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Christies: Valuable Books and Manuscripts

Auction Reports

Auction Name	Valuable Books and Manuscripts	Total Sales (GBP)	4,500,468.00
Auction Date	December 11, 2024 - December 11, 2024	Low Estimate of Lots Sold (GBP)	2,922,500.00
Sale Number	#22693	High Estimate of Lots Sold (GBP)	4,238,500.00
Total Lots	170
Sold Lots	136.0	Low Estimate of All Lots (GBP)	3,636,000.00
% of Lots Sold	80.00%	High Estimate of All Lots (GBP)	5,282,500.00
Unsold Lots	34	Total Sales as a % of High Est.	85.20%

Top twenty-five by sale price

Lot Number	Author Name	Book Title	Year Published	Estimate	Actual Price
114		BIBLE, in German. Translated by Martin LUTHER (1483-1546). Biblia, das ist, die gantze Heilige Schrifft Deudsch.	1534	GBP 200,000.00 - 300,000.00	GBP 604,800.00
94	Albert Einstein (1879-1955)	Series of 43 autograph letters signed ('Albert Einstein' (4), 'Albert' (23), the later letters with variations on the pet-name 'Johannzel', two letters lacking signature) to his first wife, Mileva Maric,	1898 - 1903	GBP 700,000.00 - 1,000,000.00	GBP 441,000.00
133	Major General William Thomas Eden (1768-1851), youngest son of Sir Robert Eden, 1st Baronet, of Maryland	A panoramic view of Calcutta, 1812	N/A	GBP 120,000.00 - 150,000.00	GBP 327,600.00
7	The Psalter of Count Ludwig the Younger of Oettingen	Psalter, in German with Latin incipits, illuminated manuscript on vellum, Swabia, 1418	1418	GBP 40,000.00 - 60,000.00	GBP 151,200.00
67	Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)	Autograph manuscript signed (at end, 'Igor Stravinsky'),The Firebird (L'oiseau de feu), Suite for small orchestra ('Instrumente pour petit orchestre'), the last 14 bars of the 'Berceuse' and the complete 'Final',	1915-03-31	GBP 70,000.00 - 100,000.00	GBP 126,000.00
8	Ovid (43BC - 17 or 18 AD)	The Gladstone Metamorphoses, in Latin, manuscript on paper	first half 15th century	GBP 50,000.00 - 80,000.00	GBP 119,700.00
72	Richard Wagner (1813-1883)	Autograph manuscript signed (at end, 'Richard Wagner'), the first poetical draft of the libretto for Tannhauser, here titled 'Das Venusberg / Romantische Oper in 3 Acten', Dresden, 29 January -- 22 March 1843	29 January -- 22 March 1843	GBP 80,000.00 - 120,000.00	GBP 119,700.00
132	FLINDERS, Matthew (1774-1814)	A Voyage to Terra Australis; undertaken for the purpose of completing the discovery of that vast country, and prosecuted in the years 1801, 1802, and 1803, in his Majesty's Ship the Investigator.	1814	GBP 60,000.00 - 80,000.00	GBP 119,700.00
9	Virgil (70-19 BC)	The Gladstone Aeneid, in Latin, decorated manuscript on paper	first half 15th century	GBP 60,000.00 - 90,000.00	GBP 113,400.00
29	Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)	Autograph sketch leaf for the string quartet in C, op. 59 no.3, the second movement,	1806	GBP 100,000.00 - 150,000.00	GBP 113,400.00
110	HOMER (c. 8th century BCE)	Opera, in Greek. Bound with:]QUINTUS Smyrnaeus (fl. 4th century). Posthomerica:] Derelictorum ab Homero libri quatuordecim, in Greek. - TRYPHIODORUS (3rd or 4th century). De Trojae excidio, in Greek. - COLLUTHUS. De raptu Helenae, in Greek.	1504, c.1505	GBP 70,000.00 - 100,000.00	GBP 113,400.00
149	EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955)	Uber die von der molekularkinetischen Theorie der Warme geforderte Bewegung von in ruhenden Flussigkeiten suspendierten Teilchen.' Offprint from: Annalen der Physik, 4th Series, vol. 17.	1905	GBP 70,000.00 - 100,000.00	GBP 113,400.00
10		Book of Hours, use of Rome, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum	c.1440s	GBP 40,000.00 - 60,000.00	GBP 88,200.00
123	GALILEI, Galileo (1564-1642)	Dialogo ... sopre i due massimi sistemi del mondo Tolemaico, e Copernicano.	1632	GBP 40,000.00 - 60,000.00	GBP 88,200.00
129	VANCOUVER, George (1757-1798)	A Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World; in which the coast of North-west America has been carefully examined and accurately surveyed ... and performed in the years 1790, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, and 1795.	1798	GBP 40,000.00 - 60,000.00	GBP 88,200.00
135	[AUSTEN, Jane (1775-1817).]	Pride and Prejudice.	1813	GBP 40,000.00 - 60,000.00	GBP 81,900.00
150	EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955)	'Ist die Tragheit eines Korpers von seinem Energieinhalt abhangig?' Offprint from: Annalen der Physik, 4th Series, vol. 18.	1905	GBP 70,000.00 - 100,000.00	GBP 81,900.00
6	Morigenes the Astrologer, Pseudo-Aristotle, Geber and others	A compendium of alchemical texts, in Latin, manuscript on vellum	c.1400	GBP 12,000.00 - 18,000.00	GBP 75,600.00
18	Manuel Chrysoloras (c.1350-1415)	Erotemata, in Greek, decorated manuscript on paper	final quarter 15th century	GBP 15,000.00 - 20,000.00	GBP 60,480.00
3	John of Freiburg (c.1250-1314)	Summa confessorum, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum	first quarter 14th century	GBP 30,000.00 - 50,000.00	GBP 50,400.00
112	Homer (c. 8th century BCE)	Commentary on the Iliad:] Homeri interpres pervetustus, in Greek, edited by Janus Lascaris (1445-1535).	1517	GBP 50,000.00 - 80,000.00	GBP 50,400.00
103	HERMES TRISMEGISTUS (ascribed to)	De potestate et sapientia Dei [Pimander], translated by Marsilius Ficinus (1433-1499).	18 December 1471	GBP 40,000.00 - 60,000.00	GBP 44,100.00
20		Book of Hours, use of Nevers, in French and Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum	c.1495-1500	GBP 30,000.00 - 50,000.00	GBP 40,320.00
145	GOULD, John (1804-1881)	The Birds of Great Britain.	1862-1873	GBP 30,000.00 - 50,000.00	GBP 40,320.00
109	SOPHOCLES (c. 496-406 BCE)	Tragaediae Septem cum commentariis, in Greek.	August 1502	GBP 8,000.00 - 12,000.00	GBP 37,800.00

ALDE, Apr. 8: GUEVARA (ANTONIO DE). Histoire de Marc-Aurèle, Empereur Romain, vray miroir et horloge des Princes. Paris, Pierre et Galliot du Pré, frères, 1565. €3,000 to €4,000.

ALDE, Apr. 8: HEURES DE LA VIERGE. Horæ in laudem beatissimæ virginis Mariæ ad usum Romanum. Paris, Charles L'Angelier, 1556. €4,000 to €5,000.

ALDE, Apr. 8: MONTAIGNE (MICHEL DE). Les Essais. Édition nouvelle, trouvée après le deceds de l'autheur… Paris, Abel L'Angelier, 1595. €6,000 to €8,000.

ALDE, Apr. 8: [ROJAS (FERNANDO DE)]. Celestina, tragicomedia di Calisto et Melibea, tradotta de lingua castigliana in italiano idioma… Venise, 1531. €2,000 to €3,000.

ALDE, Apr. 8: CAMÕES (LUÍS DE). Os Lusiadas. Lisbonne, Pedro Crasbeeck, 1613. €2,000 to €3,000.

ALDE, Apr. 8: CERVANTES (MIGUEL DE). El Ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha. Bruxelles, Roger Velpius & Huberto Antonio, 1611. €6,000 to €8,000.

ALDE, Apr. 8: LA FONTAINE (JEAN DE). Fables choisies, mises en vers. Paris, Denys Thierry et Claude Barbin, 1678-1694. €6,000 to €8,000.

ALDE, Apr. 8: CERVANTES (MIGUEL DE). El Ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha. Madrid, Joaquin Ibarra, 1780. €3,000 to €4,000.

ALDE, Apr. 8: DIDEROT (DENIS) ET JEAN LE ROND D'ALEMBERT. Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris, 1751-1765. €15,000 to €20,000.

ALDE, Apr. 8: [LIVRE TISSÉ]. LAMARTINE (Alphonse de). Les Laboureurs. Poème tiré de Jocelyn… Lyon, J. A. Henry, 1883. €8,000 to €10,000.

ALDE, Apr. 8: [LIVRE TISSÉ]. Livre de prières tissé d'après les enluminures des manuscrits du XIVe au XVIe siècle. Lyon, [A. Roux], 1886. €5,000 to €6,000.
Sotheby’s
Books, Manuscripts & Objects from Three Important Collections
Open for Bidding 2-17 April

Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: [Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun]. Le Roman de la Rose, [Geneva or Lyons, c.1481], first printed edition of the most important medieval French vernacular poem. £200,000 to £300,000.

Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Castiglione. Il libro del cortegiano. [Venice], April 1528, first edition, in a magnificent binding by Jean Picard for Jean Grolier. £100,000 to £150,000.

Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Jacobus de Cessolis. Schachzabelbuch, Strasbourg, 1483, von der Lasa copy. £50,000 to £70,000.

Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: World Championship, 1972. A collection of 84 press photographs of the famed match between Spassky and Fischer. £2,000 to £3,000.

Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Ben Franklin. Autograph letter signed, to Lord Shelburne, British Prime Minister, during peace negotiations, November 1782. £15,000 to £20,000.