BARTHOLOMAEUS ANGLICUS (c.1203-72). De proprietatibus rerum. Cologne: 1481, folio, 456 leaves, contemporary calf decorated in blind. A curious feature of this copy of “one of the most widely read scientific works of the Middle Ages” (Garrison & Morton) are the contemporary pen flourishes to several leaves, including two incorporating delightful drawings of hares, oak leaves and acorns, the kind of seemingly arbitrary scribe's 'doodles' sometimes found in the margins of Medieval manuscripts.

Estimate: £3,000-5,000