Blaeu’s 17th-Century Britannia prout at Catawiki

Amsterdam – Our Exclusive Selection campaigns have continued to be popular, so the books & cartography department are pleased to be participating in the October Edition of this event. We have expanded our offering this month, but adding a French Literature auction to the list.

Offered as one lot in our Art & Photography books auction are three of the rarest issues of Derriere le Miroir dedicated to Marc Chagall’s work. These contain a total of 11 original lithographs by Chagall, a must of any contemporary art collection.

A highlight of our Exclusive books and maps auction are all three volumes of the first edition of Vallisneri’s Opera Fisico Mediche from 1733. With 97 plates of human and marine animals and monsters, this extravagant work cannot fail to impress.  Similarly impressive is the fabulous binding on Frédéric Masson & Édouard Detaille’s Cavaliers de Napoléon first edition from 1895. One of only 75 copies on Japon, with many illustrations by Detaille, the binding is by one of the most important binders of the Belle Epoque, Charles Meunier.

For map lovers, we are pleased to offer this lovely example of Johannes Blaeu’s Britannia prout from the 17th Century, with attractive Dutch miniatures to panels on each side of the map.

One of the highlights in our new Exclusive French Literature is this excellent copy of Ludovic Baschet’s Galerie Contemporaine littéraire et artistique with an original photograph of Baudelaire. This is complete with all 13 issues produced between 1876 &1884

Rounding off our offering for the Exclusive Selection is our ever popular Exclusive autographs & Manuscripts auction. We open with this lovely manuscript on Medicine by A. Villanova dating from 1864. This interesting pharmacological manuscript includes instructions on how to prepare Opium and belladonna, as well as other drugs and poisons, with an attractive hand coloured illustration of the tools used in the pharmacy.

Finally, for our American readers, we include this rather nice photograph of Laurel & Hardy, signed by Stan Laurel. 

We hope you will make the time to look over our auctions, where you will find altogether over 160 fine books, maps and manuscripts. Of course, we are also holding our regular auctions alongside these.

Exclusive Art & Photography books ends Saturday 22nd October
Exclusive Books & Maps ends sunday 23rd October
Exclusive Autographs & Manuscripts ends Sunday 23rd October
Exclusive French Literature ends Sunday 23rd October

The auctions will be online through Sunday 23rd October 2022 at 18:01 UTC and will be visible at this link.

Marc Harrison, category manager Books, Manuscripts & Cartography at Catawiki: “This is our largest collection yet for the “exclusive selection.” It is a testament to our experts and staff that so many sellers are trusting us with beautiful objects, often without reserve price, knowing that we will help them to find a new home. ”