Hamburg, 16/17 November 2009, (kk) - The two day auction of Rare Books at Ketterer Kunst in Hamburg achieved great results with proceeds of some € 1,2* millions. The evening auction alone hit the mark with 84 percent of lots sold. "This shows that Rare Books, a section that has been well established for years with solid sales figures, stands the test of even economically challenging times. Consistency and quality are values that are in demand now more than ever", said Robert Ketterer, auctioneer and owner of Ketterer Kunst.

J. W. Weinmann
Phytanthoza-Iconographia. 1737-45.

The Top 5

€ 56 400* calling price: €45 000
Nr. 24: J. W. Weinmann
Phytanthoza-Iconographia. 1737-45.

€ 46 800* calling price: €21 000
Nr. 9: Speculum humanae salvationis
Augsburg. 1489.

€ 33 600* calling price: €18 000
Nr. 6: Nonius Marcellus
De proprietate latini sermonis.
Venedig 1476.

€ 28 800* calling price: €20 000
Nr. 12: Cronica van der hilliger Stat Coellen
Köln 1499.

€ 27 600* calling price: €14 000
Nr. 2: (Pseudo-) Johannes Chrysostomus
Opus imperfectum in Matthaeum, um 1475.

The lavishly made Baroque book with more than 1000 color-engraved plates of plants and flowers by the Regensburg apothecarian Johann Wilhelm Weinmann leads the auction with a result of € 56 400* (reserve price € 45 000). A private collector from Germany made sure of the "Phytanthoza-Iconographia" in four volumes for himself.

Shortyl before the "Speculum humanae salvationis", a rare copy of the Augsburg incunable in an old coloring, also achieved a respectable increase, called up at € 21 000, it soared to proceeds of € 46 800*. An antiquarian from Saxony stood up to a full auction room and a good number of phone bidders.

By this time a phone bidder from a European country had all reason to be happy, as he had already received the award for "De proprietate latini sermonis" by the late Latin grammarian and lexicographer Nonius Marcellus. He acquired the book printed by Nicolas Jenson in his renowned Antiqua type for € 33 600* (calling price: € 18 000) and thus won against strong competitors in the auction room.

A private collector from North Germany rewarded the "Cronica van der hilliger Stat Coellen", a magnificent document of the Dutch language in its regional Cologne variant and at the same time one of the most relevant 15th century chronicles, with proceeds of € 28 800*.

The Latin manuscript "Opus imperfectum in Matthaeum" from around 1475 called for great international attention. For € 27 600* (calling price: € 14 000) the rare work formerly ascribed to Johannes Chysostomus went to a French private collector, who sent a fellow countryman off to second place.

Besides the "Sermones et epistolae" (lot: 8, calling price: € 7 000, proceeds: € 19 200* by Leo I., which went to an Italian antiquarian, and the celestial atlas "Coelum stellatum christianum" by Julius Schiller (lot: 283, calling price: € 5 000, proceeds: € 13 200*) it was particularly "Das Alte Testament deudsch" (lot: 14) which made for a respectable increase. The extremely rare edition of the Old Testament in the translation by Martin Luther climbed from € 2 800 to a final result of € 14 400*, which a German antiquarian allowed.

More than worth a mentioning are:

The section of Marine and North German Art, which was included in the auction of Rare Books some time ago, is headed by John Henry Mohrmann‘s oil painting "Norwegische Bark 'Hippalos'". A Canadian collector paid € 5 520* for the lot number 1722 which was made around 1900.

While the "Hamburger Dampfsegler 'Rhodos'..." another work by Mohrmann (calling price: € 3 000, proceeds: € 5 160*), just as the painting "Landschaft mit Bauernkate" by Fritz Overbeck (lot: 1757, calling price: € 1 800, proceeds: € 4 680*) remained in North Germany, Carl Saltzmann‘s "Bewegte Einschiffung..." (lot: 1729, v price: € 2 500, proceeds: € 4 320*) as well as "Die HMS 'Victory', Admiral Nelsons Flaggschiff" by Johannes Holst, went to South German private collections.

Until 16 December 2009 some fascinating objects can still be acquired in the post-auction sale.