1st 2 volumes 2026 440 & 480pp Editions de Velin Blesse 4to hardbacks in dustwrappers, housed in slipcase. Illustrated in colour and black & white. Printed on glossy paper. NB. Slight knocks to slipcase sustained during transit. NEW
 
 
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Ltd. ed. 500 copies. FRENCH TEXT. A massive (5KG+) study covering some 1570 rare editions. Bibliographic details of title pages, collations, illustrations etc. From the publisher:
 
"Until now, no bibliography had ever been entirely devoted to grimoires and books of magic. Though belonging to the same family, these two types of works circulated in different spheres.
 
Intended for Renaissance scholars and elites, books of magic were written in Latin. They were the subject of in-depth study, carefully written, and finely bound. Grimoires, by contrast, were often crudely handwritten or hastily printed on poor-quality paper. Sold discreetly by peddlars, they were treasured by humble men, shepherds or sorcerers, who did not always understand the forces they sought to summon.
 
Possessing a book of magic or a grimoire in the l6th or 17th century was no trivial matter: one risked perishing in the flames along with the trial records and the forbidden books. Those works that did not end up in ashes often fell victim to damp and vermin. What remains is a small but distinct corpus-one that deserved a bibliography of its own.
This work was created by a bibliophile, for bibliophiles. It will also contribute to a deeper understanding of magic and its evolution up to the 20th century. It will help scholars trace the circulation of this material within both scholarly and popular circles, and identify the mutual influences between these traditions."