Prague: Antonín Víte, 1906. Original cardboard cover with embossed pale blue cover title and textile hasps. First and only edition of this visually charming, yet as regards the story also pertinently disturbing bibliophile edition, with 33 full-paged illustrations after indian ink or pencil drawings by Czech symbolist painter and printmaker Emil Holárek (1867-1919) after a fairy tale by Jaroslav Kvapil. The story is about a nymphet, who wears herself out between various institutions of state and society and the wickedness of their protagonists, finally ending up as a supposed culprit on the scaffold. The reproductions of Holáreks drawings are skilfully arranged by the Prague based printmaker Antonín Vítek by contrasting them with a ochre surface and ornamental frames and elegantly printed on cream machine-mould paper. Apart from minor wear to the cover and a few foxing stains inside, present is a very clean copy of this attractive bibliophile publication.

Holárek's unique and to some extent irritating style is marked by 'a sombre pessimism'. He embodied a sense of sarcastic moralism in most of his series, reflecting on a deep tragic and romantic conception. Except for his connection to [Max] Klinger [whom he met when studying in Munich] he never allied with any school, nor did he have any followers. (Urban).

Otto M. Urban: Mysterious Distances. Symbolism and Art in the Bohemian Lans, 1880-1914. Catalogue on the occasion of the Exhibition in the Olomouc Museum of Art 201/15. Olomouc/Prague: 2014, pp. 106-09, with 7 illustrations, whereof 3 of comparable ink or pencil drawings; Thieme/Becker, vol. XVII, 326.

320 by 250mm (12½ by 9¾ inches). 4Mo. 35, [5]. pages.

Port Sunlight: Lever Brothers Limited, c. 1910. Loose leaf, in full colour, that appears to have formerly been tipped into another publication. Illustration of a man in a bath holding a bar of Lifebuoy soap with a box of soaps on the floor and a portrait of the Lifebuoy fisherman on the wall. Text reads "LIFEBUOY SOAP. Specially prepared for HANDS & BATH. Gives you that Healthy Feeling". Verso has the advertising text for Lifebuoy. Very good condition and still bright coloured, as it was kept enclosed in a book or magazine for most of its time. Clean and without creases etc. 160 x 115 mm (6¼ x 4½ inches).

Lever Brothers and other firms often commissioned many (now important) artists to produce their advertising for them. Will Owen (1869 – 1957) was an English book illustrator, cartoonist, caricaturist and a commercial and poster artist, possibly best known for his iconic images of the Bisto Kids, Bovril, Lux and Lifebuoy.

Paris: L' Edition d'Art - H. Piazza & Cie, 1910. Deluxe Edition in French, printed on Japan paper, # 224 of 300, signed by Edmond Dulac. Translated in to French by Edmond Dulac, from Fitzgerald's 1859 translation - Persian to English - of a selection of quatrains attributed to Omar Kháyyám; "The Astronomer Poet of Persia". Twenty beautiful tipped-in colour plates, each with its original captioned tissue-guard. Book is in a very good condition. In protective glassine covering, and within original decorative card slipcase. 20 beautiful tipped-in colour plates, each with its original captioned tissue-guard. Glassine cover. Spine has a small tear. Appears to be from being put into accompanying slipcase. Slipcase has been bumped on the corners. Book is weak at front hinge. Unpaginated. 300 x 240 mm (11¾ x 9½ inches).

, Édition de luxe en français, imprimée sur papier Japon, n° 224 sur 300, signée par Edmond Dulac. Traduit en français par Edmond Dulac, d'après la traduction de Fitzgerald de 1859 - du persan à l'anglais - d'une sélection de quatrains attribués à Omar Kháyyám ; "Le poète astronome de la Perse". Vingt magnifiques planches en couleurs incluses dans l'ouvrage, chacune d'entre elles étant accompagnée d'un protège-tissu original légendé. Le livre est en très bon état. Dans une couverture protectrice en glassine, et dans un étui décoratif en carton d'origine. 20 belles planches en couleurs incluses, chacune avec son protège-tissu original légendé. Couverture en verre. Le dos présente une petite déchirure. Cette déchirure semble provenir de la mise en place de l'étui d'accompagnement. L'étui a été bosselé aux coins. Le livre est fragile au niveau de la charnière avant. Non paginé. 300 x 240 mm (11¾ x 9½ pouces).

Shanghai: Commercial Press, 1914. Two parts in one volume. Quarto. Pp. 324, iv; 74. Coloured frontispiece. Numerous collotype and coloured plates interleaved with text leaves. Each plate protected with a facing tissue-guard. Hardcover, bound in the original publisher's lovely silk-covered boards, sewn with threads in traditional Chinese style, upper board richly illustrated in gilt, and with gilt lettering. First edition. Includes list of dynasties; notes on the history and technique of Chinese drawing and painting; supplement of plates illustrating Chinese bronzes, ceramic art, and jade (separate title page). The silk covered boards are in very good to fine condition, a little discoloured (darkened) to the edges. Tiny split to the head of the spine. Internally In fine internal condition. Exceptionally well preserved, crisp plates. 280 x 220 mm (11 x 8¾ inches).

Collotype is one of the most accurate and attractive methods of photomechanical tonal printing processes. Highly skilled and expensive process, it cannot produce more than a limited number of impressions. It has been used for single-sheet prints and luxury portfolios, and since the 1950s has been abandoned by all except a few small specialist firms
Strehlneek owned an art gallery in Shanghai. In 1930, he was advertising this as the oldest establish firm dealing with art objects for the collector.

London: John Russell Smith, 1855. First Edition. Original green full buckram, with paper label pasted to the spine. Half-title, vignette title page (Anglo-Saxon Barrows in Greenwich Park), xxviii, 84, with 40 fine plates, printed in colours and hand-finished, captioned J.Basire del set sc., grandson of James Basire, mentor to Blake.
Owner's signature of Francis Vine. He was the vicar of Eastington, Stonehouse in Gloucestershire, member of Kent Archaeological society. and author of "Caesar in Kent: an Account of the Landing of Julius Caesar and His Battles With the Ancient Briton" Published in 1888. No doubt this work was an essential reference to him. The buckram is in good clean condition, but with a couple of small splits to the spine edges. Paper label darkened and a little chipped. Library label to the front pastedown. Intermittent small library stamps throughout. Owner's signature to the half title. Binding is a little shaken, but holding. Intermittent foxing. Overall a nice copy. xxviii, 1-84 + plates. 300 by 230mm (11¾ by 9 inches).

London: Printed by S. Roycroft for R. Blome, 1679. "The Fifth Edition, much enlarged with great variety of Bearings. To Which is added a Treatise of Honour, Military and Civil, According to the Laws and Customs of England, collected out of the most Authentick Authors, both Ancient and Modern by Capt. John Logan."
A very nice copy - recently bound in quarter calf with burgundy label and marbled boards. Recent end papers. The rest of the book is original and complete. This is an ex library copy, but the stamps are not too disfiguring. A stamp and a couple of location records to the title page. Otherwise some small stamps to the verso of plates. A few of the pages have minor nicking to the edges - but well away from the text. Slight browning to the pages. Overall though, a good clean copy, with nice clear and well pressed engravings in a flawless binding. The first part of the work (Guillim's) contains hundreds of examples of Arms throughout the text. The second part (the Analogia Honorum) contains two engraved dedications, 9 full page portraits and 105 engraved plates containing hundreds of Arms and honours. All uncoloured.
[xiv], 1-317, [ix]. [ii], 3-181, [ix]. pp + plates and engraved portraits. 380 x 250mm (15 x 9¾ inches).

Hanoverae [Hanover]: In Officina Foersteriana, 1731. First edition. Original vellum boards. Black inked title to spine. Frontispiece showing Carolus Magnus (Charlemagne) holding up the church. Red and black title page. Dedication page. Introductions and preface, text. A couple of attractive woodcuts. Complete with index, errata etc. All edges red. The vellum and text are both clean and tidy, in this beautiful work. Written at Charlemagne's command, this is an account, in four books, of the Second Council of Nicaea (787). This council largely dealt with the heresy of Iconoclasm, and rather, permitted the adoration of Jesus, Mary, and Saints through the assistance of images - not through the adoration of the images themselves.. [ii], 1-138, 1-594, [ii]. pp Première édition. Planches vélin d'origine. Titre encré en noir au dos. frontispice montrant Carolus Magnus (Charlemagne) tenant l'église. Page de titre rouge et noir. Page de dédicace. Introductions et préface, texte. Quelques gravures sur bois attrayantes. Complet avec index, errate etc. : Le vélin et le texte sont à la fois propres et bien rangés, dans ce bel ouvrage. Écrit sur l'ordre de Charlemagne, il s'agit d'un récit, en quatre livres, du deuxième concile de Nicée (787). Ce concile traitait en grande partie de l'hérésie de l'iconoclasme et permettait plutôt l'adoration de Jésus, de Marie et des saints à l'aide d'images - et non à travers l'adoration des images elles-mêmes. [ii], 1-138, 1-594, [ii]. pp