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Articles - June - 2023 Issue

Interpol Seizes 77 Stolen Antiquarian Books

- by Michael Stillman

Seized stolen books (Interpol photo).

Seized stolen books (Interpol photo).

Interpol recently announced the results of its operation against international art theft and trafficking. Code named Pandora VII, this was the seventh of these integrated international arrest and seizure operations. This one was led by Spain but involved several nations part of Europol and Interpol. Those were Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden.”

 

Conducted during 2022, they said 8,495 checks were made and an astonishing 4,017 stolen items recovered. They added that 130 investigations are ongoing and more arrests and seizures are expected, as “investigators around the globe go after those spoiling and destroying cultural heritage.” Interpol explained, “This iteration of the annual Pandora operation consisted of an operational phase which ran between 13 to 24 September 2022 and saw thousands of checks carried out at various airports, ports and border crossing points, as well as in auction houses, museums and private houses.”

 

Among the items recovered were a Roman marble bust of a woman, 48 religious sculptures, 13 archaeological artifacts, and 3,073 ancient coins. However, what will be of interest to those involved with books is 77 “ancient books.” According to Interpol, they were recovered “in Italy which the Italian Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage seized from an online marketplace. The books had been stolen from the archives of a monastery.” You can see these books in the photo accompanying this article.

 

Interpol did not identify the monastery from which the books were stolen. Perhaps they are still being cleaned up from the massive theft at the Girolamini Library in Italy ten years ago. We are not aware of any other large thefts from an Italian monastery library, but we have not been able to ascertain which one it was.

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Posted On: 2023-06-01 02:00
User Name: jtomhave

Looks like rubbish to me - but never judge a book by its cover(it's hard enough to judge it by its contents).

Rare Book Monthly

  • <b><center>Sotheby's<br>Fine Books, Manuscripts & More<br>Available for Immediate Purchase</center></b> <b>Sotheby’s:</b> J.R.R. Tolkien. <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> Trilogy. 11,135 USD <b>Sotheby’s:</b> Edgar Allan Poe. <i>The Raven and Other Poems,</i> 1845. 33,000 USD <b>Sotheby’s:</b> Leo Tolstoy, Clara Bow. <i>War and Peace,</i> 1886. 22,500 USD <b>Sotheby’s:</b> Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. <i>Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,</i> 1902. 7,500 USD <b>Sotheby’s:</b> F. Scott Fitzgerald. <i>This Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby,</i> and Others, 1920-1941. 24,180 USD
    Sotheby's
    Fine Books, Manuscripts & More
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s: J.R.R. Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. 11,135 USD
    Sotheby’s: Edgar Allan Poe. The Raven and Other Poems, 1845. 33,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: Leo Tolstoy, Clara Bow. War and Peace, 1886. 22,500 USD
    Sotheby’s: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1902. 7,500 USD
    Sotheby’s: F. Scott Fitzgerald. This Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby, and Others, 1920-1941. 24,180 USD
  • <b>Doyle, Dec. 5:</b> Minas Avetisian (1928-1975). <i>Rest,</i> 1973. $8,000 to $12,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 5:</b> Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington (1876-1973). <i>Yawning Tiger,</i> conceived 1917. $3,000 to $5,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 5:</b> Robert M. Kulicke (1924-2007). <i>Full-Blown Red and White Roses in a Glass Vase,</i> 1982. $3,000 to $5,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 5:</b> Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). L’ATELIER DE CANNES (Bloch 794; Mourlot 279). The cover for <i>Ces Peintres Nos Amis,</i> vol. II. $1,000 to $1,500. <b>Doyle, Dec. 5:</b> LeRoy Neiman (1921-2012). THE BEACH AT CANNES, 1979. $1,200 to $1,800. <b>Doyle, Dec. 5:</b> Richard Avendon, the suite of eleven signed portraits from the Avedon/Paris portfolio. $150,000 to $250,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 5:</b> Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989). <i>Flowers in Vase,</i> 1985. $20,000 to $30,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 5:</b> Edward Weston (1886-1958). <i>Nude,</i> 1936. $20,000 to $30,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 5:</b> Edward Weston (1886-1958). <i>Juniper, High Sierra,</i> 1937. <b>Doyle, Dec. 5:</b> Steven J. Levn (b. 1964). <i>Plumage II,</i> 2011. $6,000 to $8,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 5:</b> Steven Meisel (b. 1954). <i>Madonna, Miami, (from Sex),</i> 1992. $6,000 to $9,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 5: Minas Avetisian (1928-1975). Rest, 1973. $8,000 to $12,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 5: Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington (1876-1973). Yawning Tiger, conceived 1917. $3,000 to $5,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 5: Robert M. Kulicke (1924-2007). Full-Blown Red and White Roses in a Glass Vase, 1982. $3,000 to $5,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 5: Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). L’ATELIER DE CANNES (Bloch 794; Mourlot 279). The cover for Ces Peintres Nos Amis, vol. II. $1,000 to $1,500.
    Doyle, Dec. 5: LeRoy Neiman (1921-2012). THE BEACH AT CANNES, 1979. $1,200 to $1,800.
    Doyle, Dec. 5: Richard Avendon, the suite of eleven signed portraits from the Avedon/Paris portfolio. $150,000 to $250,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 5: Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989). Flowers in Vase, 1985. $20,000 to $30,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 5: Edward Weston (1886-1958). Nude, 1936. $20,000 to $30,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 5: Edward Weston (1886-1958). Juniper, High Sierra, 1937.
    Doyle, Dec. 5: Steven J. Levn (b. 1964). Plumage II, 2011. $6,000 to $8,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 5: Steven Meisel (b. 1954). Madonna, Miami, (from Sex), 1992. $6,000 to $9,000.
  • <b>Doyle, Dec. 6:</b> An extensive archive of Raymond Chandler’s unpublished drafts of fantasy stories. $60,000 to $80,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 6:</b> RAND, AYN. Single page from Ayn Rand’s handwritten first draft of her influential final novel <i>Atlas Shrugged.</i> $30,000 to $50,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 6:</b> Ernest Hemingway’s first book with interesting provenance. <i>Three Stories & Ten Poems.</i> $20,000 to $30,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 6:</b> Hemingway’s second book, one of 170 copies. <i>In Our Time.</i> $15,000 to $25,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 6:</b> A finely colored example of Visscher’s double hemisphere world map, with a figured border. $12,000 to $18,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 6:</b> Raymond Chandler’s Olivetti Studio 44 Typewriter. $10,000 to $20,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 6:</b> Antonio Ordóñez's “Suit of Lights” owned by Ernest Hemingway. $10,000 to $20,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 6:</b> A remarkable Truman archive featuring an inscribed beam from the White House construction. $8,000 to $12,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 6:</b> The fourth edition of Audubon’s <i>The Birds of America.</i> $8,000 to $12,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 6:</b> The original typed manuscript for Chandler’s only opera. <i>The Princess and the Pedlar: An Entirely Original Comic Opera.</i> $8,000 to $12,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 6:</b> A splendidly illustrated treatise on ancient Peru and its Incan civilization. $7,000 to $10,000. <b>Doyle, Dec. 6:</b> A superb copy of Claude Lorrain’s <i>Liber Veritatis</i> from Longleat House. $5,000 to $8,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 6: An extensive archive of Raymond Chandler’s unpublished drafts of fantasy stories. $60,000 to $80,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 6: RAND, AYN. Single page from Ayn Rand’s handwritten first draft of her influential final novel Atlas Shrugged. $30,000 to $50,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 6: Ernest Hemingway’s first book with interesting provenance. Three Stories & Ten Poems. $20,000 to $30,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 6: Hemingway’s second book, one of 170 copies. In Our Time. $15,000 to $25,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 6: A finely colored example of Visscher’s double hemisphere world map, with a figured border. $12,000 to $18,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 6: Raymond Chandler’s Olivetti Studio 44 Typewriter. $10,000 to $20,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 6: Antonio Ordóñez's “Suit of Lights” owned by Ernest Hemingway. $10,000 to $20,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 6: A remarkable Truman archive featuring an inscribed beam from the White House construction. $8,000 to $12,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 6: The fourth edition of Audubon’s The Birds of America. $8,000 to $12,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 6: The original typed manuscript for Chandler’s only opera. The Princess and the Pedlar: An Entirely Original Comic Opera. $8,000 to $12,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 6: A splendidly illustrated treatise on ancient Peru and its Incan civilization. $7,000 to $10,000.
    Doyle, Dec. 6: A superb copy of Claude Lorrain’s Liber Veritatis from Longleat House. $5,000 to $8,000.
  • <b><center>High Bids Win<br>Letterpress & Bindery Auction<br>Nov. 20 – Dec. 5, 2024</b> <b>High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5:</b> Book Press 10 1/2× 15 1/4" Platen , 2 1/2" Daylight. <b>High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5:</b> The Tubbs Mfg Co. wooden-type cabinet 27” w by 37” h by 22” deep. <b>High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5:</b> G.P.Gordon printing press 7” by 11” with treadle. Needs rollers, trucks, and grippers. Missing roller spring. <b><center>High Bids Win<br>Letterpress & Bindery Auction<br>Nov. 20 – Dec. 5, 2024</b> <b>High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5:</b> D & C Ventris curved wood type 2” tall 5/8” wide. <b>High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5:</b> Wood Type 1 1/4” tall. <b>High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5:</b> Quarter Case with Lead Triangles. <b><center>High Bids Win<br>Letterpress & Bindery Auction<br>Nov. 20 – Dec. 5, 2024</b> <b>High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5:</b> Page & Co wood type 1 1/4” tall 1/4” wide. <b>High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5:</b> Awt 578 type hi gauge. <b>High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5:</b> Quarter Case with Lead Penline Flourishes. <b><center>High Bids Win<br>Letterpress & Bindery Auction<br>Nov. 20 – Dec. 5, 2024</b> <b>High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5:</b> Quarter Case with Lead Penline Flourishes. <b>High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5:</b> Quarter Case with Lead Cents and Pound Signs. <b>High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5:</b> Wooden type cabinet 27” w by 19” d by 38” h.
    High Bids Win
    Letterpress & Bindery Auction
    Nov. 20 – Dec. 5, 2024
    High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5: Book Press 10 1/2× 15 1/4" Platen , 2 1/2" Daylight.
    High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5: The Tubbs Mfg Co. wooden-type cabinet 27” w by 37” h by 22” deep.
    High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5: G.P.Gordon printing press 7” by 11” with treadle. Needs rollers, trucks, and grippers. Missing roller spring.
    High Bids Win
    Letterpress & Bindery Auction
    Nov. 20 – Dec. 5, 2024
    High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5: D & C Ventris curved wood type 2” tall 5/8” wide.
    High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5: Wood Type 1 1/4” tall.
    High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5: Quarter Case with Lead Triangles.
    High Bids Win
    Letterpress & Bindery Auction
    Nov. 20 – Dec. 5, 2024
    High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5: Page & Co wood type 1 1/4” tall 1/4” wide.
    High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5: Awt 578 type hi gauge.
    High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5: Quarter Case with Lead Penline Flourishes.
    High Bids Win
    Letterpress & Bindery Auction
    Nov. 20 – Dec. 5, 2024
    High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5: Quarter Case with Lead Penline Flourishes.
    High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5: Quarter Case with Lead Cents and Pound Signs.
    High Bids Win, Nov. 20 – Dec. 5: Wooden type cabinet 27” w by 19” d by 38” h.
  • <b>ALDE, Dec. 11:</b> ALBINUS (BERNHARD SIEGFIED). <i>Tabulæ Sceleti et Musculorum corporis humanum,</i> Londres, 1749. €4,000 to €5,000. <b>ALDE, Dec. 11:</b> BIDLOO (GOVARD). <i>Anatomia humani corporis. Centum et quinque tabulis per artificiosiss. G. de Lairesse...,</i> Amsterdam, 1685. <b>ALDE, Dec. 11:</b> BOURGERY (JEAN-MARC) – JACOB (NICOLAS-HENRI). <i>Traité complet de l’anatomie de l’Homme comprenant la médecine opératoire,</i> Paris, 1832. €4,000 to €5,000. <b>ALDE, Dec. 11:</b> CALDANI (LEOPOLDO MARCANTONIO ET FLORIANO). <i>Icones anatomicae,</i> Venice, 1801-14. €5,000 to €6,000. <b>ALDE, Dec. 11:</b> CARSWELL (ROBERT). <i>Pathological Anatomy. Illustrations of the elementary forms of disease,</i> London, 1838. €5,000 to €6,000. <b>ALDE, Dec. 11:</b> CASSERIUS (JULIUS) [GIULIO CASSERIO]. <i>De vocis auditusq. organis historia anatomica singulari fide methodo ac industria concinnata tractatis duobus explicate,</i> Ferrara, 1600-1601. €4,000 to €5,000. <b>ALDE, Dec. 11:</b> ESTIENNE (CHARLES). <i>De dissectione partium corporis humani libri tres,</i> Paris, 1545. €8,000 to €10,000. <b>ALDE, Dec. 11:</b> GAMELIN (JACQUES). <i>Nouveau Recueil d'Ostéologie et de Myologie dessiné d'après nature... pour l’utilité des sciences et des arts, divisé en deux parties,</i> Toulouse, 1779. €6,000 to €8,000. <b>ALDE, Dec. 11:</b> ROESSLIN (EUCHER). <i>Des divers travaux et enfantemens des femmes et par quel moyen l'on doit survenir aux accidens…,</i> Paris, 1536. €3,000 to €4,000. <b>ALDE, Dec. 11:</b> RUYSCH (FREDERICK). <i>Thesaurus anatomicus - Anatomisch Cabinet,</i> Amsterdam, 1701-1714. €3,000 to €4,000. <b>ALDE, Dec. 11:</b> VALVERDE (JUAN DE). <i>Anatome corporis humani. Nunc primum a Michaele Michaele Columbo latine reddita, et additis novis aliquot tabulis exornata,</i> Venetiis, 1589. €2,000 to €3,000. <b>ALDE, Dec. 11:</b> VESALIUS (ANDREAS). <i>De humani Corporis Fabrica libri septem,</i> Venetiis, 1568. €3,000 to €4,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 11: ALBINUS (BERNHARD SIEGFIED). Tabulæ Sceleti et Musculorum corporis humanum, Londres, 1749. €4,000 to €5,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 11: BIDLOO (GOVARD). Anatomia humani corporis. Centum et quinque tabulis per artificiosiss. G. de Lairesse..., Amsterdam, 1685.
    ALDE, Dec. 11: BOURGERY (JEAN-MARC) – JACOB (NICOLAS-HENRI). Traité complet de l’anatomie de l’Homme comprenant la médecine opératoire, Paris, 1832. €4,000 to €5,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 11: CALDANI (LEOPOLDO MARCANTONIO ET FLORIANO). Icones anatomicae, Venice, 1801-14. €5,000 to €6,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 11: CARSWELL (ROBERT). Pathological Anatomy. Illustrations of the elementary forms of disease, London, 1838. €5,000 to €6,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 11: CASSERIUS (JULIUS) [GIULIO CASSERIO]. De vocis auditusq. organis historia anatomica singulari fide methodo ac industria concinnata tractatis duobus explicate, Ferrara, 1600-1601. €4,000 to €5,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 11: ESTIENNE (CHARLES). De dissectione partium corporis humani libri tres, Paris, 1545. €8,000 to €10,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 11: GAMELIN (JACQUES). Nouveau Recueil d'Ostéologie et de Myologie dessiné d'après nature... pour l’utilité des sciences et des arts, divisé en deux parties, Toulouse, 1779. €6,000 to €8,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 11: ROESSLIN (EUCHER). Des divers travaux et enfantemens des femmes et par quel moyen l'on doit survenir aux accidens…, Paris, 1536. €3,000 to €4,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 11: RUYSCH (FREDERICK). Thesaurus anatomicus - Anatomisch Cabinet, Amsterdam, 1701-1714. €3,000 to €4,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 11: VALVERDE (JUAN DE). Anatome corporis humani. Nunc primum a Michaele Michaele Columbo latine reddita, et additis novis aliquot tabulis exornata, Venetiis, 1589. €2,000 to €3,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 11: VESALIUS (ANDREAS). De humani Corporis Fabrica libri septem, Venetiis, 1568. €3,000 to €4,000.

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