1. Tallis, John / Rapkin, John. (1817 – 1876)

Persia (Iran) with the 19th century naming of the different regions in Iran and neighbouring countries: Azerbijan [Azerbaijan] / IrakaJemi / Khorassan / Kirman / Fars / Laristan / Khuzistan / with Vignettes and Images of Ispahan (Isfahan / Irak) / Kurds (a group of Kurdish Men) / a Persian on a horse / a Bactrian Camel /

Original steel engraving / Vintage map. Drawn and engraved by John Rapkin. Partly hand-coloured. London & New York, J & F. Tallis, 1851. Beautifully framed. Size of Frame with map: 35 cm x 45 cm. Size of the actual map: 27 cm x 37 cm. Very good condition.

2. Naser al-Din Shah Qajar [Nassereddin Shah Qajar, the King of Persia].

Two vintage photographs of the visit of the Shah to England in 1873. The Two photographs show: 1. Forerunners of Shah crossing Artillery Square” and 2. The Shah crossing Artillery Square”.

London / England, Artillery Square, 1873. 21.5 cm x 16 cm. 2 photograph sheets. Original Softcover. Both photographs frayed but in overall good condition. condition with only minor signs of external wear. Two extremely scarce and early photographs of a state visit under Queen Victoria.

3. [Saadi of Shiraz] Sa’di / Abu-Muhammad Muslih al-Din bin Abdallah Shirazi.

Golestan [Gulistan / Rose Garden] – Original 19th century printed version in Persian / Farsi with some contemporary manuscript notes in pencil. Complete title: Great praise and admiration be upon the Creator of the earth, human kind and spirit Infinite blessings and greetings to the God’s beloved court that in this time with the songs of nightingale in the magic and harmonious flower garden of Honourable Sheikh Saadi Shirazi, may God have mercy on him, and great acknowledgement of the book Golestan. Thanks to the great number of believers, God’s follower Qazi Ibrahim Hajji, the noble pious Hajji Qazi Nour Mohammad Milpabadi and Nour-e-Din Bin Heikhakhan, for the second time.

Bombay, In the Printing House Heydari, 1875. Octavo. 252 pages. Hardcover / Contemporary 19th century half leather with marbled paper-covered boards. It is clear from three consecutive little wholes to the bookblock that this version of the Rose Garden was previously bound as a blockbook and rebound in 19th century boards. First 9 and last 7 pages with a faded stain, possibly from the glue of a former wrapper. Otherwise in very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Some occasional manuscript notes in pencil in english.

4. Krist, Gustav.

Alone Through the Forbidden Land – Journeys in Disguise through Soviet Central Asia. translated by E.O. Lorimer.

No place (London), Readers’ Union (by arrangement with Faber & Faber Limted), no year (c.1939). 13.5 cm x 22 cm. 271 pages. 46 illustrations on 32 plates. Hardcover [publisher’s original light-brown cloth] with printed lettering on spine. Printed lettering and vignette on front board. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Minor foxing along spine. Interior very bright and clean.

5. Brockett, Eleanor.

Persian Fairy Tales. Retold by Eleanor Brockett. Illustrated by Harry Toothill.

London, Frederick Muller Limited, 1965. 13 x 20cm. (8), 224 pages, with black and white illustrations. Original clothbound hardcover. Minor signs of external wear, including sunned spine and some fraying to cloth edges. Internally in very good condition, other than some minor text annotations on first twenty pages. [Muller World Fairy Tales Collection].

6. Frankfort, Henri.

The Art and Architecture of the Ancient Orient.

Middlesex, Penguin, 1970. 15 x 21cm. 456 pages, with black and white photographs and text illustrations throughout. Original softcover. Excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear. Inscribed with previous owner’s name. [The Pelican History of Art, Series Editor: Nikolaus Pevsner].