Spring 2026 · Season Sale

Spring Bibliotheca

187 Lots Now Open

First editions, illuminated manuscripts, and signed proofs — curated for collectors who understand the weight of a colophon page.

Folio · Live Catalogue
Live
Hand-colored botanical plate from 17th century herbal manuscript
Lot 04202:14:37

Herbarium Vivae Eicones

£12,400

Open illuminated manuscript with gold leaf decoration
Lot 01704:22:11

Faulkner, First State — Sartoris

£8,750

Stack of rare leather-bound antiquarian books
Lot 09100:47:02

Book of Hours, Flemish c.1460

£31,200

Place Bid
Folio
Hand-colored botanical plate detail showing intricate floral illustration
Lot 04202:14:37

Herbarium Vivae Eicones

£12,400

Bid Now
Scroll
Auctioneer's Selection

Five Lots Worth Your
Undivided Attention

Each image begins blurred — a detail crop — and sharpens as you arrive. The full lot reveals itself as you do.

Close-up detail of hand-colored botanical illustration showing intricate leaf venation
Auctioneer's Choice
Full view
Lot 04216th Century · Botanical

Herbarium Vivae Eicones

Otto Brunfels · Strasbourg, 1530

Provenance

Ex libris: Wellcome Collection duplicate; Christie's South Kensington, 2019

Condition

Fine

Prev. Sale (2022)

£9,800


Current Bid

£12,400

Est. £10,000£15,000

Closing In

02:14:37

Detail of Faulkner first edition spine showing original cloth binding and gilt lettering
Rare First State
Full view
Lot 01720th Century · American Literature

Sartoris — First State, First Issue

William Faulkner · Harcourt Brace, 1929

Provenance

Original dust jacket, first state binding. From the library of a Mississippi collector, thence by descent.

Condition

Very Good+

Prev. Sale (2020)

£6,200


Current Bid

£8,750

Est. £7,500£11,000

Closing In

04:22:11

Detail of illuminated manuscript marginalia showing gold leaf decoration and red pigment initials
Closing Soon
Full view
Lot 09115th Century · Illuminated MS

Book of Hours, Use of Sarum

Flemish Workshop · c.1460–1470

Provenance

18 full-page miniatures, gold leaf intact. Sotheby's London, 1994; private European collection.

Condition

Good

Prev. Sale (2018)

£24,500


Current Bid

£31,200

Est. £28,000£38,000

Closing In

00:47:02

Final Hour
Detail of Darwin first edition title page showing original typography and John Murray imprint
Institutional Grade
Full view
Lot 05519th Century · Science

On the Origin of Species — 1st Ed.

Charles Darwin · John Murray, 1859

Provenance

Green cloth binding, all points of the first issue present. Deaccessioned from a Cambridge college library.

Condition

Good+

Prev. Sale (2019)

£38,000


Current Bid

£47,500

Est. £40,000£60,000

Closing In

06:55:20

Detail of Joyce inscription in blue ink on title page of Ulysses first edition
Highlight Lot
Full view
Lot 12820th Century · Modernist

Ulysses — Signed Presentation Copy

James Joyce · Shakespeare & Co., 1922

Provenance

Inscribed "To Harriet Weaver, with gratitude, J.J." One of 100 copies on Dutch hand-made paper.

Condition

Fine

Prev. Sale (2021)

£68,000


Current Bid

£89,000

Est. £75,000£100,000

Closing In

11:30:00

Lots Closing Today

Don't let a closing timestamp become a missed opportunity

4 Lots Today
Illuminated manuscript page with gold borders and miniature painting
Lot 091Final Hour

Book of Hours, Flemish c.1460

£31,200

00:47:02

Romantic period poetry volume with marbled boards and spine label
Lot 003

Keats — Lamia, 1820, 1st Ed.

£4,100

01:12:44

Scientific illustration plate from Micrographia showing microscopic observations
Lot 034

Hooke's Micrographia — 1665

£18,600

02:05:18

Hand-colored Audubon bird illustration plate showing detailed ornithological engraving
Lot 062

Audubon Octavo — 4 plates

£9,750

03:33:55

How We Work

A Bid Placed on
Evidence, Not Hope

Folio has operated in the rare book trade since 1987. Every lot we offer has been physically examined, researched, and graded. We publish what we know — and what we don't.

Browse the full catalogue
Rare book specialist examining a first edition with white cotton gloves under magnification
Close-up of manuscript marginalia being photographed for provenance documentation

Est.

1987

Physical Examination

Every lot is examined in-hand by our specialist team. Condition grades follow ABAA standards — no digital-only assessments.

Provenance Research

We trace ownership chains to source. Auction records, bookplates, library stamps, and correspondence are documented and disclosed.

Authentication

Signatures are verified against reference collections. Bindings and paper are dated by independent conservators when contested.

Comparable Sales

We publish previous auction results for every lot. You see what the market paid — not what we think it should pay.

187

Lots This Season

34

Years in Trade

£2.4M

Sold Last Season

98%

Lots with Full Provenance

Portrait of Dr. Eleanor Whitfield, Head of Special Collections at a university library
"Folio's condition reports are the most thorough in the trade. I've acquired eleven items over six seasons — every lot arrived exactly as described. For institutional acquisitions, that reliability is non-negotiable."

Dr. Eleanor Whitfield

Head of Special Collections · Bodleian Libraries, Oxford

Join the Sale

Register to Bid.
Your Paddle Awaits.

Registration takes under a minute. Your paddle number arrives instantly. Spring Bibliotheca closes 15 March — 187 lots, no reserves on 40% of the catalogue.

Instant paddle number via email

Live bid notifications for watched lots

Full provenance PDFs for any lot

Absentee and telephone bidding available

Your details are used only for auction registration. We never sell or share collector data.

Bidder Registration

Spring Bibliotheca · 187 Lots · Closes 15 March 2026

Instant confirmation · No payment required to register