Sothebys: Books, Manuscripts and Music, L25401, London

Auction Details

Auction Report
Auction Date
December 11, 2025 - December 11, 2025
Page Size: 162 items in 7 pages
Lot Number Author Name Book Title Place Printed Year Published Estimate Actual Price
1 Eleazar Albin

A natural history of birds

London 1731-1737 GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00 GBP 10,159.00
2 Aristotle

Politiques, or Discourses of Government. London

Adam Islip 1598 GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00 GBP 10,794.00
3 Roger Ascham

The Schoolemaster. Or, Playne and Perfite Way of Teaching Children, to Understande, Write, and Speake the Latin Toong

London 1589 GBP 2,000.00 - 3,000.00 GBP 4,063.00
4 Dame Juliana Berners

The Gentlemans Academie: Or, The Booke of St. Albans. Containing three most exact and excellent Bookes; the first of Hawking,

London 1595 GBP 10,000.00 - 15,000.00 GBP 10,159.00
5 Bible, Latin

Biblia Latina, a bifolium printed on vellum from the Gutenberg or 42-line Bible.

Mainz c.1454-1455 GBP 70,000.00 - 90,000.00 GBP 215,899.00
6 Bible, Latin

Biblia Latina, 2 fragments from the Fust and Schoffer 48-line Bible

Mainz 14 August 1462 GBP 1,000.00 - 1,500.00 GBP 4,825.00
7 Jean Blaeu

Novus Atlas Sinensis Seste Deel van de Nieuwe Atlas oft Tooneel des Aerdrijcx Uytgegeven door Joan Blaeu.

Amsterdam 1655 GBP 12,000.00 - 18,000.00 GBP 12,699.00
8 Giovanni Boccaccio

The tragedies, gathered by Ihon Bochas, of all such princes as fell from theyr estates throughe the mutability of fortune since the creacion of Adam,

London ca. 1554-5 GBP 4,000.00 - 6,000.00 GBP 4,825.00
9 William Bonde

Here begynneth a deuout treatyse in Englysshe, called the Pylgrimage of perfection

London 1526 GBP 7,000.00 - 10,000.00 GBP 7,620.00
10

Book of Common Prayer. The Forme and maner of makyng, and consecratyng Bishoppes, Priestes, and Deacons

London August 1552 GBP 2,000.00 - 3,000.00 GBP 5,079.00
11 Sebastian Brant, [Alexander Barclay, translator]

Stultifera navis... The ship of fooles, wherin is shewed the folly of all states, with divers other workes adioyned unto the same, very profitable and fruitfull for all men

London 1570 GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00 GBP 4,063.00
12 Antonio da Brescia, Girolamo Savonarola, Bernardus de Lutzenburgo and Guilelmus de Gouda

A volume containing sermons, commentaries on Psalms, an illustrated tract on the Jubilee of 1500, and a short treatise on the Mass, 1485-1503, comprising:

1485-1503 GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00 Not Sold
13 Gaius Julius Caesar

[The eyght books... conteyning his martiall exploytes... translated... by Arthur Goldinge].

London 1565 GBP 2,000.00 - 3,000.00 GBP 1,015.00
14 Girolamo Cardano, [Thomas Bedingfield, translator]

Cardanus comforte, translated into Englishe. And published by commaundement of the righte Honourable the Earle of Oxenforde. Newly perused, corrected, and augmented

London 1576 GBP 2,000.00 - 3,000.00 Not Sold
15 Geoffrey Chaucer

The Woorkes... Newlie Printed, with Divers Addicions, which were Never in Print Before... [Edited by John Stow]

London 1561 GBP 10,000.00 - 15,000.00 GBP 10,159.00
16 Geoffrey Chaucer

The workes of our antient and lerned English poet..., newly printed. In this impression you shall find these additions: 1 His portraiture and progenie shewed.

London 1598 GBP 4,000.00 - 6,000.00 GBP 4,445.00
17

Chronicles of England [Here begynneth a shorte and a breue table on these cronycles],

ca.1510 GBP 5,000.00 - 7,000.00 GBP 6,096.00
18

Chronicles [Chronicles of England.] Westminster

1497 GBP 3,000.00 - 5,000.00 GBP 8,255.00
19 John Dee

Document signed ("Joannes Dee Gardianus") as Warden of Christ's College, Manchester, granting Humphrey Davenport the office of Steward of Newton for an annual fee of forty shillings, in Latin,

1 October 1597 GBP 8,000.00 - 12,000.00 GBP 8,889.00
20 Gabriel Doppelmayr

Atlas novus coelestis in quo mundus spectabilis, et in eodem tam errantium quam inerrantium stellarum phoenomena notabilia, crica ipsarum lumen.

Nuremberg 1742 GBP 12,000.00 - 18,000.00 GBP 21,589.00
21 Thomas Elyot

The castell of helth corrected and in some places augmented, by the first author thereof..

London 1541 ?but 1550 GBP 2,000.00 - 3,000.00 GBP 4,445.00
22 Desiderius Erasmus

[Apophthegmata]. Apophthegmes, that is to Saie, Prompte, Quicke, Wittie and Sentencious Sayinges. Translated from Latin by Nicholas Udall

London 1542 GBP 7,000.00 - 10,000.00 GBP 9,524.00
23 Desiderius Erasmus

The first tome or volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus upon the newe testamente

London 1548 GBP 3,000.00 - 5,000.00 GBP 3,301.00
24 Abraham Flemming

A panoplie of epistles, or, a looking glasse for the unlearned. Conteyning a perfecte plattforme of inditing letters of all sorts, to persons of al estates and degrees,

London 1576 GBP 2,000.00 - 3,000.00 Not Sold
25 [Jean Froissart]

Here begynneth the fyrst volum of Syr Iohan Froyssart of the cronycles ... Translated out of frenche into our materall [sic] Englysshe tonge, by Iohan Bouchier

. London c.1535 and 1542 GBP 5,000.00 - 7,000.00 GBP 3,048.00
  • Sotheby’s
    Fine Manuscript and Printed Americana
    27 January 2026
    Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: An extraordinary pair of books from George Washington’s field library, marking the conjunction of Robert Rogers, George Washington, and Henry Knox. $1,200,000 to $1,800,000.
    Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: An extraordinary letter marking the conjunction of George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Benjamin Franklin. $1,000,000 to $1,500,000.
    Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: Virginia House of Delegates. The genesis of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. $350,000 to $500,000.
    Sotheby’s
    Fine Manuscript and Printed Americana
    27 January 2026
    Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: (Gettysburg). “Genl. Doubleday has taken charge of the battle”: Autograph witness to the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, illustrated by fourteen maps and plans. $200,000 to $300,000.
    Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: President Lincoln thanks a schoolboy on behalf of "all the children of the nation for his efforts to ensure "that this war shall be successful, and the Union be maintained and perpetuated." $200,000 to $300,000.
    Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: [World War II]. An archive of maps and files documenting the allied campaign in Europe, from the early stages of planning for D-Day and Operation Overlord, to Germany’s surrender. $200,000 to $300,000.
  • Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    29th January 2026
    Forum, Jan. 29: Plato. [Apanta ta tou Platonos. Omnia Platonis opera], 2 parts in 2 vol., editio princeps of Plato's works in the original Greek, Venice, House of Aldus, 1513. £8,000-12,000
    Forum, Jan. 29: Book of Hours, Use of Rome, In Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum, [Southern Netherlands (probably Bruges), c.1460]. £6,000-8,000
    Forum, Jan. 29: Correspondence and documents by or addressed to the first four Viscounts Molesworth and members of their families, letters and manuscripts, 1690-1783. £10,000-15,000
    Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    29th January 2026
    Forum, Jan. 29: Shakespeare (William). The Dramatic Works, 9 vol., John and Josiah Boydell, 1802. £5,000-7,000
    Forum, Jan. 29: Joyce (James). Ulysses, first edition, one of 750 copies on handmade paper, Paris, Shakespeare and Company, 1922 £8,000-12,000
    Forum, Jan. 29: Powell (Anthony). [A Dance to the Music of Time], 12 vol., first editions, each with a signed presentation inscription from the author to Osbert Lancaster, 1951-75. £6,000-8,000
    Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    29th January 2026
    Forum, Jan. 29: Chaucer (Geoffrey). Troilus and Criseyde, one of 225 copies on handmade paper, wood-engravings by Eric Gill, Waltham St.Lawrence, 1927. £3,000-4,000
    Forum, Jan. 29: Borges (Jorge Luis). Luna de Enfrente, first edition, one of 300 copies, presentation copy signed by the author to Leopoldo Marechal, Buenos Aires, Editorial Proa, 1925. £3,000-4,000
    Forum, Jan. 29: Nolli (Giovanni Battista). Nuova Pianta di Roma, Rome, 1748. £6,000-8,000
    Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    29th January 2026
    Forum, Jan. 29: Roberts (David). The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt, & Nubia, 3 vol., first edition, 1842-49. £15,000-20,000
    Forum, Jan. 29: Blacker (William). Catechism of Fly Making, Angling and Dyeing, Published by the author, 1843. £3,000-4,000
    Forum, Jan. 29: Herschel (Sir John F. W.) Collection of 69 offprints, extracts and separate publications by Herschel, bound for his son, William James Herschel, 3 vol., [1813-50]. £15,000-20,000
  • Dominic Winter
    Books, Maps, Documents & Autographs
    Ornithology, Music, Bookplates
    28th January 2026
    Dominic Winter, Jan. 28: Lot 26. Company School. An album of 85 Indian mica paintings, Madras, c. 1852. £700-1,000
    Dominic Winter, Jan. 28: Lot 28. Ross & Hooker. Notes on the Botany of the Antarctic Voyage, 1st edition, 1843. £4,000-6,000
    Dominic Winter, Jan. 28: Lot 44. Gould (John). The Birds of Great Britain, 5 volumes, 1st edition, 1862-73. £30,000-40,000
    Dominic Winter
    Books, Maps, Documents & Autographs
    Ornithology, Music, Bookplates
    28th January 2026
    Dominic Winter, Jan. 28: Lot 72. Edwards (George). A Natural History of Uncommon Birds… [and] Gleanings of Natural History, 7 volumes, 1st edition, 1743-64. £7,000-10,000
    Dominic Winter, Jan. 28: Lot 87. Walcott (Charles D. et al.). Geologic Atlas of the United States, 227-volume set, U.S. Geological Survey, 1894-1945. £500-800
    Dominic Winter, Jan. 28: Lot 236. A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew…, By B. E. Gent., 1st edition, [1699]. £3,000-4,000
    Dominic Winter
    Books, Maps, Documents & Autographs
    Ornithology, Music, Bookplates
    28th January 2026
    Dominic Winter, Jan. 28: Lot 245. Frost Fair Broadside. Upon the Frost in the Year 1739-40, Printed on the Ice upon the Thames at Queen-Hithe, 1739/40. £1,500-2,000
    Dominic Winter, Jan. 28: Lot 270. Micheli (Antonino di). La Nuova Chitarra di Regole…, 1st edition, Palermo, 1680. £10,000-15,000
    Dominic Winter, Jan. 28: Lot 280. Elgar (Edward). Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, [1910], signed presentation copy. £500-800
    Dominic Winter
    Books, Maps, Documents & Autographs
    Ornithology, Music, Bookplates
    28th January 2026
    Dominic Winter, Jan. 28: Lot 282 - Griffes (Charles). Autograph Manuscript Score for Overture to Hänsel und Gretel, c. 1910. £2,000-3,000
    Dominic Winter, Jan. 28: Lot 304. Churchill (Winston). A terracotta maquette of Churchill by Oscar Nemon, c. 1955. £1,500-2,000
    Dominic Winter, Jan. 28: Lot 364 - Russian Imperial Archaeological Commission. Mecheti Samarkanda..., Fascicule I Gour-Emir, St. Petersburg, 1905. £2,000-3,000