TOMMASEO, NICCOLñ:

Storia de Mosé Corenese illustrata dai Monaci Armeni Mechitaristi. Venezia, typografia Armena di San Lazzaro, 1841.

. Pp. xxii, 403, index (15). With one engraved plate. Contemporary half calf, flat spine decorated and lettered in gilt, g.e. A few leaves with some light staining but overall a beautiful copy. First edition. Mose of Correne, Armenian historian who wrote the important "History of Armenia" in the 5th century. Tommaseo (1802-74) was a Dalmatian linguist, journalist and essayist. Printed at the Armenian monastery on the island of St Lazare outside Venice. ("Collana degli storici Armeni" volume 1").

Charlotte Du Rietz Rare BooksVendeur professionnel

N° du livre: 121452

Catalogue: Central Asia

Mots-clés: Central Asia, armenia, armenian, history, literature, caucasia, asia, asie, asien, asiatic,

WILKINS, CHARLES:

A Grammar of the Sanskrita Language. London, Printed for the author by W. Bulmer and Co., and sold by Black, Parry, and Kingsbury, Booksellers to the Honourable the East India Company, 1808.

. 4to. Pp. iii-xx, 662 (half title is missing). With five engraved plates. Rebound in half calf, title label on spine. Library stamp on title (Biblioth. Semin. Philad. S. Caroli Borr.) and "Ex Libris Biblioth.S. Caroli Borrom." written by hand. Title page slightly chipped along margins. Partly with some light foxing, some offsetting to the text from the engraved plates. Four leaves heavily browned from inlaid loose papers with scholarly notes. Some old neat annotations in a few places. Very rare in the trade.The first English grammar of the Sanskrit language. The Devanagari types used are cut and cast by the Wilkins himself. In the Preface he explains that he began preparing the types in 1795. However, a fire destroyed all the types and it was not until 1808 that he was encouraged by the East India College to continue this work.Charles Wilkins (1749-1836), famous orientalist, who in 1770 came to India in the service of the East India Company. He was a pioneer in the study of Sanskrit and best known for publishing the first English translation of the Bhagavad Gita in 1785. This introduced Indian culture to the western world. Upon his return to England he was appointed first librarian of the India House Library (now British Library, Oriental Collections). Ref: De Sacy 2933. Thonnelier 1480. Vater p.332. See Windisch 22-23. Provenance: The Roman Catholic Seminary of St. Charles Borromeo in Philadelphia was founded in 1832. (Charles Borromeo was Latin Archbishop in Milan 1564-8). In 2016, the Seminary underwent a reconstruction and downsizing. To raise funds, the Seminary sold paintings and rare books from its library at auctions. Furthermore, we would like to add that there is a note: "Arthur Mostyn Owen September 1829" in two places (pp. 352 and 493) which makes us believe that this copy has belonged to him. Owen (1814-96) attended the East India College at Haileybury 1829-31.

Charlotte Du Rietz Rare BooksVendeur professionnel

N° du livre: 121454

Catalogue: Central Asia & India

Mots-clés: Central Asia & India, india, indian, sanskrit, language, langue, lingustic, asia, asien, asie, asiatic