We guarantee the authenticity and completeness of all items (unless otherwise described), and are happy to provide a certificate to this effect. All items can be assumed to be in good condition, with any defects being described in our description.
We guarantee the authenticity and completeness of all items (unless otherwise described), and are happy to provide a certificate to this effect. All items can be assumed to be in good condition, with any defects being described in our description.
The catalogue includes Islamic, literary, historical and scientific texts (among others) showcasing magnificent calligraphy, illuminated manuscripts and rare oriental imprints spanning from the 9th century to the 20th century.
Shapero Rare Books is an internationally renowned dealer in London, specialising in antiquarian & rare books and works on paper, with particular expertise in fine illustrated books from the 15th to the 20th century, travel & voyages, natural history, modern firsts, rare children’s books, guidebooks, Hebraica & Judaica, Eastern European, and Islamica.
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Rare example of early scribal freehand. A strikingly rare example of scribal freehand from the Abbasid period that is known for producing Qur'ans i...
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On western laid paper. The watermarks present in this volume are consistent with an example presented by both Briquet (13200) and Heawood (2171), d...
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Copied in the holy city of Medina. The name referred to in the colophon, Sheikh Ahmad bin Muhammad ein Muhammad Tayyeb al-Maghribi al-Fassi, is lik...
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Stylised Arabic calligraphy. Rare example of a bound manuscript Qur'an copied and produced in Sub-Saharan Africa, likely Harrar in Ethiopia, where ...
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Exceptionally early and important authorial manuscript on paper. Al-Sharif al-Radi (970-1015 AD) was a celebrated poet and scholar from Baghdad, wh...
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One of the earliest recorded manuscripts of Rumi's poetry. Exceptionally early medieval manuscript copy of one of the most important works of sufi ...
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Important Sunni Hadith. Imam al-Bukhari's Sahih al-Bukhari is considered one of the most comprehensive and authentic collections of Hadith in Sunni...
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One of the earliest Arabic printing presses in the Middle-East. The Dair al-Shuweir press at the Monastery of St John the Baptist is one of the fir...
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Earliest account of the suppression of the Janissaries. The earliest and most comprehensive account of Sultan Mahmud II's suppression of the Janiss...
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Exquisite illumination by a named artist. A beautifully illuminated Qur'an, signed in the colophon with the name of the 'tadhhibuh' (illuminator) R...
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Sufi poetry by a follower of the celveti order. Sayyid Hashim Mustafa al-Uskudari al-Jalwati (Hashim Mustafa Uskudari), known as Hashim Baba, was a...
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Silsilname are geneaological manuscripts, often presented in scroll format, that were popular during the Ottoman Empire where they served as a too...
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Quadrant with associated calendar. The astrolabic quadrant was particularly popular in Ottoman Turkey, and countless examples survive, mainly for t...
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The first book on tea printed in Ottoman Turkish. First edition of the first printed book on tea in Ottoman Turkish. Seyyed Mehmed Izzet (1819-1909...
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Early Shahnameh leaf. Early example of one of the most celebrated texts in persian culture; of great literary importance to the preservation of the...
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Timurid manuscript illustration. An early miniature painting from one of Nizami Ganjavi's most loved tragic romances in poetic form, Shirin o Farha...
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Timurid illustrations of Chinese Emperors. These leaves originate from the famous illustrated copy of Hafiz-i Abru's Majma al-Tawarikh ('Universal ...
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From the Timurid Courts of Persia. A fine Timurid copy of the complete Mathnavi by the revered Sufi Saint Jalal al-din Rumi.This is Rumi's most cel...
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Inscribed by the author. Kamal al-Din Husayn al-Kashifi was a well known Persian writer on mysticism and preacher who died in Herat in 910 AH (1504...
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Fine nasta'liq calligraphy. Hilali Astarabadi (c. 1470-1529) was an accomplished poet and member of the literary circle of Sultan Husayn Bayqarah i...
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Join us as we journey through time to discover some of the rarest books in the world. The following texts have shown an extraordinary ability to survive, with some books having survived the ravages of flood and fire, and others counting only a single surviving copy.
The public perception of the East India Company, an organisation which was to become one of Britain's most notorious colonial ventures, was mediated by a collective of artists. Diplomatic wrangling, imperial posturing, trade and warfare became the subjects of a significant artistic movement, aimed at depicting and dissecting the Company’s involvement in the political and social life of the period.
The woods and rivers, hills and hollows of fiction constitute some of our earliest and most beloved memories: from the Hundred Acre Wood to the home of Mr. McGregor. Join us this Easter as we travel through the imaginary places and winding roads of children’s literature.
Welcome to TEFAF Maastricht: the fair that plays host to some of the most memorable treasures in the art world. With artworks that span over 7000 years, the event has an illustrious history, welcoming collectors and art loves alike for more than three decades.
