Books and Manuscripts

Books and Manuscripts 

Location: Via Pontaccio, 12 Milano

Auction: 24 September

Viewing: 19, 20, 21 September (10am/1pm-2.30/6.30pm)

The autumn appointment with Books and Manuscripts promises to be full of interesting proposals, from the rare volumes of the '500 printed by Aldo Manuzio to the prestigious artist books of the 20th century, from the flyers of Gabriele D'Annunzio's flight over Vienna to the first mission of man on the Moon.

The top lot of the auction is represented by one of the 99 copies ad personam of Salvador Dalì's  Bible, printed by Rizzoli and embellished by an original guache by the artist, estimated at € 40.000-60.000.

Among the artist books are,  Bad boys by Keith Haring, an artist proof printed by him and composed of six signed and numbered lithographs 5/7, estimated at € 7.000-10.000, and two collections of lithographs by Joan Mirò Je travaille comme un Jardinier of 1963 (estimate € 1.500-2.000) and Le courtisan grotesque of 1974 (estimate € 1.800-2.500). Futurism is represented by a rare Carlo Carrà cover Per la coscienza della nuova Italia of 1914 (estimate € 200-300), by some manifestos and a rare poster of the company’s première at the Nuovo Teatro Futurista, in which for the first time texts by Depero, Casavola and Prampolini were represented (estimate € 300-400).

Particularly important and rare is the lot comprising 5 flyers of the famous flight over Vienna of 9 August 1918, by the squadron La Serenissima and Gabriele D'Annunzio (estimate € 2.000-3.000). It is the fascinating testimony of one of the most celebrated heroic deeds of the Italian aviation and of the Poet, during which propaganda leaflets were dropped instead of bombs.

As for the antique books section, worth mentioning  are two important volumes printed by Aldo Manuzio.  The first one is the Omnia Opera by Politian of 1494, in which Hebrew characters appear in an Aldina for the first time (estimate € 7.000-10.000). 

The second volume, is the Editio princeps of the Persian wars by Erodoto of 1502 (estimate € 8.000-12.000). 

The most stunning views of Rome, Milan and Venice are celebrated in numerous albums of etchings and engravings printed between the Seventeenth and Nineteenth centuries, whereas the Lombard capital is the standout in the Mappa Degli astronomi di Brera (estimate € 1.800-2.500), the first extremely detailed map of the city dating back to 1814. By Giambattista Bodoni some volumes among which stands out Descrizione delle feste celebrate in Parma l'anno 1769 (estimate € 2000-3.000); the famous novel by Manzoni, I Promessi Sposi, is featured in the catalogue both in the prestigious first edition, the “ventisettana” (estimate€ 1.000-1.500) and in the re-edition of 1840 (estimate € 500-800).

In order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first man on the Moon,  the Manuale della NASA sulla missione dell'Apollo 8 of 1969 (estimate € 500-800), will be auctioned with the detailed description of the mission's phases, accompanied by several lots composed of curious pamphlets related to aerostatics of the late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth centuries.

Among the curiosities: a rare collection of the first C.A.I. bulletin (Club Alpino Italiano) appreciated and sought-after by mountaineers (estimate € 500-800) and the Pinocchio third edition of 1887 (estimate € 500-800).



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