Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer, Espeio de la mar. 1590. Estimate: 85,000 EUR (118,150 $). Photo courtesy Ketterer Kunst

HAMBURG.- It was nothing less but a revolution in the history of nautical cartography – the sea atlas by Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer. The extremely scarce work in first French edition with a Spanish title sheet will be sold in the auction of Rare Books at Ketterer Kunst in Hamburg on 19 and 20 May with an estimate of € 85.000. 

Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer's “Spieghel der Zeevaert“ offers a variety of information, such as an innovative illustration of the coastal line in combination with coast profiles. Additionally, his maps are particularly captivating for their accuracy and their rich artful adornment with ornaments, ships and sea monsters. 

Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer, Espeio de la mar. 1590. Estimate: 85,000 EUR (118,150 $). Photo courtesy Ketterer Kunst

First French edition, 2 parts in 1 volume. The unique Spanish title leaf th the French edition has been unknown up until today. The titleborders of the first part were also used for the second, however, the center panel there with text in French. - Waghenaer's 'Spieghel der Zeevaert', first released in 1584, is a groundbreaking work for the history of nauticalcartography. Rare in all editions. Waghenaer's work is the first sea atlas that standardized symbols for buoys and beacons. With 2 engr. titles, 47 double-page mapsand 2 full-page text coppers, of which 1 with volvelle, as well as with 2 large text woodcuts and numerous charts. Black-tooled vellum entirely using the old covering material. - Proof for only one further copy with Spanish title in H. C. Taylor Collection at Yale University Library, with the Dutch title mounted over the original Spanish title. - Few plates with slightly faint impression. With slight water stains in places, 2 maps browned, 9 maps cropped close in side gutter within plate mark (mostly affecting bordering, also on large overview map), map 7 bound in upside down, map 10 with mounted French text, 2 half maps with newlyre-backed text, 1 map with small marginal break, 1 map with small re-backedblemish (minimal loss of image), title as well as first and last l. with blind-tooled ownership stamp. All in all fine copy of the rare French edition with the even more scarce Spanish title. 

Besides ships and regattas, Cornelis Haak's rare series of views of Venice from 1762 also show splendid palaces, manors, churches and bridges in the city of lagoons, as well as its masked balls, acrobats and religious processions. The series of vedutas in the style of Canaletto and Marieschi is especially impressive for the two large city maps of Venice published by Pieter van der Aa. The estimate is at € 35.000. 

Cornelis Haak, Vues des palais, batimens ... de Venise. 1762.. Estimate: 35,000 EUR (48,650 $). Photo courtesy Ketterer Kunst

Rare set of etchings with large and wonderful illustrations of Venice. The plates illustrate not only the principal churches and palazzi but also the functions of government, religious processions, the carnival, bear- and bull-baiting, fireworks and the regatta. With engr. title, engr. letterpress title within engr. border, 115 double-page engr. views with captions in Italian, Latin & French and folding engr. plan of Venice & folding engr. perspective view of the city. Contemp. calf with floral gilt spine and label. - All plates with slight centerfold, slightly foxed in places (only occasionally affecting the illustration), waterstaining in some places (mostly in lower margin), title and letterpress cropped close to the border line and mounted, 3 leaves (including title) with rebacked marginal tear, flying endpaper with restored tear, large viewing with rebacked tear, 1 plate cropped at two edge and mounted on the lower plate (some small traces of sealing wax). Binding rubbed, extremities of spine restored, label with small defective spot. From the library of John Landwehr with his ex libris.

Next to the first print of the first Latin edition of Abraham Ortelius' “Theatrum Orbis Terrarum“, its style and content paved the path for later atlases, Johann Heinrich Zedler's 64 volume encyclopedia will enter the race with an estimate of € 30.000. The monumental lexicon, also called “Der Zedler“ after its publisher, may well hold the claim of being the occident's greatest reference work in print in those days, together with the Spanish “Espasa“. 

Abraham Ortelius, Theatrum orbis terrarum. 1579. Estimate: 30,000 EUR (41,700 $). Photo courtesy Ketterer Kunst

Complete copy and first issue of the first Latin edition printed by Plantin. Engr. title, fullpage engr. portrait and 93 doublepage engr. maps. Restored contemp. calf with gilt decoration and later label on spine. - About the first 32 leaves (incl. world map and continental maps) with broad brownstain and restored dampstain in the white margin, affecting the illustration in places, otherwise only here and there stained and occasionally skillfully restored. Binding restored, label and endpapers partly renewed. Overall well-preserved copy with the maps in dark prints on strong paper.

While the French natural scientist Jean Baptiste Audebert entirely dedicated his main work in two volumes “Oiseaux dorés ou à reflets métalliques“ from 1802 to the splendid illustration of humming birds (estimate: € 15.000), Frederic Moore and Charles Swinhoe committed themselves to the world of exotic butterflies. The extremely rare book in ten volumes, released over a period of 23 years, comprises all Indian butterflies known of in 1913. The work in an excellent coloring will be called up with an estimate of € 25.000. 

Jean Baptiste Audebert, Oiseaux dorés ou reflets métalliques. 1802. 2 Bde.. Estimate: 15,000 EUR (20,850 $). Photo courtesy Ketterer Kunst

1 of 200 folio copies of the rare magnificent bird book. With 190 (1 doublepage) fine color-printed plates, partly finished by hand and heightened with gold. Contemp. red half morocco with rich gilt decoration on spine, 2 col. labels and gilt edges. - Some leaves and plates with small brown stains in outer margins, here and there slightly foxed. Binding partly sligthly rubbed. Overall nice copy of the beautiful ornithological publication.

In the section of old prints the “Genealogiea deorum“ by Giovanni Boccaccio is especially worthwhile mentioning. This compendium of mythological records is the first printed geographic lexicon of its kind with a list of mountains, rivers, springs, forests, lakes and seas mentioned in ancient writings. The splendid copy in an old coloring has been estimated at € 12.000. 

Giovanni Boccaccio, Genealogie. 1497. Estimate: 12,000 EUR (16,680 $). Photo courtesy Ketterer Kunst

Second illustrated edition, a reprint of the ed. by Octavianus Scotus in 1494, with the work "De montibus" added. Marvellous copy colored by contemp. hand. With 13 fullpage woodcuts (geneal. trees), numerous fig. white-on-black woodcut initials and numerous painted lombards (15 larger) in red or blue. Contemp. half blindtooled pigskin over strong wooden boards with 2 brass clasps. 161 numb. leaves, 1 nn. leaf. Rom. type, 62 lines, rubricated throughout. - First and last 5 leaves with minor worming (partly backed, 1 spot with slight loss of words). The added work with few interesting contemp. marginalia in red, leaf 8 with early ownership inscription "Seifridi Hegler", old monastic inscription to title. Pastedowns and page-marker (partly) renewed, binding with few wormholes. Very fine copy.

This section is contrasted by more modern contemporary documents, such as two autographed letters by Hermann Max Pechstein, each with wash feather drawing. The two writings from June 1927 to his friend and patron, the physician and art collector Dr. Walter Minnich, deliver impressive account of Pechstein's personal circumstances and emotional state. The estimate is at € 5.000 each. Some of the 15 further letters by the expressionist artist may perhaps be obtained for estimates starting at € 2.000. 

Hermann Max Pechstein, Brief mit Zeichnung (3. Juni 1931). Estimate: 5,000 EUR (6,950 $). Photo courtesy Ketterer Kunst

Hermann Max Pechstein, Brief mit Zeichnung (12. Aug. 1927). Estimate: 5,000 EUR (6,950 $). Photo courtesy Ketterer Kunst

Along with dedication copies of Pablo Picasso's “The Arts Council of Great Britain 1960“, with signed multicolor original chalk drawing (estimate: € 2.000) and Jacques Prévert's “Fêtes“ with eight etchings in colors by Alexander Calder (estimate: 4.000), the range of offerings is completed by Conrad Gesner's “Vogel-, Thier-, Fisch-, Schlangenbuch (estimate: € 20.000) as well as a rare copy of Dante Alighieri's “De la volgare eloquenzia“ (estimate: € 8.500). 

Next to Rare Books, Manuscripts, Autographs and Decorative Prints, the auction also offers Maritime and Northern German Art. While the latter comprises works by Erich Hartmann (“Am Flügel (Das Konzert)“, estimate: 5.000) and Jacob Nöbbe (“Blick über die Flensburger Förde“, estimate: € 3.500), interesting works by, among others, Johannes Holst (“Hamburger Viermastbark 'Pamir'“, estimate: € 6.000) and Adam Marie-Edouard (“Bremer Viermastvollschiff 'H. Bischoff'“, estimate: € 5.000) will be called up in the section of Maritime Art. 

The extremely scarce work in first French edition with a Spanish title sheet will be sold in the auction of Rare Books at Ketterer Kunst.