Prestige Items

Early 19th Century Pope Joan Card Game Staking Board

A striking example of a Pope Joan Staking Board, likely Georgian.

A red lacquered board probably made in China for the English market. The circular pot to hold counters is surrounded by eight divisions. The borders embellished to describe each of the compartments … the Nine of Diamonds (Which represents “Pope Joan”; The Ace, King, Queen and Jack of Diamonds, and the words Matrimony, Intrigue and Game with floral devices in gilt in-between. Still has the top to the pot (often missing) with more card decorations. Does not have a wooden pedestal foot which would have screwed on below. 24cm in diameter. Likely made from Birch or some other decorative light wood. A really super example.

An 18th Century round game of cards for three to eight players derived French games and related to but less elaborate than Newmarket. It did not appear in Hoyle until 1814 but had been mentioned in early dictionaries. Pope Joan refers to the suspicion that Pope John VIII was actually a woman.

Two Hundred Year Old Staking Board for Pope Joan – a lovely decorative piece

$290.00

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Bridge-Water – with Mount Direction Behind – Hobart, Tasmania -1840

An original lithograph from a drawing by Louis Le Breton (1818-1866) lithographed by Leon Jean Baptiste Sabatier published as part of the great “Atlas Pittoresque” to accompany “Voyage au Pole Sud et dans l’Oceanie sur les corvettes l’Astrolabe et la Zelee … sous commandement de M.J. Dumont d’Urville”.

A delightful view of Bridgewater looking across the river Derwent to the imposing Mount Direction

Lithographed on sturdy paper size 54.5cm by 34.5 cm. Very good clean condition. A scarce Hobart image.

Price $220.00 unframed – rare

Striking image of Mount Direction across the Derwent

$220.00

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Sport in Many Lands (Europe, Asia, Africa and America) by H.A. Leveson known as “Old Shakarry”

“Old Shekarry” was Major Henry Astbury Leveson and he was one of the great 19th Century traveller hunters. He went everywhere and had a shot at everything. His recollections of the Man Eating Bengal Tiger do add a little balance.

Published posthumously as a sort of compilation of his other works on a grander scale. Published by Warne, London and New York in 1890. Royal octavo, 597 pages with towards 200 illustrations. Delightful decorative covers – all in very good condition. A beauty really.

We start with a special memoir on Leveson by H.F. which reassures one that here was a man who lead a full life, with a distinguished military career to back up his private interests.

The book proper starts at home with Her Majesty’s Buckhounds and the chasing of the red deer. Off to Bavaria, the Alps and the Chamois. Wild Fowl shooting and the marsh lands of the Somme .. (what a different place they were to become). The exotic and hog hunting in India … Bears, Tigers and Leopards before the formidable yet vulnerable Elephant,. Up in the Himalaya and some interesting travel notes before more shooting. Into the Middle East and the sad markets in wives and slaves. The hard life of the Bedouins around the Suez and blasting Hyena. South Africa and the “bok” in all its forms and, sadly, the quagga (they have all gone). After the challenge of the Lion we move up to Abyssinia and reflections on native customs. A different part of the world the North American “Rockies” and a narrow escape from a grizzly bear … into the prairies and the mode of hunting adopted by the Red Indians. A skirmish with the Red Indians gives the buffalo a chance!

Old Shakarry from a different era – travel and hunting – in Many Lands

$160.00

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Proceedings and Debates of the House of Commons in 1620 and 1621 – Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt from a Period Manuscript by Sir Edward Nicholas – Two Volumes First Edition 1766

Title continues…. Collected by a Member of that House. And now Published from his Original Manuscript, in the Library of Queen’s College, Oxford.

Published by the Clarendon Press, 1766. Two volumes, octavo, 375 pages and 264 pages after preliminaries and with addendum. Complete, and bound in original mottled calf, spine gilt with raised bands and original red leather title labels. A little age, hinges tender but holding will. A genuine antiquarian look.

Edited by Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt a classical scholar who had been educated at Eton and Queen’s College, Oxford. In 1756 he was under-secretary of war, and then in 1762 clerk of the House of Commons. The original manuscript is attributed to Sir Edward Nicholas, Member for Winchelsea in 1620/21.

A scarce and valuable source on the political history of James I. Parliament of the day was a source of funds for James and it did not sit for periods if it incurred his displeasure. The country was in a poor economic state. The period was one when patents were used to create monopolies and hence wealth. Conflict arose were the King who felt that allowing patents was a Royal prerogative and Members sought Parliament to control them for personal gain. There was even an attempt to patent Beggars meaning they would be licenced and have to pay an annual fee to the patent holder!

Serious history plays out … Edward Coke a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I speaks regularly. He had been England’s leading law maker … tried Raleigh and the Gunpowder Plot Accused. Here later in life he continues his hatred of Sir Francis Bacon (now Viscount St Alban). His investigations discover that Bacon had taken bribes and he was soon off to the Tower.

James in order to raise money through dowry was planning to marry Prince Charles off to a Spanish Princess. Coke campaigned against this preferring war with Spain. James had had enough and told Parliament that it was to wrap up before its term was due. Coke continued to argue and shortly after these journals he too finds himself in the Tower.

Floyd made rude remarks about the young Royals and found himself riding backward on a horse holding its tail to three different pillory sites … with a paper in his head defining his crime and then off to a place much worse than the Tower … the Fleet Prison.

Rare details of Parliamentary goings on when it was more interesting than today.

$290.00

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First Edition maps of Islands off Terra Napoleon and the County of Cumberland in New South Wales – Louis de Freycinet – 1811 – First Printing

An original copper engraving” Plan des Iles Jerome (Terre Napoleon) par M.M.H. Freycinet at Bernier, an 1802. Plan des Iles Berthier (Terre Napoleon) par M.M.H. Freycinet et Bernier, an 1802. Plan du Comte de Cumberland (Nouvelle-Galles du Sud) d’apres les Cartes Anglaises, mais assujetti aux observations Francaises.

The map is by Louis Claude Desaulses de Freycinet (1779-1842). Plate No 9 from the second atlas of his maps from the Voyage de Decouvertes aux Terres Australes (Voyage of Discovery to the Southern Lands) published by Langlois in Paris, in 1811.

The French had intended to colonise Australia. The first volume of this work was published in 1807. The second volume which contained the maps was in 1811 still three years before Flinders.

Three maps on one sheet, thick sturdy paper, strong plate mark, excellent definition. Sheet dimensions 35.1cm by 26.1 cm. Cumberland map 16.7 by 10.5 cm other two 8.3 by 10.5cm each. Some foxing and marks around the edge generally well off the printed area. A rare map.

Tooley reference Map, 618

Price $240.00 unframed

Freycinet accompanied Nicholas Baudin on his famous voyage to complete the French mapping of Australia. Baudin leader aboard Le Geographie and Freycinet aboard Le Naturaliste. Whilst in Sydney Baudin sent the Naturalist home with the records of their effort so far and purchased a vessel from Philip Gidley King, the Casuarina, which he placed under Freycinet’s command. Baudin died on the final voyage home and the task of writing up the travels fell to the naturalist Francois Peron. Sadly, he in turn died before completing the work and the mantle was passed to Louis Freycinet who completed that task and produced the magnificent accompanying atlas.

$240.00

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The Life and Work of Sydney Long – Joanna Mendelssohn

A first edition published by McGraw Hill, Sydney as part of the Copperfield Art Series, 1979.

Folio, 284 pages in complete dust jacket all in very good if not better condition. With numerous illustrations of the great man’s work including 38 in full colour including folding colour frontispiece.

Sydney Long (1871-1955) was born in Goulburn, New South Wales.

One of Australia’s greatest artists partly inspired by the Heidelberg School. By 1897 he had developed his own style, with possibly his most admired painting being completed that year … The Spirit of the Plains. Painted in a soft colour palette a naked Grecian wood nymph leading a procession of dancing Brolgas … simply wonderful. His paintings in this style, often with low key eroticism, were the foundation of a new art style Australian Paganism and influenced the likes of Norman Lindsay.

Long sold his early works at good prices which financed time spent in London just before WWI where he turned to etching and engraving and held positions of distinction in several Societies.

Sydney Long the definitive work

$120.00

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Early 19th Century Pope Joan Card Game Staking Board

Bridge-Water – with Mount Direction Behind – Hobart, Tasmania -1840

Sport in Many Lands (Europe, Asia, Africa and America) by H.A. Leveson known as “Old Shakarry”

Proceedings and Debates of the House of Commons in 1620 and 1621 – Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt from a Period Manuscript by Sir Edward Nicholas – Two Volumes First Edition 1766

First Edition maps of Islands off Terra Napoleon and the County of Cumberland in New South Wales – Louis de Freycinet – 1811 – First Printing

The Life and Work of Sydney Long – Joanna Mendelssohn

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