Richard Burton First Editions Lead Armenian and Iranian Scholar's Personal Library Sale

Rare books from the personal library of pioneering British scholar of Armenian and Iranian studies Professor Charles Dowsett form part of Sworders’ Books and Maps online sale running through May 4.

Dowsett (1924-1998) established the modern academic foundations for the study of Armenian in the UK, his research spanning medieval Armenian literature, Iranian philology, and the transmission of Near Eastern texts to Europe. His personal library was assembled over decades of study and travel, and the proceeds from the auction will contribute directly to the preservation of the Armenian Institute Library and the core Dowsett collection.

The 578 volumes offered in 31 lots reflect the breadth of Dowsett’s teaching, including folklore and fairytales from Europe to the Caucasus and Central Asia, comparative religion and mythology (spanning Biblical, Islamic and Indo-European traditions), philology and lexicography across Turkic, Persianate and European languages, as well as ethnography and Romani studies plus travel books from Crimea to the Hindu Kush. All have been carefully selected for deaccessioning after a curatorial review with the scope to underwrite the Armenian Institute and their activities of cultural promotion and heritage preservation.

Leading the sale are the three volumes of Richard Burton’s A Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina (1855). The copy here, a very good set complete with maps and plates is offered together with three other volumes, with an estimate of £3,000-£5000. Other highlights include a first edition copy of Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians, signed and inscribed by the author Nikolaj Velimirović, the Serb theologian recently deemed Saint Nicholas of Zhicha (estimate: £300-£600), and a group of 19th and 20th century books on witchcraft including a first edition copy of Francois Lenormant’s 1877 Chaldean Magic: Its Origin and Development (estimate: £400-£800)

Proceeds from the auction will contribute directly to the preservation of the Armenian Institute Library, the core Dowsett Collection of Armenia-related volumes, the digitisation of some of its content, and the development and delivery of public and academic programmes that advance understanding of Armenian history, culture, and scholarship.