Books & Bookplates

  • Hyakumantō Dhāraṇī (百万塔陀羅尼) : an example of the earliest printed text with a reliable date.

    # 44896

    EMPRESS SHOTOKU-TENNO (718 - 770 CE)

    Hyakumantō Dhāraṇī (百万塔陀羅尼) : an example of the earliest printed text with a reliable date.

    Japan : Nara period [764-770 CE]. Three-tier turned wooden pagoda made of hinoki (Japanese cypress), with original white gesso wash, small repair to upper tier, separate turned katsura wood finial (small edge chips to the rings), overall height 220 mm; removed from the cavity of the pagoda is the original printed dhāraṇī (55 x 360 …

  • [INCUNABLE] A specimen leaf from William Caxton’s Polychronicon, printed in 1482.

    # 45853

    [CAXTON, William, ca. 1422 - ca. 1491]; HIGDEN, Ranulf (ca. 1280-1364)

    [INCUNABLE] A specimen leaf from William Caxton’s Polychronicon, printed in 1482.

    Westminster : William Caxton, between 2 July and 8 October 1482. Single leaf from Liber Quintus, f. ccl, blackletter, 40 lines (recto) and 40 lines verso, 275 x 210 mm (leaf), paragraph and chapter marks rubricated in red; the text is in English; early marginalia in red and brown ink; and some light staining and …

  • A catalogue of the classic contents of Strawberry Hill collected by Horace Walpole

    # 47364

    [WALPOLE, Horace]

    A catalogue of the classic contents of Strawberry Hill collected by Horace Walpole

    London : Smith and Robins, Printers, 1842. Quarto, lithographed card wrappers (marked and creased), cloth spine with tile added by hand, bookplate to front wrapper of Julius Brenchley of Maidstone, museum stamp and Withdrawn note from the Maidstone Museum (where Brenchley sent much of his collection), lithographed portrait of Walpole and title page, pp. xxiv; …

  • Richard Cosway

    # 47342

    WILLIAMSON, George C.

    Richard Cosway

    London : George Bell and Sons, 1905. Octavo, finely bound in full polished calf, spine in compartments with raised bands, lettered and tooled in gilt, light scuffing, gilt dentelles, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers, the upper panel from the original cloth binding laid on to front pastedown and the spine from original binding laid on …

  • Auction. John Gould's Birds of Australia 1840 - 1869. The Lord Lilford Collection.

    # 47633

    [GOULD, John]

    Auction. John Gould’s Birds of Australia 1840 – 1869. The Lord Lilford Collection.

    Perth : McKenzie Gallery in conjunction with Trowbridge Gallery of Perth and Full Circle of Melbourne, 2004. Folio, illustrated wrappers, pp. 12, essay, list of plates with prices. Auction catalogue. Together with : The Birds of Australia by John Gould. Adelaide : Antique Print Room, circa 1990. Folio, diecut wrappers (damaged), pp. 12, plus price …

  • What can a librarian do?

    # 47632

    STODDARD, Roger

    What can a librarian do?

    Keynote address for the Bibliographical Society of Australia and New Zealand Conference “Hunters and Gatherers : Building Collections of Books” : 16 October 2004. Melbourne : Centre for the Book, Monash University, 2004. Octavo, lettered wrappers, pp. iv, 15. Printed in an edition of 300 copies.

  • The Fairy World of Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

    # 47555

    MUIR, Marcie and HOLDEN, Robert

    The Fairy World of Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

    Sydney : Craftsman House, 1985. First edition.  Quarto, boards in illustrated dustjacket (light sunning to spine), 171 pp. extensively illustrated. The definitive reference on Outhwaite, one of Australia’s and Britain’s most loved children’s authors and illustrators. A very good copy of the first edition.

  • Love and devotion : from Persia and beyond (hardcover)

    # 47541

    SCOLLAY, Susan

    Love and devotion : from Persia and beyond (hardcover)

    Melbourne : Macmillan Art in association with the State Library of Victoria and the Bodleian Library, Oxford, 2012. Quarto, boards in dustjacket, pp. xiii, 221, illustrated. ‘Jointly published by Macmillan and the State Library of Victoria in association with the Bodleian Library, Oxford, this book accompanies an exhibition of original manuscripts relating to Persian poetry …

  • The art of praise : Italian illuminated choir books 1300-1450

    # 47452

    MANION, Margaret (1935 - 2024)

    The art of praise : Italian illuminated choir books 1300-1450

    Introduced by Margaret Manion ; with contributions by Ursula Betka, Elaine Shaw, John Stinson ; preface by Barry Jones, foreword by Gerard Vaughan, prologue by Christopher de Hamel. Melbourne, [Vic.] : [The authors], 2021. Quarto, cloth with pictorial inlay, pp. 263, illustrated. Designed and edited by Jenny Zimmer. Printed in a very limited edition of …

  • Love and devotion : from Persia and beyond (deluxe edition)

    # 47444

    SCOLLAY, Susan

    Love and devotion : from Persia and beyond (deluxe edition)

    Melbourne : Macmillan Art in association with the State Library of Victoria and the Bodleian Library, Oxford, 2012. Quarto, deluxe binding of full cloth with pictorial inlay lettered in gilt, pp. xiii, 221, housed in cloth slipcase with ribbon draw. The deluxe edition, of which only a few copies were printed for presentation. ‘Jointly published …

  • Love and devotion : from Persia and beyond

    # 47433

    SCOLLAY, Susan

    Love and devotion : from Persia and beyond

    Melbourne : Macmillan Art in association with the State Library of Victoria and the Bodleian Library, Oxford, 2012. Quarto, illustrated wrappers, pp. xiii, 221, illustrated. ‘Jointly published by Macmillan and the State Library of Victoria in association with the Bodleian Library, Oxford, this book accompanies an exhibition of original manuscripts relating to Persian poetry and …

  • P. Neville Barnett : Australian genius with books

    # 47352

    FERSON, Mark J. (editor)

    P. Neville Barnett : Australian genius with books

    A volume of essays issued on the 50th Anniversary of his death. Ryde, N.S.W. : Book Collectors’ Society of Australia, 2003. Octavo, illustrated wrappers (lightly foxed), pp. viii, 92, illustrated. Limited to 150 signed and numbered copies. Includes bibliography. Studies in Australian Bibliophily Number 6.

  • James Bonwick : A writer of school books and histories with a bibliography of his writings.

    # 47174

    PESCOTT, Edward Edgar.

    James Bonwick : A writer of school books and histories with a bibliography of his writings.

    Melbourne: H. A. Evans, 1939. Quarto, quarter cloth over lettered boards (edges rubbed), 43 pp., frontispiece portrait. Limited to 250 signed copies.

  • [NORMAN LINDSAY]. Health Reader with chapters on elementary school hygiene (the author's copy)

    # 18980

    ELKINGTON, J. S. C.

    [NORMAN LINDSAY]. Health Reader with chapters on elementary school hygiene (the author’s copy)

    Illustrated by Norman Lindsay. Christchurch : Whitcombe and Tombs, n.d. [c. 1908]. Octavo, lettered cloth (a little marked), 139 pp. with numerous illustrations by Norman Lindsay. Very scarce and early Lindsayana. The author’s copy, with his Norman Lindsay designed bookplate to front pastedown.

  • Lewin : wild art

    # 47141

    NEVILLE, Richard (curator)

    Lewin : wild art

    Sydney : State Library of New South Wales, 2012. Quarto, illustrated wrappers, lightly rubbed, pp. 12, catalogue of 159 works, no illustrations.

  • Lyre Bird Press : in full flight. A bibliography

    # 47261

    ADAMS, Tate et al.

    Lyre Bird Press : in full flight. A bibliography

    Townsville, Qld. : Lyre Bird Press, 2001. Quarto, diecut wrappers, pp. 72, illustrated. Rare illustrated artists books from the press.