Forum Rare Books
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forumrarebooks.bsky.social
Forum Rare Books
@forumrarebooks.bsky.social
Rare book dealers from the Netherlands, specializing in books, manuscripts, prints, maps & other works on paper concerning Travel & Exploration, Islamic World, Natural History, Early Printing, Cartography, Science & Medicine, etc.

www.forumrarebooks.com
Congratulations to #Curaçao for its qualification for the #2026WorldCup!

If you want to catch up on your reading on this small #Caribbean island we recommend our copy of Dutch historian Johannes Hermanus Hering's "Beschryving van het eiland Curaçao, en de daar onder hoorende eilanden" (1779).
November 19, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Our book of the day is another highlight from our new #Erasmus catalogue. It's a 1533 edition, in a fine binding with the monogram of the Collège (Royal) de Navarre in Paris, of a classic collection of Roman imperial biographies, known as the "Historia Augusta".

#rarebooks #bookbinding
November 18, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Ready for business at the Abu Dhabi Art Fair!

November 19-23, Stand A20, at Manarat Al Saadiyat.

Come visit if you're in the neighbourhood.

#artfair #abudhabi #abudhabiartfair
#rarebooks #maps #antiquarianbooks
#bookcollecting
November 17, 2025 at 3:32 PM
It's here, our new catalogue on #Erasmus! Check it our on our website. Over 60 #rarebooks, many published during Erasmus' own lifetime. Many of these books come in fine bindings, some have interesting provenances, others are heavily annotated by near contemporaries and later theologians.
November 13, 2025 at 6:32 PM
The oldest book in our #Erasmus catalogue will be this 1514 Paris edition of Seneca's tragedies, printed and edited by the humanist printer Jodocus Badius (1462-1535), with contributions from Erasmus & others. Find out more the book and its provenance on our website.

#Seneca #bookbinding #rarebooks
November 12, 2025 at 2:34 PM
And here's another interesting #rarebook from our upcoming catalogue on #Erasmus: the complete works of Roman Stoic philosopher #Seneca, carefully prepared by Erasmus and printed in 1515 by renowned Basel publisher Johann Froben. It's one of the earliest #Renaissance printings of Senecas writings.
November 11, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Our special catalogue on #Erasmus is nearing completion. 70 #rarebooks written or edited by the great Dutch humanist, mostly from the 16th century. A first #highlight is this rare Sammelband with four significant early 16th-century theological texts, reflecting the turbulence of the Reformation.
November 10, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Our #bookofthe day is a beautiful copy of the first and only editions of three plays written by George Wetstein for the Amsterdam Theatre, magnificently bound for Aaron de Pinto by the "Fleur-de-Lis Bindery" in The Hague, with the original preliminary drawings for the frontispieces included.
November 5, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Prolific Dutch painter and member of the Utrecht Caraviggisti Gerard van Honthorst was born #onthisday in 1592. One of his most famous works, the #portrait of Marie de' Medici was used as frontispiece for Caspar Barlaeus' classic Royal Entree Book of 1638. More on our website.

#rarebooks #art
November 4, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Our #bookoftheday is this rare #firstedition (Emden, 1566) of the first Dutch translation of John Calvin's commentaries on the Epistles of Saint Paul in a very interesting 16th-century panel-stamped decorated binding with several different portraits. More on our website.

#earlyprinting #rarebooks
November 3, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Check our website for the story - related by one of specialists - of the epic gastronomic journey of #bookworms through our 1486 edition of the most influential work about #medieval liturgy, in a blind-tooled pigskin #binding made in Augsburg for Georg Waser, patron of #Scheyern Abbey.

#incunable
October 29, 2025 at 2:56 PM
We are currently preparing a catalogue on Desiderius Erasmus, who was #bornonthisday in 1466. It will contain many recent acquisitions, plus a few 'older' items, such as this collection of three very rare humanist school books, incl. Erasmus' catechetical poem "Institutum hominis Christiani".
October 28, 2025 at 3:19 PM
A happy 750th birthday #Amsterdam! #onthisday, 1275, Floris V of Holland signed a document that contains the oldest known mention of the Dutch capital. Here's an interesting description & history of the city from our website: Phillip von Zesen's Beschreibung der Stadt Amsterdam (1664).

#rarebooks
October 27, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Our book of the day is this second edition (Louvain, 1555) of "De juris arte libri tres" by distinguished Frisian lawyer Joachim Hoppers (1523-1576), also advisor on the Netherlands to the Spanish King Philips II (1527-1598). In a nice contemporary limp sheepskin parchment binding.

#rarebooks
October 21, 2025 at 2:56 PM
This #highlight from our upcoming catalogue not only contains the earliest known view of #NewYork, it also includes the first published narrative of Abel Tasman's famous 1642/43 voyage to #Australia and Tasmania.

Arnoldus Montanus, "De nieuwe en onbekende weereld" (1671).

#americana #rarebooks
October 20, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Not just one, but two (as far as we know) Roman greats were born on this day. The poet and philosopher Lucretius in 99 BC and the poet Virgil in 70 BC. Both are included in Marcus Zuerius Boxhorn's classic work on monuments tombstones of renowned men, mainly Italians.

#rarebooks #otd
October 15, 2025 at 2:43 PM
New on our website: rare #firstedition (Lyon, 1547) of Andrea Alciati's expanded "Emblematum libellus", beautifully bound by Marcelin Lortic (1852-1928) for Victor Masséna d'Essling et de Rivoli (1836-1910). Incl. the beautiful woodcut series made for De Tournes by Bernard Salomon (ca. 1506-1559).
October 14, 2025 at 1:59 PM
We are currently exhibiting at viaLibri's Virtual Showcase. Our online stand contains 20 interesting items, including this #firstedition (Rotterdam, 1677) of the important Dutch translation by Francois van Hoogstraten of Thomas More's enduring classic #Utopia.

#rarebooks #vialibri
October 13, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Here's our new catalogue! 40 interesting rare books from the 17th century concerning Religion. Check out the pdf-version on our website.

#17thcenturybooks #17thcentury #rarebooks #bookcollecting #booklovers #religion #devotion #bookhistory #oldbooks #antiquarianbooks #rarebookcatalogue
October 8, 2025 at 1:33 PM
New on website: 2nd edition of popular practical manual teaching the art of drawing by famous Dutch painter Gerard de Lairesse (1640-1711). It also includes a treatise by Johann Andreas Segner, teaching how to construct lamps that are economic & efficient & spare the artist's eye-sight.

#rarebooks
October 7, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Depicted here is the first French edition of "De Christiana expeditione apud Sinas", the most important 17th-century work on China, written by Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci who was born #onthisday, 1552. Ricci played a pivotal role in the mission to China. Find out more on our website.

#rarebooks
October 6, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Here's a new #catalogue on one of our favorite subjects, #MaritimeHistory. 60 rare books, manuscripts and prints with exciting stories of Mutiny, Piracy and Shipwrecks. Head over to our website to view the pdf-version.

#rarebooks #pirates #history #manuscripts
#booksellerscatalogue
October 1, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Random highlight from our website: beautifully coloured #firstedition of a most important history & description of #Friesland by Pierius Winsemius (1586-1644).

Presentation copy by the author to Johan Adler Salvius (1590-1652), one of Sweden's most capable and influential diplomats.

#rarebooks
September 30, 2025 at 2:07 PM
If you were not in the Zuiderkerk in #Amsterdam last weekend, you missed a great event at a beautiful location. A big thank you to everyone involved! Hope to see you all next year at the Amsterdam Book Fair.

Trivia question: who is the famous painter in the portrait?

#rarebooks #Amsterdambookfair
September 29, 2025 at 2:02 PM
It is a great pleasure to present our catalogue for the Amsterdam Book Fair (September 27-28). Check out pdf on our website (link in bio).

55 #rarebooks #manuscripts #maps, incl. many recent acquisitions, on #BookHistory #Cartography #History #Travel, etc.

This weekend, Stand 16 at the Zuiderkerk.
September 24, 2025 at 1:02 PM