Category: Uncategorized

October 2, 2010

PRINTED 1481: A HANDSOME AND FRESH KOBERGER INCUNABLE

RARE UNFINISHED UNDERDRAWINGS IN PREPARATION FOR LARGE ILLUMINATED INITIALS

Scotus, Johns Duns.  Quaestiones in quattuor libros Sententiarum.  Nuremberg, Anton Koberger, 1481.  Part III and IV in 1 volume.  FOLIO,  347 mm.  [58], [140] lvs. Parts COMPLETE including initial and final blanks.  Edited by Thomas Penketh and Bartholomaeus Bellatus. Commentary on Petrus Lombardus’ Sententiarum libri quattuor.  Ref: Brit. Mus. Cat. (XV cent.) II, p. 419,  Goff. Third census, D-380.  Later 19th century boards with wear to hinges. Internally, except for some minor marginal worming, a remarkably FRESH COPY; handsomely rubricated in red throughout.  Large penwork initial in fictive frame for each part, in a rare unfinished state, drawn in preparation for illumination.

The unfinished initials, present here as underdrawings, are highly interesting and serve as fine and rare examples of the early process of medieval illumination.   A master artisan was responsible for the layout of the composition prior to the application of gold.  As can be seen in these examples, a metal point, especially a leadpoint, or diluted ink was generally used.

“Anton Koberger (was the godfather of Albrecht Dürer, whose family lived on the same street. In the year before Dürer’s birth in 1471 he ceased goldsmithing to become a printer and publisher. He quickly became the most successful publisher in Germany, absorbing his rivals over the years to become a large capitalist enterprise, with twenty-four presses in operation, printing numerous works simultaneously and employing at its height 100 workers:[3] printers, typesetters, typefounders, illuminators, and the like. Constantly improving his business prospects, he sent out traveling agents and established links with booksellers all over Western Europe, including Venice, Europe’s other great centre of printing, Milan, Paris, Lyon, Vienna and Budapest. At the supply end, he obtained two papermills” [Wikipedia]

“John (Johannes) Duns Scotus, O.F.M. (c. 1265 – 8 November 1308) was one of the more important theologians and philosophers of the High Middle Ages. He was nicknamed Doctor Subtilis for his penetrating and subtle manner of thought.Scotus has had considerable influence on Catholic thought. The doctrines for which he is best known are the “univocity of being,” that existence is the most abstract concept we have, applicable to everything that exists; the formal distinction, a way of distinguishing between different aspects of the same thing; and the idea of haecceity, the property supposed to be in each individual thing that makes it an individual. Scotus also developed a complex argument for the existence of God, and argued scripturally for the Immaculate conception of Mary.

Scotus is considered one of the most important Franciscan theologians and was the founder of Scotism, a special form of Scholasticism.” [Wikipedia]

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August 24, 2010

16th CENTURY MINING IN CONTEMPORARY BLIND-TOOLED PIGSKIN.


PRINTED 1548-1571: A SAMMELBAND OF 5 RARE TITLES

[16th Century Mining and Metallurgy.] [Ordinances and Statues] [Maximilian II (31 July 1527 – 12 October 1576) ] [Ferdinand I (10 March 1503 – 25 July 1564)]
1. Abschiedt der Römischen Kayserlichen Majestat, und gemeiner Stände auff dem Reichstag zu Speyr, Anno MDLXX auffgerichtet.
Gedruckt in der Churfürstlichen Stat, Meintz : durch Franciscum Behem, 1571.  [2; (of 4)]; 103 lvs.., lacking t.p.;. BOUND WITH… 2. [L. Fronsperger, Baron von Mindelheim]. Besatzung. Ein kurtzer bericht, wie Stätt, Schlösser oder Flecken mit kriegs volck soll besetzt sein, dass sie sich für dem Feinde erhalten mögen. Mit einer ausstheylung, was einem Menschen einen jeden tag an Brot und Fleysch, dergleichen was einem jeden Pferd allen tag an Habern soll gegeben werden, dass sie sich nach notturfft erhalten künden. Frankfurt an Main, Feyerabend and Huter, 1563 [2]-16, [2] colophon and final blank present, lacking t.p.; BOUND WITH…. 3. Bergkordnung des freyen Königlichen Bergwercks Sanct Joachimthal, sambt anderen umbligenden und eingeleibten Silberbergkwercken, auffs neue gebessert, Anno domini 1548. Zwickau, 1548. [81] of [82] lvs., with errata and final blank, lacking t.p.. BOUND WITH…. 4. Römischer auch zu Hungern und Behem etc. Kü. Mai. geordente und gebesserte Zinbergkwercks Ordnung der Bergstedt Schlackenwalden, Schönfelden, Lautterpach, sampt derselben zugehörenden gepirgen ; Römischer auch zu Hungern und Behem etc. Kü. Mai. Zinbergkwercks Ordnung auff die Bergkwerck Hengst, Perninger, Lichtenstadt, Platten, Gotsgab, Kaff, Mückenbergk und andern derselbigen orten und enden… BOUND WITH… 5. [Ferdinands I.] Geordente und gGebesserte Zinbergkwercks-Ordnung der Bergkstedt Schlackenu’alden, Schönfelden, Lautterpach, sampt derselben zugehörenden Gepirgen. :[Zwickau:, Wolffgang Meyerpeck, 1548] [22] lvs. t.p., crudely remargined, coat of arms on title page. Ornamental initials and head- and tailpieces. Very Rare. Condition: Handsome contemporary blind-tooled German Pigskin over wooden boards, brass catches, some dampstaining, browning,
marginal repairs, several inserted blanks for notes and annotations as well as contemporary manuscript pages, facsimile bookplate.  [$8500]

Extracting metals from the ground has clearly been a fundamental technology that helped pave the way for advances in human civilization. Besides wealth creation, mining required men and smelters,which led to the founding of many villages and communities that formed a backbone of medieval society. This sammelband of 5 separate and rare works, dated from 1548-1571, is therefore of great scholarly importance to both 16th century German law and the history of technology. It addresses the competing rights and claims of kings, landlords, landowners, as well as the individual miners. Additionally it discusses material covered by Agricola, specifically how a mine can be divided into shares and the roles of various other officials in regulating mines and taxing the production. It should be noted that the two large woodcut illustrations were executed a full eight years before the 1556 edition of Agricola’s De re metallica .

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August 1, 2010

Printed in 1648/9: The famous Eikon Basilike in an extremely early rare issue.

The Most Influential Tract if the English Revolution

Charles, King of England; John Gauden . Eikōn basilikē The Povrtraictvre of His Sacred Maiestie in his solitudes and svfferings. Rom. 8. More then [sic] conquerour, &c. Bona agere, & mali pati, Regium est. [London, Richard Royston?, possibly H. Seile: London,] 1648 [i.e. 1649]. 8vo., 269 pgs. COMPLETE, contemporary calf, front hinge largely split, some 17th century annotations. Some browning and staining as usual, A2 with old margin repair. A VERY RARE and early issue of the famous Eikōn basilikē with only one variant copy listed by Worldcat of this edition. [$1800]

“Eikon Basilike, purportedly the meditations of King Charles before his beheading, has been something of a cause celebre since its first issuance by the renegade Royalist publisher Richard Roylston at the time of the King’s execution… Milton was the first of many to cast doubts on Charles’ authorship. Opinion swung back and forth , seeming to settle on the authorship of Dr. John Gauden, until the publucation in 1950 of Francis M. Madan’s A New Bibliography of the Eikon Basilike, which demonstrated that Gauden had worked closely from Charles’ own papers.” [ref: Christies]

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June 24, 2010

Peacock-feather SANGORSKI & SUTCLIFFE jeweled binding

[BROWNING, Robert] [SANGORSKI, Alberto, calligrapher and illuminator.] “Rabbi Ben Ezra.” [London: for the Grolier Society, ca. 1905-1912]. 24 cm x 18 cm. in a stunning jeweled opal binding by SANGORSKI and SUTCLIFFE.  22 leaves, plus 8 blanks, superbly illuminated floral borders and a full page miniature of Rabbi Ben Ezra.  Colophon statement: recto “The poem of Rabbi Ben Ezra executed by the Grolier Society London, London.” verso “This copy of Rabbi Ben Ezra by Robert Browning, was especially written out, illuminated, and bound by hand and will not be duplicated.” Phoebe A.D. Boyle – Anderson New York, 19-20 November 1923, lot 55.  [SOLD]

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May 21, 2010

Printed 1872: The First Guide-Book to New York for Spanish Speakers.

With Map. Exceedingly Rare. Only 1 other Copy recorded by Worldcat

The Book:

Guia de la ciudad de Nueva York. Nueva York : N. Ponce de Leon, 1872. Description: viii, 236, 20, 4 p., plates : map ; 23 p. of advertising at end of book. . 8vo., 17 cm. Original contemporary stamped cloth, stained, textblock loose, some chipping as depicted to head of spine. Overall, a good and complete copy of an important cultural relic.

Néstor Ponce de Leon was the most important publisher of books and pamphlets advancing the revolutionary cause. Ponce de Leon edited liberal magazines and newspapers in Cuba before becoming persecuted. He was pursued by the colonial police, who had found weapons in his house, though he managed to embark for the United States in February 1869 and went into political exile. This exceedingly rare guidebook to New York , that he compiled and published, is the first guidebook printed for New York’s Spanish speaking community.

Worldcat cites only 1 other recorded copy in the New York Historical Society.

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