falling within "the rarely-entered territory of Muslim archaeology"Spiegazione di due rarissime medaglie cufiche della famiglia degli Ommiadi …Milan, 1818.
€ 3,500.00Collection of three rare studies falling within "the rarely-entered territory of Muslim archaeology" (cf. Fück, p. 153), comprising the two final works of Simone Assemani and the first publication of Joseph Toussaint Reinaud.
In 1818, the orientalist Assemani, well known as an authority on Kufic coins through his "Museo Cufico Naniano" (1787) …
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3The ancient city of FustatHafriyat al-Fustat (Majmu`at al-manazir al-futughrafiyah). Fouilles dal …Cairo, 1928 CE = 1347 H.
€ 1,500.00First Arabic edition. Atlas of plates intended to accompany Aly Bahgat's 1928 Arabic translation of the original French edition of his "Fouilles dal Foustât" (Paris, 1921). The city of Fustat, the first capital of Egypt under Arab rule, reached its peak in the 12th century, with a population of approximately 200,000. It was the center of administrative …
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4Trade in Arabian silkDe l'introduction des procédés relatifs à la fabrication des étoffes …Paris, 1838.
€ 1,500.00First and only edition. Discusses trade in silk and attempts at silk production in various parts of the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal, Valencia, Murcia, etc., from ancient times until the 1820s, with some emphasis on the efforts of the Arabs. The second Visconde de Santarem (1791-1856) has been called "the greatest figure in the history of …
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5The monuments of EgyptVues d'Egypte. Photograph album.Cairo, ca. 1865.
€ 9,500.00Early, uncommonly well-preserved album of photographs showing the monuments of Egypt. Having arrived in Egypt as early as 1859, Antonio Beato (1835-1906) was among the first commercial photographers to make their way to the Middle East in order to capitalise on the increasing demand for souvenir photographs. Beato's images of Egypt were distinctly …
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660 photographs by Bechard of Egyptians and NubiansÉgypte et Nubie.No place, ca. 1880.
€ 45,000.00Large and beautiful photographs by Bechard: excellent vintage prints, mostly in superior condition. They represent the popular Egyptian and Nubian types, frequently in close-ups. Nissan N. Perez states that this part of the work of a photographer specializing in views of sites and monuments "has escaped general attention" (cf. Focus East, p. 123, …
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748 albumen prints of ancient and Islamic architecture in Cairo, Jerusalem, Baalbek, Istanbul and moreThe Holy Land, Egypt, Constantinople, Athens, etc. etc. A series of forty-eight …London, ca. 1865-1867.
€ 3,000.00First and only edition of a collection of 48 albumen prints of photographs by the British photographer Francis Bedford (1816-94). "A significant boost to his reputation came with the commission to accompany the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, on a trip to Egypt and the Holy Land in the spring and early summer of 1862. The resulting images …
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8"on pesche les perles ... dans le Golfe Persique, principalement ... aupres de Baroyn"Les merveilles des Indes orientales ou nouveau traitté des pierres precieuses …Paris, 1661.
€ 25,000.00First edition of this rare work on precious stones and pearls found in the East and West Indies, written by a Parisian "marchand orphèvre". Dedicated to "La Grande Mademoiselle" Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier and niece of Louis XIII, with her finely engraved portrait by L. Boissevin (which, according to Graesse, is frequently …
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9Important travelogue on Persia, with 15 plates and 2 mapsTravels in Luristan and Arabistan.London, 1845.
€ 8,500.00First edition.
An important account of Persia with detailed descriptions of the antiquities, archaeological sites, and the ancient history of the country. In 1841, de Bode travelled from Tehran to Isfahan, Persepolis, Shiraz, Kazeroun, Shushtar, Susa, Khorramabad and back to Tehran. "Luristan" (modern "Loristan"), or the land of the Luri people, …
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10Tapis de l'Asie Centrale.St. Petersburg and Leipzig, 1908.
€ 5,000.00First edition of "the first great book on turkoman rugs" (Arntzen/Rainwater). The magnificent plates in full colour are printed on special paper, each sheet bearing the label of the St. Petersburg "Manufacture des Papiers de l'État".
Title page of the text volume shows a closed tear, otherwise fine.
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11Luxury Palestine Souvenir AlbumJerusalem.Palestine, 1880s.
€ 18,000.00A rare and unusually massive Palestine souvenir album containing 71 photographs by the renowned studio of Félix Bonfils (1831-85), the French-born photographer who had come to the Levant with General d'Hautpoul in 1860 and remained active in the East. Based in Beirut, Bonfils produced thousands of photographs depicting Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Greece …
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12Ornamental platesLes Arts Arabes. Architecture - Menuiserie - Bronzes - Plafonds - Revêtements …Paris, 1873.
€ 8,500.00Only edition of this rare collection of stunning ornamental plates, showing Islamic architectural designs and decorative details thereof. With accompanying text by Bourgoin (1838-1908), who had spent years in Egypt as an architect and made extensive travels to Syria and Palestine. This monumental work, with a preface by E. Viollet-le-Duc, first made …
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13The only surviving documentation of Mshatta Palace in JordanDie Provincia Arabia.Strasbourg, 1904-1909.
€ 25,000.00First edition: rare. A remarkably well-illustrated archaeological survey of sites in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon, particularly valued for its account of Petra and of the palace of Mshatta in Jordan, a great monument of early Islamic art. With over 1100 half tone illustrations, many full-page, and numerous splendidly produced plates (some folding or …
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14The antiquities of western IndiaReport on the Antiquities of Kathiawad and Kachh, Being the Result of the …London, 1876.
€ 15,000.00First edition, rare. Comprehensive study of antiquities of western India by the leading 19th century archaeologist in this field. This seminal work is particularly interesting due to the large number of excellent original albumen prints of the most prominent excavation sites, including the Junagadh Caves, rock excavations in the Uparkot, the great …
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15Muslim architecture of GujaratOn the Muhammadan Architecture of Bharoch, Cambay, Dholka, Champanir, and …London, 1896.
InquireFirst and only edition of this superbly illustrated description on the Muslim architecture of the more provincial towns of the state of Gujarat on the western coast of India. "Among the many varieties in the style of the Muhammadan architecture prevailing in different provinces of India, that which arose in Gujarât in the fourteenth and fifteenth …
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16The Architectural Antiquities of Northern Gujarat, More Especially of the …London, 1903.
€ 650.00First and only edition of this study of mainly Hindu and Jaina architecture in the state of Gujarat on the western coast of India, superbly illustrated with collotypes. Published as volume IX of the Archaeological Survey of Western India.
The Scottish archaeologist James Burgess (1832-1916), founder of "The Indian Antiquary", did educational …
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17On ten consecutive platesVues de Constantinople / Views of Constantinople.Istanbul, ca. 1880.
€ 500.00A panorama of Constantinople on 10 consecutive plates (altogether ca. 1450 x 95 mm); two additional plates show views of the Hagia Sophia (then a mosque) and the fountain in the Yeni Cami (New Mosque). Important sights, buildings, bridges and districts are labelled in the panoramic view of Constantinople. The maps are titled "Plan von Constantinopel …
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18The finest piece of book production achieved in EgyptMasagid Misr (The Mosques of Egypt from 21 H. [A.D. 641] to 1365 H. [A.D. …Giza, 1948.
€ 8,500.00First, original Arabic edition; much rarer than the English edition, which appeared a year later. "The finest piece of book production achieved in Egypt" (Creswell). A history of Islamic architecture in Egypt, containing several beautiful views of the principal mosques, with plans and notes. Both volumes include the double page with the preface by …
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19Seminal work on Islamic architecture in EgyptThe Muslim Architecture of Egypt.Oxford, 1952-1959.
€ 18,000.00First edition, printed in 550 copies only. Principal work of the great architectural historian of Muslim Egypt. Beginning where his "Early Muslim Architecture" left off, this monumental two-volume set traces the history of Egyptian Islamic architecture from the dynasty of the Ikhshids and Fatimids (939-1171 CE) to that of the Ayyubids and early Bahrite …
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20One of 500 copiesRobb de Peyster Tytus Memorial Series. (= The Theban Tombs).New York, 1917-1927.
€ 15,000.00Limited first edition of this catalogue of the principal tombs at western Thebes published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 1917 to 1927, one of 500 atlas folio sets beautifully printed on handmade Van Gelder paper. A magnificent, untrimmed set.
Published in memory of the artist and amateur archaeologist and Egyptologist Robb de Peyster …
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21The first comprehensive description of ancient and modern EgyptDescription de l'Egypte, ou recueil des observations et des recherches, …Paris, 1820-1829.
€ 185,000.00Second edition of this monumental work (the first was published from 1809 onwards), the first comprehensive description of ancient and modern Egypt. Commissioned by Napoleon during his Egyptian campaign between 1798 and 1801, this encompassing historical, archaeological, art-historical, and natural-historical account of the country was realised through …
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22Archeaological sites in the Middle East, with 143 reproductions of photographs[Suria wa-Falastin wa-garbi 'Arabistan abidat-i-atigasy]. Alte Denkmäler …Berlin, 1918.
InquireFirst and only edition of this bilingual work with 143 photographs of Middle-Eastern archeology, compiled by the well-known German archaeologist Theodor Wiegand (1864-1936). The publication was commissioned by Ahmed Djemal Pasha (Jamal Basha, 1872-22), the Ottoman military leader and Minister of the Navy, who also wrote the foreword. The plates show …
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23"First fruits of Arabia": Doughty's first book on ArabiaDocuments épigraphiques recueillis dans le nord de L'Arabie.Paris, 1884.
€ 6,500.00Only edition: the "first fruits of Arabia" (Hogarth, Life of Charles M. Doughty, 1928), and the first publication in English of any account of Doughty's travels, predating "Travels in Arabia Deserta" by four years. (In spite of the French publication, the "Note de M. Doughty sur son voyage", comprising pp. 7-35, is entirely in English.) Doughty (1843-1926) …
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24A photographic pioneer in the Middle East, "the first completely realized photobook" (Parr/Badger) ever publishedÉgypte, Nubie, Palestine et Syrie: dessins photographiques recueillis …Paris, 1852.
€ 350,000.00Extremely rare first edition, complete, illustrated with 125 salt prints from wet paper negatives (Blanquart-Evrard process) mounted one to a page. Maxime Du Camp’s monumental survey, "Égypte, Nubie, Palestine et Syrie", was the first of its kind, the first travel album to be completely illustrated with photographs of archaeological monuments.
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25Extremely rare photographic workJerusalem Photographic Album.Newark, NJ, 1865.
€ 45,000.00An extremely rare photographic work, unrecorded in the major scholarly studies of early photography in the Holy Land.
According to the introductory text, "In the winter of 1859 the King of Prussia sent an artist to the Holy Land to procure views for his portfolio. Having reached Jerusalem, whilst the Royal commission was being executed, I …
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26A journey through Egypt in the spring of 1895Photograph album.Egypt and Australia, 1895.
€ 8,500.00A charming and sumptuously bound album commemorating a journey through Egypt in the spring of 1895. The photos include four views of Suez and the Canal, numerous impressive scenes of Cairo, its streets and palaces, with panoramic views, the Mosques of Muhammad Ali and of Sultan Hassan, the Citadel, the Tombs of the Caliphs, the Tombs of the Mamelukes, …
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27Rare heliotypes of Upper EgyptLa vie et les paysages en Egypte. Études en héliotypies tirées d'après …Zurich, ca. 1885.
€ 1,500.00A set of heliotypes showing (mostly) sites in Upper Egypt: Luxor (4), Qurnah (1), Karnak (3), Thebes (5, including the Ramasseum, Medinet Habu and Deir el-Medina), Edfu (2), and Philae (4), but also including images of the local population: water carriers, workers at a shaduf, a family of Bisharis, as well as nomads with their camels and the Pyramids …
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28Egyptian Coptic and Muslim textile fragmentsA collection of 22 pieces of embroidery fragments and hand-printed linen, …Egypt, from 5th to 6th centuries, 11th century and ca. 1300 AD.
€ 15,000.00A fine collection of Egyptian Coptic textile fragments compiled in the 1930s, comprising samples of multi-coloured embroidery and hand-printed linen. Most are of Coptic origin: hand-woven embroideries on linen wraps dated to the 5th and 6th centuries, originally used in tunics or other clothing. The fragments are decorated with human figures, animals …
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29The world's cultures illustrated: one of the greatest publishing ventures ever, the rarest work to be found completeIl costume antico e moderno o storia del governo, della milizia, della …Milan, 1829-1834.
€ 280,000.00Without question the largest pictorial encyclopedia of the world published during the 19th century, and one of the rarest works to be found complete. Printed in a press run of no more than 300 copies, this set is numbered "12" and was inscribed to a friend of the author ("del socio Signor G. Ferrario"); as such, it was printed on superior paper and …
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30Including the famous views of Mecca and MedinaEntwurf einer historischen Architektur. In Abbildung unterschiedener berühmten …Leipzig, 1725.
€ 35,000.00First edition of this splendid work, which was reprinted five times until 1742 (including an English edition). The first three volumes deal with historical and legendary monuments (among them the seven wonders of the ancient world as well as monuments of the "Arabs and the Turks"). The fourth volume is dedicated to buildings of Fischer von Erlach …
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31Important and early photobook on the Near EastEgypt and Palestine. Photographed and described.London, 1858-1859.
€ 40,000.00First edition of this important and early photobook on the Near East. During the years 1856-59, Frith (1822-98) made three visits to Egypt and the Holy Land; this selection of his photographs, from wet-collodion 9 x 7 negatives taken with an 8-by-10 inch camera, was published in 25 fascicles of 3 prints each, a work hailed as "one of the most renowned …
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32A French railway engineer in the Ottoman Empire and YemenCollection of 19 photographic negatives from Turkey and Yemen.Turkey and Yemen, ca. 1892-1911.
€ 25,000.00Highly interesting collection of photographs documenting railway construction in Yemen and Turkey as well as an unidentified oriental port city, among other subjects. Paul Gaudin held important positions as a railway engineer and director in the Ottoman Empire between 1892 and 1911, specifically as director of the Moudania-Brousse railway line (1892-94), …
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33The first photographs from Al-'UlaCollection of 5 photographs from Al-'Ula and 3 photographs from Mada'in …Al'Ula and Hegra, 1907.
InquireThe only known photographs from the earliest photographic documentation of the Arabic old town of Al-'Ula, including some of the earliest photographs showing the important archaeological site of Hegra at Mada'in Salih, and Gaudin's hand-drawn map of the Hejaz railway.
The historically significant photographs from Al-'Ula show ancient Dadanitic …
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34The Asia Minor collection of Paul Gaudin95 photographs of Paul Gaudin's collection of antiquities.N. p. o. d.
€ 18,500.00Highly interesting photographic documentation of the vast collection that was later dispersed among such important museums as the Louvre, the British Museum, and the Istanbul Museum through donations and sales. The collection was primarily assembled between 1894 and 1905, when Paul Gaudin served as director of the Smyrna-Cassaba railway. During this …
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35Islamic book artDenkmäler islamischer Buchkunst.Leipzig, 1929.
€ 1,500.00First edition; unnumbered copy. Meticulously produced standard work on Islamic book art, of which 375 numbered copies were issued. Part one by Adolf Grohmann, based on the famous collection of Archeduke Rainer (today in the Austrian National Library), covers the early Islamic period from the 7th to the 12th century. Part two by Thomas W. Arnold covers …
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36Seminal work on the architecture of ConstantinopleDie Baukunst Konstantinopels.Berlin, 1912.
InquireFirst edition; rare. An important survey of the architecture of Constantinople, concentrating mainly on religious buildings. The extensive scope covers the major mosques of the Ottomans, as well as Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sophia, Hagios Theodoros and the Byzantine land walls. The plates depict interior and exterior views, architectural details, …
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37After photographs by Pascal SébahLes costumes populaires de la Turquie en 1873.Constantinople, 1873.
€ 25,000.00First edition. The three sections are devoted to "Turquie d'Europe" (including Greece), "Ilas ottomanes" (including Cyprus), and "Turquie d'Asie" (including Mecca and the Lebanon). The plates are based on studio portrait photographs by Pascal Sébah (1823-86), then at his peak.
Sébah's Istanbul studio catered to the western European interest …
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38The Levantine Expedition of Algernon Heber-Percy in Vintage PhotographsArgob and Bashan. Moab and Gilead. Photographs from Syria and Jordan.Syria & Jordan, 1894-1895.
€ 95,000.00Two monumental albums with photographs from travels undertaken to Bashan, Argob, Moab and Gilead, presently Jordanian and Syrian territories, in the years 1894-95. Mounted on the album leaves are 174 photographs taken by the British officer Algernon Heber-Percy (1845-1911), recording two of his expeditions to the Levant. Most of the photographs show …
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39The Sultan’s MosqueLa mosquée du Sultan Hassan au Caire.Cairo, 1899.
€ 8,500.00First edition of this fundamental work on the Sultan Hassan mosque in Cairo, built in 1356/59 during the Mamluk era. One of the largest mosques in the world, it is famous not only for its sheer size, but also for its monumental portal, itself a work of art.
Herz (1856-1919), born a Hungarian in Arad County and trained as an architect in Budapest …
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40A mission to explore the NejdJournal d'un Voyage en Arabie (1883-1884).Paris, 1891.
InquireFirst edition. The Frenchman Charles Huber, originally from Alsace, lived for many years in Syria. He was commissioned by his government to explore Nejd "in the general interests of science and doubtless the particular interests of his nationality" (Hogarth). His passage from the Shakik wells to Jubbe was made in 76 hours, some nine hours faster …
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42Medieval Swedish glass from from the Middle EastOriental Glass of Mediaeval Date Found in Sweden and the Early History …Stockholm, 1941.
€ 70.00Notable paper on medieval Swedish glass originating from the Middle East. It discusses lustreware of the Fatimid period, as well as glass of the Raqqa, Fustat, Aleppo, Damascus, and Syro-Frankish groups, studying grave finds as well as finds of enamelled and gilt glass in sites including the monastery of Vreta, Lund, Hälsingborg, Barkarby and Birka. …
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43One of 125 copiesTrattato delle Simboliche rappresentanze arabiche.Paris, 1845-1846.
€ 35,000.00First edition, one of 125 copies.
The learned Italian abbot and orientalist Michele Angelo Lanci (1779-1867) taught Arabic at the Sapienza in Rome. For his "Trattato", Lanci studied Islamic artefacts such as the famous "Vaso Vescovali" (now in the British Museum), of which he provided the first scholarly account. Includes engravings of inscriptions …
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44"A unique showcase of Ottoman technical competence": the earliest comprehensive study on the history and theory of Ottoman architecture[Usul-i mimari-î Osmanî]. L’Architecture Ottomane. Ouvrage autorisé …Constantinople, 1873.
InquireFirst and only edition of "the earliest comprehensive study on the history and theory of Ottoman architecture" (Ersoy, p. 117). Only a few copies of this rare work, produced to the most exacting standards of the day, appear to have been printed. It was produced under the patronage of Edhem Pasha, president of the Imperial Ottoman Commission for the …
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45Qur'anic verses in KonyaKonia. Inschriften der seldschukischen Bauten.Berlin, 1907.
€ 1,500.00First edition, "printed as a manuscript", on the Seljuq inscriptions in Turkish Konya (many of which embody Qur'anic verses). Illustrated throughout. A good copy.
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46The only complete copy on the market for decadesVoyage d'exploration à la mer Morte, à Petra et sur la rive gauche du …Paris, 1874.
€ 35,000.00Rare travel report describing the scientific expedition to Palestine undertaken by the French archaeologist de Luynes (1802-67) in 1864. First edition, very rarely encountered complete: only two copies sold at international auctions during the past decades (both incomplete; the last set wanting plate 44: Sotheby's, 15 Oct. 2003, lot 676, GBP 8500; …
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47A fundamental book on Egypt: the first illustrated catalogue of the first Egyptian MuseumAlbum du musée du Boulaq comprenant quarante planches photographiées …Cairo, 1872.
€ 35,000.00Beautiful photographic album made in Cairo, the first illustrated catalogue of the first Egyptian Museum. While copies dated 1871 exist, both copies preserved in the French National Library bear the date 1872. The photographs by Hippolyte Délié and Émile Béchard show the halls and antiques of the Bulaq Museum, founded in Cairo in 1863 by the …
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48The Martin collection of oriental artefactsF. R. Martins Sammlungen aus dem Orient in der allgemeinen Kunst- und Industrieausstellung …Stockholm, 1897.
€ 950.00Fine catalogue of Martin's collection of oriental artefacts as shown at the Swedish Industrial and Art Exhibition, mainly with Persian, Turkish and Egyptian provenance. Inscribed to the Swedish naturalist Professor G. Retsius. Slight nick to lower corner near end of volume, otherwise a fine, spotless copy. Rare.
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49The Martin collection of Islamic textilesMorgenländische Stoffe in der Sammlung F. R. Martin.Stockholm, 1897.
€ 1,500.00Fine, beautifully illustrated and extensively annotated catalogue of Martin's collection of Islamic textiles, including the fragment of a 19th century Kiswah: the elaborately embroidered cloth curtain that covers the Kaaba in Mecca, replaced every year. Translated from Swedish by C. O. Nordgren. A perfect copy. Rare.
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50Photographs taken by the author between 1905 and 1915Bilder aus Palästina, Nord-Arabien und dem Sinai.Berlin, 1916.
€ 48,000.00A rare photographic record of the major sites and geographic features in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Palestine. The images - taken for the most part by Moritz but some by Turkish friends in areas where he was prohibited from going - depict pilgrims on the Hajj to Mecca, Bedouins, the building of the Hejaz railway between Damascus and the …
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51Printed in colour by Vienna's Imperial Print ShopSammlung Henri Moser-Charlottenfels: Orientalische Waffen und Rüstungen.Leipzig, 1912.
€ 12,000.00Very rare monograph about Henri Moser's collection of oriental arms and armour. The present copy in German is no. 103 of a small press run of 125 German copies (total number of copies: 300). The outstanding plates, printed in colour by the Vienna Court Printing Office, show extraordinary pieces of Moser's precious collection containing over 1,300 …
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52A collection of early photographic portraits, sumptuously bound for Ismail the MagnificentGalerie Contemporaine, Littéraire, Artistique.Paris, 1876-ca. 1878.
€ 18,000.00A striking collection of 72 woodburytype portraits of great artists and reproductions of their art, with accompanying biographical sketches, issued in undated instalments, then bound for and dedicated to Ismail Pasha, Khedive of Egypt and Sudan from 1863 to 1879. The portraits include famous authors and officers such as Victor Hugo, Thiers, Georges …
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53Rare photographs of MuscatNine original photographs of Muscat.Muscat, ca. 1905.
€ 6,500.00Rare photographs of Muscat depicting variously, "The Rock of Muscat", the Al-Jalali Fort, and the Al-Mirani Fort. A number of the images are of a military nature, from which it is possible to surmise that the photographer was an officer: a torpedo being fired, a significant cache of weapons and troops (bluejackets) disembarking on the shore to be …
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54Muslim metal objectsSammlung von Abbildungen türkischer, arabischer, persischer, centralasiatischer …Vienna, 1895.
€ 4,500.00A fine collection of Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman as well as Indian and Asian decorated metal objects, including bowls, basins, water pitchers, and tea pots. Several separate plates show details of the elaborate ornamentation.
Some foxing; slight defects to portfolio flaps. Removed from the Vienna University of International Trade with their …
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55Arabic ceramics from Austrian princely and noble collectionsSammlung von Abbildungen aus dem Nahen und Fernen Oriente.Vienna, 1885.
€ 5,000.00A fine set of plates, with extensive scholarly commentaries by three specialists, showing not only a wealth of Chinese and and Japanese, but also Arabic ceramics from Austrian princely and noble collections. The Middle-Eastern works are mainly in the Hispano-Mauric tradition of medieval Spain. Includes an illustrated essay by Josef Karabacek on Muslim …
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56Palestine in early photographsCollection of 27 cardboard-backed photographs by Félix Bonfils (24), Jakob …Palestine, ca. 1875.
€ 4,000.00By Bonfils, from Bethlehem: "Tombeau de Rachel" (no. 336); "Puits des Mages" (889); "Entrée des pèlerins à Bethléem, le jour de Noël" (892, illustrated in Wieczorek/Sui, "Ins Heilige Land", p. 106); "Vue générale de Bethléem, du puits de David" (1225) and interior of the Church of the Nativity (uncaptioned); from Jaffa: "Place du marché …
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57The last years of British rule in PalestinePhotograph album.Palestine, ca. 1945-1947.
€ 7,000.00Interesting collection of photographs by a participant in the closing stages of British rule in Palestine. Assembled by Lance Sergeant Ernest Bennet serving in 3rd Battalion of the Grenadier Guards in Palestine, the photographs depict British servicemen on military exercise (Exercise "Bustard"), with Arab inhabitants, riots in Jaffa, military convoys, …
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58The first photographic book to appear on the NejdIraq in War Time. Al-Iraq fi zaman al-harb.Basrah, 1918.
€ 8,500.00Intriguing photo publication of both Iraq and Central Arabia during the Great War, brought out by St John Philby at the end of the year 1918, after he had served with the British administration in Baghdad from 1915 to 1917 and then travelled through the interior of the Arabian Peninsula as head of a mission to Ibn Saud. Philby completed a great tour …
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59Coloured de luxe issueOriental Album. Characters, Costumes, and Modes of life, in the valley …London, 1848.
€ 65,000.00First edition. Only a small portion of the press run - as the present copy - was coloured by hand, providing the utmost detail and atmosphere to the splendid plates showing bedouins, horses, local life and costumes. One of the most sought-after and earliest publications by Prisse d'Avennes, who spent many years in Egypt after 1826, first as an engineer …
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60A perfect copy of the original editionL'Art Arabe d'après les monuments du Kaire depuis le VIIe siècle jusqu'la …Paris, 1869-1877.
€ 65,000.00Very scarce first edition of this splendid, unsurpassed standard work on Islamic art. Prisse d'Avennes spent many years in Egypt after 1826, first as an engineer in the service of Mehmet Ali. After 1836 he explored Egypt disguised as an Arab and using the name Edris Effendi; during this period he carried out archaeological excavations in the valley …
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61Standard work on Arabian artLa décoratión arabe. Décors muraux. Plafonds. Mosaiques. Dallages. Boiseires. …Paris, 1885.
InquireFirst edition of this selection from the author's famous, standard work on Arabian art, published between 1869 and 1877. The plates are slightly reduced from the original format and limit themselves to characteristic elements of decoration and ornament from all areas of the visual and applied arts of the Middle East. "'Arab Art', however, is more …
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62Islamic Mamluk-era architectural decoration in Cairo[Mémoires publiés par les membres de l'Institut Français d'Archéologie …Cairo, 1916.
€ 950.00Only edition of this important work on Islamic Mamluk-era architectural decoration in Cairo.
Spine rebacked; covers rubbed and waterstained. Rare.
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63The only complete set ever to appear on the marketL'Art islamique en orient. I [& II] Partie.Prague, 1921-1924.
€ 28,000.00First edition of both parts, complete and not listed thus in library catalogues or auction records of the last decades. The first part was considered lost; indeed, its very existence was doubted ("apparently the first part was never published", Atabey Sale, Sotheby's 29 May 2002, lot 990, the second part alone fetching £22,000). Contains a finely …
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64Inscribed by the authorDescription des monumens musulmans du cabinet de M. le duc de Blacas.Paris, 1828.
€ 9,500.00First edition of J. T. Reinaud's (1795-1867) rare catalogue of the famous collection of Islamic Art amassed by the French statesman Blacas. Most copies have title changed to "Monumens arabes, persans et turcs". This copy is inscribed by Reinaud to the Duc de Luynes, another famous French antiquarian.
The French antiquarian and diplomat Pierre …
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65Monumental description of an archaeological expedition to the LevantMission de Phénicie.Paris, 1864-1874.
€ 25,000.00First edition.
A rare complete set of this monumental description of the 1860/61 archaeological expedition to Lebanon and Syria, commissioned by Napoleon III and led by the renowned scholar of Semitic languages, Joseph Ernest Renan. The text volumes give a vivid account of the expedition, its route and findings, and include several illustrations …
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66One of 200 copiesLa céramique dans l'art musulman.Paris, 1913.
€ 25,000.00First edition of this monumental publication on Islamic pottery, no. 107 of 200 copies printed. All ceramics pictured within the two volumes are described in detail with place and date of origin as well as the current owner (mostly French noble or institutional collections). Includes a bibliography on the subject and list of plates.
Union …
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67Egypt and Nubia in 45 early drawings and squeezes, preserving images of sculptures and inscriptions[Binding title:] Egypt & Nubia.Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt and Nubia, 1838-1839.
€ 45,000.00An album of drawings (and squeezes of bas reliefs) made by William Robertson on a journey from Cairo in December 1838 down the Nile into Nubia, reaching as far south as the present-day Egyptian-Sudanese border region, including the temples of Abu Simbel, in January 1839, then returning via Philae, Karnak and other sites to Thebes in February 1839. …
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685 original glass lantern slides with the earliest photographs of Mecca and Medina[5 photographic lantern slides of Mecca and Medina (silver gelatin glass …Stuttgart, ca. 1910.
€ 35,000.00Five of the earliest and best photographs of Mecca and Medina, beautifully preserved as silver gelatin glass plates, including the first photograph of the Ka'ba in Mecca's Masjid al-Haram (Great Mosque). Two of the photographs were taken by the first person to photograph Mecca and Medina, the Egyptian Colonel Muhammad Sadiq Bey (1832-1902), who made …
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69Almost never encountered completeHistoire scientifique et militaire de l'éxpedition française en Égypte.Paris, 1830-1836.
€ 65,000.00First edition, almost never encountered complete as thus. Important source for the history and activities of the 1798 French expedition to Egypt, published in ten text volumes by Louis Reybaud and two atlas volumes. The portraits of the members of the expedition (usually forming part of the text volumes) have here been bound separately; also contains …
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70Architectural study of Yali KörprülüLe Yali des Keupruli a Anatoli-Hissar. Côte Asiatique du Bosphore.Paris, 1915.
€ 4,500.00One of 150 copies. Fine architectural study of Yali Körprülü, the oldest surviving seaside mansion (yali) on the Bosporus strait in Istanbul. Particularly remarkable for its detailed depictions of the rich ornaments and decor of the walls and ceilings in the residence.
The Körprülü seaside mansion is the oldest extant private residence …
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71Forty magnificent calotypes of Jerusalem: "It was an expensive book"Jérusalem. Etude et reproduction photographique des monuments de la ville …Paris, 1856.
€ 45,000.00Second, "better known" (Parr/Badger) edition of this pioneering work, first published in 1854: only the plate volume with the 40 magnificent calotypes, wanting the separately published 90 pages of text.
Wishing to support L. F. J. Caignant de Saulcy in the controversy concerning the dating of the wall of Jerusalem that followed his journey …
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72"A milestone publication on oriental carpets"Alt-Orientalische Teppiche. Herausgegeben vom österreichischen Museum …Vienna & Leipzig, 1926.
€ 8,500.00First edition. "A milestone publication based on the earlier pioneer works published by the Museum [...] Documentation and technical notes on each carpet. Magnificent illustrations" (Arntzen/Rainwater). Includes a bibliography on oriental carpets and additional examples of oriental rugmaking previously unknown and not published in Martin's 1908 monograph.
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73A copper astrolabe made in al-AndalusSur une mère d'astrolabe Arabe du XIIIe siècle (609 de l'Hégire) portant …Paris, 1893.
€ 450.00First separate edition of this rare study in Islamic astronomy, describing a copper astrolabe made in Seville in 609 A.H. (1212/13 A.D.) by Muhammad ibn Fattouh al-Khamairy.
Occasional brownstaining, still a very good, clean copy, uncut and untrimmed.
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74Photograph album.Egypt and Italy, mid-1870s.
€ 4,800.00Among the Egyptian images (mostly unsigned, but several by Pascal Sébah and another by Antoine Beato) are a plan of the Suez Canal (with several inset images), Pompey's Column, the obelisk now known as "Cleopatra's Needle" (in New York City's Central Park), the Heliopolis Obelisk, the ruins of the ancient town of Hermonthis (Armant), the Sphinx, …
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75Period views of ConstantinopleSouvenir de Constantinople.Constantinople, ca. 1890.
€ 6,500.00Fine period views of the city of Constantinople, by the respected photographic studio of Sébah and Joaillier, showing landscapes as well as monuments, street scenes with merchants, etc. Pascal Sébah (1823-86), a leading Constantinople photographer, was renowned for his well-judged compositions and for the excellent print quality achieved by his …
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76The earliest photographic documents of the city of Mecca, its dignitaries and its pilgrimsMekka. (And:) Bilder-Atlas zu Mekka.Haag, 1888-1889.
€ 45,000.00Remarkable set, rarely encountered complete with the plates volume. The Dutch orientalist Snouck spent a year in Mecca and Jeddah during 1884/85 and was married to a Mecca woman. He was the first non-Muslim to visit the city outside the annual pilgrimage. The photographs, taken by himself and an Arabic physician, are among the earliest to show Mecca …
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77Extremely rare: 20 original photographs of Mekka by the "earliest Arabian photographer"Bilder aus Mekka.Leiden, 1889.
€ 95,000.00One of the earliest photographic documents of Mecca and the Hajj, preceded only by the photographs of Muhammed Sadiq Bey published in 1881 (Sotheby's, 4 June 1998: £1,250,000). Much rarer than the author's similarly titled "Bilder-Atlas zu Mekka", a portfolio of lithographs to accompany the "Mekka" books which Snouck had published after his return …
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78The Chasuble of Saint-Regnobert at the Cathedral of BayeuxPrécis d'une dissertation sur un monument arabe du moyen age en Normandie. …Caen, 1827.
€ 350.00Second edition (first printed in 1820), with several illustrations published here for the first time. No. 237 of 300 copies. Rare treatise by John Spencer Smith (1769-1845), an "extrait du procès-verbal de la séance du 14 avril 1820", about the famous Chasuble of Saint-Regnobert preserved at the Cathedral of Bayeux, and about the Cufic-inscribed …
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79The first photographs taken in Asia MinorExploration archéologique en Asie Mineure comprenant les restes non connus …Paris, ca. 1858-1863.
€ 48,000.00Rare, early photobook on the archaeological excavations in Turkey and the Levant during the 1850s, a work which assured the architect-explorer Pierre Tremaux (1818-95) an eminent place in the history of photography. Includes views of Aphrodisias, Corycus, Ephesus, Hierapolis, Jerusalem, Magnesia, Milet, Perga, Priene, Seleucia, Smyrna, Tarsus, etc.
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80One of the largest and most significant Constantinople albumsAlbum of early photographs of Constantinople.Constantinople Istanbul, 1853-1857.
€ 50,000.00Early, uncommonly extensive album of photographs of Constantinople (including some of Athens and Crimea), most signed by the photographer, James Robertson, created during his stay in Istanbul between 1853 and 1857. Of the 21 photographs present, no fewer than 14 show Constantinople and Scutari: they include a magnificent panorama of the city and …
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81Egypt in 309 beautiful illustrations, many in colourNuova illustrazione istorico-monumentale del basso e dell'alto Egitto. …Florence, 1836-1837 text & 1837-1841 plates.
€ 18,000.00First edition of a beautiful series of illustrations of Egypt and classical Egyptian monuments, with the accompanying text volumes giving detailed information on each illustration. The illustrations show maps, costumes and views of both ancient and modern Egypt. The scientist and Egyptologist Girolamo Segato (1792-1836) began working on a new description …
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82With a discussion of the oriental decorative artsVoyage d'Horace Vernet en Orient. Rédigé par M. Goupil Fesquet. Orné …Paris, 1843.
€ 950.00First edition; republished in Brussels in 1844. The artist Goupil-Fesquet (1817-78) accompanied Vernet to Egypt and Syria, where is is known to have taken the first dagerreotypes in the area - only two months after the discovery of photography was announced in 1839. This work is an account of that famous journey which became a landmark in the history …
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83A large-paper copy from the library of the Duke of RichelieuCaravanne du Sultan à la Mecque: Mascarade turque faite à Rome par Messieurs …Paris, ca. 1749.
€ 35,000.00First edition; a large-paper copy with Richelieu's arms. Vien's charming series of etchings depicts the costumes worn by members of the French Academy in Rome for a "Turkish masquerade" held during the Carnival celebrations of 1748. This masque is an outstanding example of the influence the orient exerted on western style during the late-Baroque …
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84Islamic architecture, illustratedSyrie centrale. Architecture civile et religieuse du Ier au VIIe siècle.Paris, 1865-1877.
€ 25,000.00First edition of this detailed study of Syrian decorative architectural art. "De Vogüé travelled with William Waddington in 1853 and 1854, exploring the area from Aleppo to Damascus, Palmyra and Basra. It was an important expedition and much new material was uncovered. The author became ambassador to the Porte in 1871" (Blackmer).
Occasional …
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85Arabic clock-makingÜber die Uhren im Bereich der islamischen Kultur.Halle, 1915.
€ 1,500.00Study of medieval Arabic clock-making techniques, based on published works and unpublished Arabic manuscripts.
Perfectly preserved in a modern private library binding.