Psalm Book
A
rare psalm book from 1640 is to be auctioned by Sotheby’s New York in the
autumn this year. It is expected to fetch between $15 million to $30 million.
Sotheby’s expect it to be the “the most expensive book ever sold.”
The Bay Psalm Book, which is the first book printed in what is now the United States, comes from the Old South Church in Boston, one of two copies of the book in its collection. The last Bay Psalm Book was bought at a Sotheby’s auction in 1947 for $151,000 by Yale University.
When the Bay Psalm Book was first printed, 1,700 copies were made, and few still survive. It is expected that many institutions such as Princeton or the University of Texas, as well as private book collectors would desire to this copy. Old South Church is hoping to use profits from the sale to help pay for building repairs and support its ministries. The church will maintain ownership of its other 2,000 rare books and manuscripts.
Sotheby’s plans to give people many opportunities to see the hymnal and will exhibit it widely before its November auction.
The Bay Psalm Book, which is the first book printed in what is now the United States, comes from the Old South Church in Boston, one of two copies of the book in its collection. The last Bay Psalm Book was bought at a Sotheby’s auction in 1947 for $151,000 by Yale University.
When the Bay Psalm Book was first printed, 1,700 copies were made, and few still survive. It is expected that many institutions such as Princeton or the University of Texas, as well as private book collectors would desire to this copy. Old South Church is hoping to use profits from the sale to help pay for building repairs and support its ministries. The church will maintain ownership of its other 2,000 rare books and manuscripts.
Sotheby’s plans to give people many opportunities to see the hymnal and will exhibit it widely before its November auction.
———————————
Bible Dictionary
Bible Dictionary
A
rare book has gone on display for the very first time at Lacock Abbey. The
14th-Century copy of an early bible dictionary has been at the abbey in
Wiltshire, England for more than 700 years, but was recently bought at auction
by the National Trust. It is one of very few monastic books to have
survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII in the 1530s.
The book, Expositiones Vocabulorum Biblie, by William Brito, was part of the abbey library. The book is written on parchment and contains the explanations and origins of words. It also includes 13th Century financial accounts of the abbey pasted into the binding.
The book, Expositiones Vocabulorum Biblie, by William Brito, was part of the abbey library. The book is written on parchment and contains the explanations and origins of words. It also includes 13th Century financial accounts of the abbey pasted into the binding.
Reiss & Sohn
Movable
Type Printing Before Gutenberg A Book of Hours Woven with Punch Cards and the
Manuscript of an Executioner. Reiss & Sohn Spring Auctions of Rare and
Valuable Books and Maps
Koenigstein (Taunus) — Johannes Gutenberg is widely regarded as the inventor of movable type printing. However, it is a little-known but undisputed historical fact that even before Gutenberg was born, books were printed with movable metal types in far-away Korea, albeit in very small quantities. A fine specimen of early Korean printing with movable metal type will be auctioned in the course of this year's Spring Auctions of Reiss & Sohn in Germany, which will be held from April 23rd to 25th in Koenigstein (Taunus). The work, part of a collection of Confucian teachings of Chinese philosophy, was printed in Korea around 1440, more than ten years before the Gutenberg Bible was printed in Germany. The small booklet is estimated at 60.000 Euro. However, the most valuable item of the sale is offered in the geography section: A complete set of Blaeu's six-volume 'Theatrum orbis terrarum'. The Dutch edition, published in Amsterdam 1642-62, is priced at 120.000 Euro.
More than 80 Western prints of the 15th century are offered for sale, ranging from the Liber Sextus of Pope Boniface VIII, printed in Strasbourg about 1470 (25.000), up to the very last incunabulum, Antonius Rampigollis' 'Figurae bibliae', printed on December 31st, 1500, in Venice (3.000). Other incunabula of special interest are the 'Opus restitutionum' of Franciscus de Platea, printed in Kraków in 1475 (60.000), an exposition of the Apostle's Creed of 1485, illustrated with woodcuts (25.000), and the only known complete copy of a German astronomical-medical broadside almanac for 1485 (25.000).
The first and only successful attempt to produce a perfectly legible book not printed, but entirely woven in silk, was accomplished in 1887. The Parisian editor Roux produced a 'Livre de Prières' with Jacquard machines which worked with punch cards, thus anticipating modern computer techniques (10.000).
Apart from a wide range of printed books, several interesting autographs and manuscripts are offered for sale, including Latin Books of Hours of the 15th century (8.000-30.000) and a 10-volume manuscript on Freemasonry, created about 1775 in Leipzig and splendidly bound in morocco (35.000). Particularly noteworthy is a comprehensive medical manuscript captioned 'Hortus Sanitatis' and penned by the Swabian headsman Maximus Fidelis Steigendesch in the 18th century (15.000).
About 300 items referring to medicine, engineering and science will be brought under the hammer. Especially remarkable is a collection of works by the Jesuit polymath Athanasius Kircher, with estimations between 1.500 Euro for his 'Neue Hall-und Thon-Kunst' of 1684, discussing the possibilities of transmitting music to remote places, and 12.000 Euro for the 'Oedipus Aegyptiacus', an extensive study of Egyptology and comparative religion, issued 1652-55.
The atlas section includes several highlights. Remarkable items are, besides Blaeu's 'The-atrum' already mentioned above, Pieter van der Aa's 'Atlas Nouveau et Curieux', issued in 1714 (38.000), the 1584 Antwerp edition of Ortelius' 'Theatrum orbis terrarum' (50.000) and the Strasbourg Ptolemy of 1525, coloured by a contemporary hand (60.000). The most beautiful illustrated work on Constantinople, the 'Voyage pittoresque' of Anton Ignaz Melling, was printed 1809-19 by Didot in Paris (50.000). Twenty years later, a work of likewise importance on Greece appeared in Otto Magnus von Stackelberg's 'La Gréce', illustrated with 127 lithographed plates (30.000).
The map section offers a rich selection of nearly 900 items. Noteworthy are several scarce woodcut maps from the Ulm Ptolemy editions of 1482 and 1486, including Greece (6.000), Middle East (10.000), Southeast Asia (6.000) and Turkey (8.000). Another remarkable item is a very fine 18th century manuscript map centered on China, though intending to illustrate the whole world (16.000). Other items of special interest to the collector may be the substantial offer of rare broadsheets.
Richly illustrated catalogues for all sales are available on request (fee). The complete catalogue with illustrations of each item and a full text search is available on our website. For more information please contact:
Reiss & Sohn
Adelheidstrasse 2
61462 Koenigstein im Taunus
Tel. +49(0)6174-92720
Fax +49(0)6174-927249
Email: reiss@reiss-sohn.de
Koenigstein (Taunus) — Johannes Gutenberg is widely regarded as the inventor of movable type printing. However, it is a little-known but undisputed historical fact that even before Gutenberg was born, books were printed with movable metal types in far-away Korea, albeit in very small quantities. A fine specimen of early Korean printing with movable metal type will be auctioned in the course of this year's Spring Auctions of Reiss & Sohn in Germany, which will be held from April 23rd to 25th in Koenigstein (Taunus). The work, part of a collection of Confucian teachings of Chinese philosophy, was printed in Korea around 1440, more than ten years before the Gutenberg Bible was printed in Germany. The small booklet is estimated at 60.000 Euro. However, the most valuable item of the sale is offered in the geography section: A complete set of Blaeu's six-volume 'Theatrum orbis terrarum'. The Dutch edition, published in Amsterdam 1642-62, is priced at 120.000 Euro.
More than 80 Western prints of the 15th century are offered for sale, ranging from the Liber Sextus of Pope Boniface VIII, printed in Strasbourg about 1470 (25.000), up to the very last incunabulum, Antonius Rampigollis' 'Figurae bibliae', printed on December 31st, 1500, in Venice (3.000). Other incunabula of special interest are the 'Opus restitutionum' of Franciscus de Platea, printed in Kraków in 1475 (60.000), an exposition of the Apostle's Creed of 1485, illustrated with woodcuts (25.000), and the only known complete copy of a German astronomical-medical broadside almanac for 1485 (25.000).
The first and only successful attempt to produce a perfectly legible book not printed, but entirely woven in silk, was accomplished in 1887. The Parisian editor Roux produced a 'Livre de Prières' with Jacquard machines which worked with punch cards, thus anticipating modern computer techniques (10.000).
Apart from a wide range of printed books, several interesting autographs and manuscripts are offered for sale, including Latin Books of Hours of the 15th century (8.000-30.000) and a 10-volume manuscript on Freemasonry, created about 1775 in Leipzig and splendidly bound in morocco (35.000). Particularly noteworthy is a comprehensive medical manuscript captioned 'Hortus Sanitatis' and penned by the Swabian headsman Maximus Fidelis Steigendesch in the 18th century (15.000).
About 300 items referring to medicine, engineering and science will be brought under the hammer. Especially remarkable is a collection of works by the Jesuit polymath Athanasius Kircher, with estimations between 1.500 Euro for his 'Neue Hall-und Thon-Kunst' of 1684, discussing the possibilities of transmitting music to remote places, and 12.000 Euro for the 'Oedipus Aegyptiacus', an extensive study of Egyptology and comparative religion, issued 1652-55.
The atlas section includes several highlights. Remarkable items are, besides Blaeu's 'The-atrum' already mentioned above, Pieter van der Aa's 'Atlas Nouveau et Curieux', issued in 1714 (38.000), the 1584 Antwerp edition of Ortelius' 'Theatrum orbis terrarum' (50.000) and the Strasbourg Ptolemy of 1525, coloured by a contemporary hand (60.000). The most beautiful illustrated work on Constantinople, the 'Voyage pittoresque' of Anton Ignaz Melling, was printed 1809-19 by Didot in Paris (50.000). Twenty years later, a work of likewise importance on Greece appeared in Otto Magnus von Stackelberg's 'La Gréce', illustrated with 127 lithographed plates (30.000).
The map section offers a rich selection of nearly 900 items. Noteworthy are several scarce woodcut maps from the Ulm Ptolemy editions of 1482 and 1486, including Greece (6.000), Middle East (10.000), Southeast Asia (6.000) and Turkey (8.000). Another remarkable item is a very fine 18th century manuscript map centered on China, though intending to illustrate the whole world (16.000). Other items of special interest to the collector may be the substantial offer of rare broadsheets.
Richly illustrated catalogues for all sales are available on request (fee). The complete catalogue with illustrations of each item and a full text search is available on our website. For more information please contact:
Reiss & Sohn
Adelheidstrasse 2
61462 Koenigstein im Taunus
Tel. +49(0)6174-92720
Fax +49(0)6174-927249
Email: reiss@reiss-sohn.de
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