Beschreibung:

Bembo, Pietro. Petri Bembi Epistolarum Leonis decimi pontificis max. nomine scriptarum libri sexdecim ad Paulum tertium pont. max. Romam missi. Venice: Giovanni Padovano & Venturino Ruffinelli, [1535?]
First edition of a collection of nearly six hundred letters written by Bembo while carrying out secretarial duties for Pope Leo X (r. 9 March 1513–1 December 1521). Bembo’s holograph and corrected manuscript of the Epistolae Leonis Decimi is Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. Lat. 3364. His preface addressed to Pope Paul III is dated: Idibus Ianuarii MDXXXV.
This copy is in a deluxe goatskin binding by Niccolò Franzese (Nicolas Fery), a Roman binder who served four popes, binding volumes for their private libraries as well as for the Vatican Library. It is decorated to a panel design, with the outer border impressed by solid tools and inner border filled with a chain pattern. In the centers of the covers are the quartered arms of Ippolito II d’Este (1509–1572), the second-born son of Duke Alfonso I of Ferrara and Lucrezia Borgia, appointed Archbishop of Milan in 1519, aged 10, and in 1538, elevated to Cardinal (Tre gigli d’oro, aquila imperiale bicipite nera).
The library of Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este has largely disappeared; from surviving book lists and inventories we learn that he kept in his Roman palaces and at the Villa d’Este books and manuscripts luxuriously bound in silk and velvet of various colors, some with silver, gold, or enamel ornaments, and housed in purple silk or white leather bags, as well as bindings in diverse leathers and materials (capretto, turchino, corame, carta pecora, cartone bianco), colored red, brown, and black. His arms appear on some bindings, impressed in gold from one or the other of two stamps. Yet books with any distinguishing mark of Ippolito’s ownership are very rare. Fumagalli’s L’arte della legatura alla corte degli Estensi, a Ferrara e a Modena (Florence, 1913) could trace none, and only six volumes have since been recognized: three bear his armorial insignia, and three have presentation inscriptions lettered on their bindings. A list of these volumes is given below.
As one of the wealthiest cardinals of the time, a voracious collector of antiquities and works of art of all kinds, and from a family with a strong tradition of bibliophily, Ippolito presumably collected a large library. The ongoing investigation of his “Libri di Guardaroba” which has uncovered so far three book lists and deepened our knowledge of the Cardinal’s bibliophile interests, does not yet allow an estimate of the total number of books in his possession. When the Guardaroba maggiore recorded the Cardinal’s property in 1548, prior to his return to Italy after fifteen years at the French court, one hundred books and manuscripts were counted. Around 98 were listed when an inventory was made in 1550, and between 150–200 volumes when one was taken at Tivoli in 1555. Approximately 165 volumes are summarily mentioned in a post-mortem list of the Cardinal’s property in one of his Roman palaces. Just three of the six known volumes relate to entries in these book lists.
List of Books with Ownership Marks of Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este
(1) Ludovico Ariosto, Orlando furioso di messer Ludouico Ariosto nobile ferrarese nuouamente da lui proprio corretto e d’altri canti nuoui ampliato con gratie e priuilegii (Ferrara: Francesco Rossi, 1 October 1532). Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este (his arms as cardinal illuminated on a frontispiece; i.e. inserted after 20 December 1538). — Guardaroba inventory taken by Antonio Sala, 1550: “Orlando furioso di messer Ludovico Ariosto stampato in carta pecora, coperto di velluto carmesino rosso” (Occhipinti, op cit., 2001, p.317) — Guardaroba inventory taken at Tivoli, 1555: “Orlando furioso in carta pecora coperto di veluto cremisino” (Pacifici, op. cit., p.376; Occhipinti, op. cit., 2001, p.327) — Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Barb. Lat. 3942. Conor Fahy, “Some observations on the 1532 edition of Ludovico Ariosto’s ‘Orlando Furioso’” in Studies in Bibliography 40 (1987), pp.72-85 (p.80, p.85 no. 11); and “More on the 1532 edition of Ariosto’s ‘Orlando Furioso’” in Studies in Bibliography 41 (1988), pp.225-232; Conor Fahy, L’Orlando Furioso del 1532: Profilo di una edizione (Milan 1989), p.22 no. 5.
(2) Pietro Bembo, Petri Bembi Epistolarum Leonis decimi pontificis max. nomine scriptarum libri sexdecim ad Paulum tertium pont. max. Romam missi (Venice: Giovanni Padovano & Venturino Ruffinelli, [1535?]). The volume offered here.
(3) Marcus Tullius Cicero, Le epistole famigliari di Cicerone [according to De Marinis, op. cit., 1960, no. 922, the edition is “Venezia, Aldo, 1546, in-4°”; however, no edition of 1546 is recorded; Hobson, op. cit., 1975, p. 86 no. 92, identifies De Marinis no. 922 as “Cicero, Ad Atticum. Venice 1549. Perignano, the late Count Sanminiatelli. Arms of Cardinal Ippolito d’Este.” Edit16 records an edition of the Epistolae ad Atticum “Venetiis: Paulus Manutius Aldi filius, 1548 (Venetiis: apud Ald filios, 1549),” but it is an octavo, whereas De Marinis has recorded the format as quarto]. Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este (armorial supralibros). — possibly Guardaroba inventory taken by Antonio Sala, 1550: “L’epistole famigliare di Cicerone in stampa d’Aldo coperti di corrame con fili d’oro” or “Epistole familiari di Cicerone, coperte similmente” (i.e. bound in “corame pavonazzo”) (Occhipinti, op. cit., 2001, pp.317, 319) — Orazio Sanminiatelli (1894-1972).De Marinis, op. cit., 1960, no. 922.
(4) Bartolomej Georgijević, Opera noua che comprende quattro libretti: si come nel sequente foglio leggendo, meglio si potrà intendere (Rome: Antonio Barré, 1555). Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este (armorial supralibros). — William Beckford (1760-1844) — Alexander Douglas, 10th Duke of Hamilton (1767-1852); Sotheby Wilkinson & Hodge, Catalogue of the second portion of the Beckford Library, removed from Hamilton Palace, London, 11-22 December 1882, lot 108 — Bernard Quaritch, London - bought in sale (£13) — Joannes Gennadius (1844-1932) — Athens, Gennadius Library, B/TH 4/G 361. Lucy Allen Paton, Selected bindings from the Gennadius library (Cambridge 1924), p.23 & Pl. 21; De Marinis, op. cit., 1960, no. 923 bis.
(5) Bartolomeo Ricci, Bartholomaei Riccii Lugiensis Epistolarum familiarium libri VIII (Bologna: [s.n.], 1560). Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este (armorial supralibros). — E.P. Goldschmidt & Co., London.E.P. Goldschmidt, Gothic & Renaissance bookbindings exemplified and illustrated from the author’s collection (London 1928), no. 228 & Pl. 90.
(6) Innocenzio Ringhieri, Cento giuochi liberali, et d’ingegno, nouellamente da m. Innocentio Ringhieri gentilhuomo bolognese ritrouati, et in dieci libri descritti (Bologna: Anselmo Giaccarelli, 1551). Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este (armorial supralibros). — George Spencer Churchill (1766-1840), Marquess of Blandford and later fifth Duke of Marlborough; R.H. Evans, White Knights library. Catalogue of that distinguished and celebrated library, containing very fine and rare specimens from the presses of Caxton, Pynson, and Wynkyn De Worde &c … Part II, 22 June-3 July 1819, lot 3582 — unidentified owner - bought in sale (£1 5s) — Richard Heber (1773-1833); Sotheby & Son, Bibliotheca Heberiana. Catalogue of the library of the late Richard Heber, Esq. Part the Ninth. Removed from Hodnet Hall, 11-26 April 1836, lot 2655 — Bohn - bought in sale (£1 8s) — George John Warren, 5th Baron Vernon (18031866) — Robert Stayner Holford (1808-1892); Lt Col. Sir George Lindsay Holford (1860-1926); Sotheby & Co., Catalogue of extremely choice & valuable books principally from continental presses, and in superb morocco bindings, forming part of the collections removed from Dorchester House, Park Lane, the property of Lt.-Col. Sir George Holford, K.C.V.O. (deceased), 5-9 December 1927, lot 707 (“Shown at the Exhibition of Bookbindings held by the First Edition Club in 1926.”) — Bernard Quaritch, London - bought in sale (£80); their Catalogue 520: A Catalogue of rare and valuable works (London 1936), item 711 (£65) — John Roland Abbey . (1894-1969); Sotheby & Co., Catalogue of valuable printed books and fine bindings from the celebrated collection the property of Major J.R. Abbey, London, 21-23 June 1965, lot 584 & Pl. 64 — Jean Hugues, Paris - bought in sale (£480) — Amsterdam, Universiteits Bibliotheek, OTM Band 1 C 15.Burlington Fine Arts Club, Exhibition of bookbindings (London 1891), Case E, p.25 no. 17 & Pl. 26; Anthony Hobson, French and Italian collectors and their bindings illustrated from examples in the library of J.R. Abbey (Oxford 1953), no. 68; De Marinis, op. cit., 1960, no. 1331.
Folio (311 x 202 mm). Roman type, 38 lines plus headline. collation: A–Z6 AA–H6 (-HH6): 185 (of 186) leaves (lacking final blank HH6). With initial blank A1. (Lacking quire G [a duplicate of quire C bound in its place], first two leaves with staining and repairs from erased inscription, A1 & A2 with repaired holes in lower margins, slight dampstaining at head, small wormhole in quires P–R.)
binding: Contemporary Roman reddish-brown goatskin (317 x 213 mm), by Niccolò Franzese for Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este, gilt fleur-de-lis at outer corners, 3 concentric gold tooled borders separated by double fillets, outer border of foliate and floral arabesque stamps, middle border containing spaced fleurs-de-lis, innermost border of repeated interlaced strapwork tool, central tasseled cardinal’s hat above d’Este arms, above and below 2 groups of solid and empty leaf arabesques including fleurs-de-lis and solid arabesque cornerpieces, traces of 4 pairs of (later) red silk ties, spine with 4 full bands, gilt letters B.R.B. later added horizontally across first compartment, edges gilt and gauffered to a ropework design. (Edges of binding and corners heavily restored, particularly along top edges, ends of spine and upper joint repaired, other restoration.)
provenance: Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este (armorial supralibros; possibly Guardaroba inventory taken at Tivoli, 1555: “Epistole di Bembo” [“Conto de librj a stampa et a pena qualli sono in guardarobba,” entry transcribed by Vincenzo Pacifici, Ippolito II d’Este: cardinale di Ferrara, Tivoli, (1920), p. 376]) — Girolamo Baruffaldi (1675–1755), inscription — “B.R.B.” (supralibros, unidentified) — “cL” (?; nineteenth-century blue oval inkstamp, unidentified) — Luigi Lubrano, Naples (Bollettino del Bibliofilo: Notizie illustrazioni 2 (1920), pp. 80–81, item 41; Bollettino del Bibliofilo 3 Supplemento (1921), p.7, item 53, illustrated (Lire 2000) — E.P. Goldschmidt & Co., London (Catalogue 2, 1923, item 140, £27 10s. Purchased by) — Joseph Baer & Co., Frankfurt am Main, 4 May 1925 (E.P. Goldschmidt & Co., Financial records, 1919–1981, Stock Books, #1517, Grolier Club) — Jean Fürstenberg (1890–1982; exlibris) — Martin Breslauer Inc., New York (Catalogue 104/II, 1981, item 158, & Catalogue 107/II, [1984], item 40, $7800 in both). acquisition: Purchased from Martin Breslauer, 1989. 
references: Edit16 5003; USTC 813391; cf. for the binding: De Marinis, La Legatura artistica in Italia nei secoli XV e XVI, no. 633; De Marinis, Die italienischen Renaissance—Einbände der Bibliothek Fürstenberg, pp. 52–53; Exposition de reliures de la Renaissance: collection Jean Furstenberg: 30 September 1961 (Paris 1961), no. 11; Musée d’art et d’histoire, Collection Jean Furstenberg: 3 mai–5 juin 1966 (Geneva, 1966), no. 10; A. Hobson, Apollo and Pegasus: An Enquiry into the Formation and Dispersal of a Renaissance Library, p. 84 (“List C: Bindings by Niccolò Franzese,” no. 72).