Beschreibung:

Florus, Lucius Annaeus. Lucio Floro De fatti de Romani dal principio della città per insino ad Augusto Cesare. Tradotto nella nostra lingua, per Gioan. Domenico Tharsia di Capo d’Istria. Venice: Heirs of Pietro Ravani & Compagni, 1546 (January 1547). Bound with:
Polybius, Polibio Del modo dell’accampare tradotto di greco per m. Philippo Strozzi. Calculo della castrametatione di messer Bartholomeo Caualcanti. Comparatione dell’armadura, & dell’ordinanza de romani & de macedoni di Polibio tradotta dal medesimo. Scelta de gli apophtegmi di Plutarco tradotti per m. Philippo Strozzi [part 2:] Eliano De’ nomi et de gli ordini militari tradotto di greco per m. Lelio Carani. Florence: Lorenzo Torrentino, 1552. Bound with:
Sextus Rufus Festus, Libro di Sesto Ruffo huomo consulare, a Valentiniano Augusto, dell’historia de Romani. Nuouamente tradotto de latino in volgare. Venice: Agostino Bindoni, 1544. Bound with:
Andrea Domenico Fiocco, Il Fenestella d’i sacerdotii, e d’i magistrati romani. Tradotto di latino alla lingua toscana, al Magnifico M. Angelo Motta. Venice: Gabriele Giolito de Ferrari, 1544
Thirty of these bindings featuring a gold-tooled coat of arms of a rampant lion supporting a fleur-de-lis in his dexter paw are now recorded, all but one on Italian texts, the great majority printed in the decade 1560–1569. Each has a title lettered horizontally on the spine, in the top or in the second compartment, indicating that it stood on the shelf in the modern way, upright, back facing out. On twenty-nine bindings the initials “I” and “R” flank the armorial cartouche; on one (a Latin text), the arms stand alone. The arms were twice misidentified: in 1859, as belonging to James V of Scotland, or to James I of England (whilst James VI of Scotland); in 1870, as belonging to the Bouffier family in France. However, by 1891 it was recognized that they are the arms of the Ruiz, a family of Spanish origin, resident in Rome (the surname Italianized as Ruis). In 1926, G. D. Hobson listed four Ruiz bindings, Anthony Hobson in 1953 raised that number to seven, and by 1965 “about ten” of “these famous bindings” were known. In 1975, Anthony Hobson identified 23 bindings, and in 2004 Michel Wittock added another (A. Hobson, Apollo and Pegasus, Appendix IX; Wittock, “Une reliure inédite pour Jeronimo Ruiz,” pp.217–222). Since then, more volumes have come to light (see list below). 
The Ruiz octavos are simply decorated, with gilt fillet borders and floral tools in the corners. The quartos are more elaborately tooled, some having broad frames, others an arabesque centerpiece and/or corner-pieces. The cartouche or shield enclosing the rampant lion and fleur-de-lis varies, likewise the rampant lion tool. In 1975, Anthony Hobson assigned the bindings to three different shops, of which Maestro Luigi’s was one; when he reconsidered the matter, in 1991, he concluded that they were produced in a single workshop, which he called the “Ruiz Binder,” presuming him to be the successor to Luigi (Hobson & Culot, p. 49). The smaller cartouche enclosing the Ruiz arms also appears on bindings for Pope Pius V, however there are no other tools in common, and it is uncertain whether the Ruiz Binder was employed by the Vatican. A cartouche used on the larger Ruiz bindings (formed of winged caryatids, with a bull’s head at base) appears on a copy of the 1562 Valgrisi Orlando furioso bound for Jacopo Annibale Altemps (Graf Jakob Hannibal von Ems; 1530–1587), now at the Houghton Library (Typ 525 62.157).
G. D. Hobson had first drawn attention to the Ruiz family chapel in the Roman church of S. Caterina della Rosa dei Funari, where their lion and fleur-de-lis insignia adorn the pilasters and are molded into the stucco of the chapel arch. In the pavement outside the chapel is a ledger stone recording details of several family members, which enabled Antony Hobson in 1975 to identify “I.R.” as Girolamo (Jéronimo) Ruiz. This slab, laid presumably in 1605, is inscribed with a shield bearing the Ruiz arms, the names and dates of two family members: Abate Filippo (Felipe) Ruiz (1512–18 May 1582), who had endowed the chapel, and commissioned its decoration from Girolamo Muziano and Federico Zuccari; and his great nephew, Pietro (Pedro) Ruiz (1573–29 August 1605). Girolamo Ruiz is named thereon as paying for the upkeep of the chapel.
Abate Filippo had trained as a priest and as a lawyer, perhaps in his native Valencia. In Rome, he became archpriest in absentia of Teruel (Zaragoza), Scrittore delle lettere of the Penitenzieria Apostolica, Correttore of the Archivio della Curia Romana, and held other offices. Together with the noble and wealthy Spaniards Luis Torres and Alfonso Diaz, he was a member of the charitable association of Confraternita delle vergini miserabili di S. Caterina della Rosa, founded ca. 1543 with the support of Ignatius of Loyola, Filippo Neri, Gaetano da Thiene, and Cardinal Gian Pietro Carafa (later Paul IV). In testaments written in 1566 and in 1576, Abate Filippo made his nephew Girolamo his sole heir, charging him with responsibility for maintaining the Ruiz chapel in S. Caterina dei Funari.
Girolamo Ruiz was the elder son of Alessandro Ruiz, deputato of the Scuola di San Giovanni Evangelista in Venice, and Taddea Centanni. Born in Venice, he was elected a citizen of Rome by the Consiglio ordinario on 30 July 1565. In a deposition made on 23 December 1610, Girolamo claims to be aged 68, so he probably was born in 1542. He married Virginia (ca. 1578–1611), daughter of the rich Roman banker Giovanni Angelo Crivelli, with whom he had three children: Pietro, a member of the Congregazione dell’Assunta, who died in 1605, aged 32, and was interred in S. Caterina dei Funari; Caterina; and Gaspare. Girolamo occupied high offices in the municipal administration, and in 1571, was one of two sindaci of the Arciconfraternita del Gonfalone.
Girolamo’s residence was the Palazzo Ruiz, situated between via Giuseppe Zanardelli, via degli Acquasparta, and via della Maschera d’Or, with frontage on the Piazza Fiammetta. He had obtained the property and its opulent contents in 1556, by fidecommesso, upon the death of his great uncle, the apostolic protonotary Girolamo di Belisando Ruiz, and he lived there until 1605. Together with his brother, Michele, he ran a literary salon, and probably also held private musical parties (ridotti). The playwright Cristoforo Castelletti dedicated his Rime spirituali (Venice: Heirs of Melchiorre Sessa, 1582) to Girolamo, describing his patron’s household as a “veritable home for the muses and a permanent refuge, where all virtuosi can escape and as it were a safe port from the tempests. …” The brothers were joint-dedicatees of Antonio Ongaro’s Alceo fauola pescatoria … Recitata in Nettuno castello de’ signori Colonnesi: et non più posta in luce (Venice: Francesco Ziletti, 1582); about the same date, Ongaro dedicated his “Hospitium Musarum,” a poem in 397 hexameters describing the Palazzo Ruiz and its artworks, to little Pietro Ruiz. In 1584, Girolamo received the dedication of Casteletti’s Il furbo comedia (Venice: Alessandro Griffio, 1584) and of Luca Marenzio’s Quarto libro de madrigali a cinque voci. Nouamente composti, & dati in luce (Venice: Giacomo Vincenzi & Riccardo Amadino, 1584).
Girolamo’s residence was the Palazzo Ruiz, situated between via Giuseppe Zanardelli, via degli Acquasparta, and via della Maschera d’Or, with frontage on the Piazza Fiammetta. He had obtained the property and its opulent contents in 1556, by fidecommesso, upon the death of his great uncle, the apostolic protonotary Girolamo di Belisando Ruiz, and he lived there until 1605. Together with his brother, Michele, he ran a literary salon, and probably also held private musical parties (ridotti). The playwright Cristoforo Castelletti dedicated his Rime spirituali (Venice: Heirs of Melchiorre Sessa, 1582) to Girolamo, describing his patron’s household as a “veritable home for the muses and a permanent refuge, where all virtuosi can escape and as it were a safe port from the tempests. …” The brothers were joint-dedicatees of Antonio Ongaro’s Alceo fauola pescatoria … Recitata in Nettuno castello de’ signori Colonnesi: et non più posta in luce (Venice: Francesco Ziletti, 1582); about the same date, Ongaro dedicated his “Hospitium Musarum,” a poem in 397 hexameters describing the Palazzo Ruiz and its artworks, to little Pietro Ruiz. In 1584, Girolamo received the dedication of Casteletti’s Il furbo comedia (Venice: Alessandro Griffio, 1584) and of Luca Marenzio’s Quarto libro de madrigali a cinque voci. Nouamente composti, & dati in luce (Venice: Giacomo Vincenzi & Riccardo Amadino, 1584).
The surviving books from Girolamo’s library indicate a taste for history, both ancient and modern. He possessed Strabo’s Geography, Caesar’s Commentaries, and works of ancient Roman history by Lucius Annaeus Florus, Polybius, Rufus Festus, Sallustius, and Thucydides, all in in Italian translation, also Bembo’s history of Venice, Biondo’s history of Europe from the plunder of Rome until his own time, Cieza De Leon and Zarate’s histories of Peru and Lopez de Gomara’s of India, all likewise in Italian. He owned Ringhieri’s book on courtly entertainments and Scandianese’s on hunting. He seems interested also in philosophy, owning copies of Diogenes Laertius’s Lives, Piccolomini’s compendium of moral philosophy, and similar works by Salviati and Thomagni and Ulloa. And, of course, he had a taste for literature, acquiring the anthologies of the poetry of Luigi Alamanni and Annibale Caro, Dante’s Divine Comedy, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and Ruscelli’s collection of imprese. As dedicatee, Girolamo presumably was gifted copies of Castelletti and Ongaro’s books; however, those volumes either have been lost, or cannot be recognized.
Hobson included in his list (no. 20) a Latin book, Maurolico’s Martyrology (1568) featuring the Ruiz arms but not the initials “I” and “R”. This book perhaps was bound for Girolamo’s uncle, Abate Filippo Ruiz. An empty binding, appended to the list below, displays the Ruiz arms surmounted by a mitre. Anthony Hobson dismissed this binding, for the reason that he could not identify a member of the family who was ordained bishop. At this time, however, priests with the protonotary apostolic title could wear regalia similar to a bishop, including a mitre. Several members of the Ruiz family apparently were Protonotari apostolici, among them Girolamo’s uncle, Abate Filippo, and great uncle Girolamo di Belisando Ruiz.
Additions to Hobson’s 1975 Census
(1) Luigi Alamanni, Opere toscane di Luigi Alamanni al christianissimo re Francesco primo (Lyon: Sébastien Gryphe, 1532), bound with: Luigi Alamanni, Opere toscane (Venice: Pietro Nicolini da Sabbio for Melchiorre Sessa, 1533). Jerónimo Ruiz (armorial supralibros). — Thomas Grenville (1755-1846); John Thomas Payne & Henry Foss, Bibliotheca Grenvilliana; Part the second. Completing the catalogue of the library bequeathed to the British Museum by the late Right Hon. Thomas Grenville (London 1878), p.7 — London, British Library, G. 10621.
(2) Gaius Iulius Caesar, Commentarii di Gaio Giulio Cesare, tradotti di latino … per Agostino Ortica della Porta (Venice: Francesco Lorenzini, 1563). Jerónimo Ruiz (armorial supralibros). — Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1819-1901) — Windsor, Royal Library, RCIN 1081327.
(3) Girolamo Garimberto, Concetti di Girolamo Garimberto, Et d’altri degni Autori; Raccolti da lui per scriuer, & ragionar familiarmente (Venice: Domenico Farri, 1571). Jerónimo Ruiz (armorial supralibros). Bibliotheca Brookeriana (to be offered in a future sale).
(4) Olaus Magnus, [Storia d’Olao Magno arciuescouo d’Uspali de’ costumi de’ popoli settentrionali (Venice: Francesco Bindoni, 1561), or: Opera breue, la quale demonstra, e dechiara, ouero da il modo facile de intendere la charta, ouer delle terre frigidissime di settentrione (Venice: Giovanni Tommaso, 1539)]. Jerónimo Ruiz (armorial supralibros). Current location not traced.A. Hobson, op. cit., 1991, p.49
(5) Publius Ovidius Naso, Le metamorfosi di Ouidio ridotte da Giovanni Andrea dell’Anguillara in ottaua rima, editio terza (Venice: Francesco De_Franceschi, 1569), bound with: Tito Giovanni Scandianese, Quattro libri della caccia, di Tito Giouanni Scandianese (Venice: Gabriele Giolito De Ferrari & fratelli, 1556). Jerónimo Ruiz (armorial supralibros). — Milan, Societa Unitaria, Centro Studi Sociali Biblioteca — Sotheby’s Italia, Libri e stampe, Milan, 25 March, 1994, lot 430 — Michel Wittock (1936-2020); Paul Culot, “La reliure en Italie et en France” in Bibliotheca Wittockiana, Musea Nostra - 38 (Brussels 1996), p. 25; Christie’s, The Michel Wittock Collection, Part I: Important Renaissance bookbindings, London, 7 July 2004, lot 61 (unsold); Michel Wittock, “Une reliure inédite”, op. cit., pp.217-222; Alde, Collection Michel Wittock. Septième partie, Paris, 14 November 2017, lot 13 (estimate €10,000-12,000; unsold). Current location not traced.
(6) Francesco Sansovino, Della agricoltura di m. Giouanni Tatti lucchese libri cinque (Venice: Francesco Sansovino, 1560). Jerónimo Ruiz (armorial supralibros). Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Einbandsammlung, Ebd 109-8.Ilse Schunke, “Die vier Meister der Farnese-Plaketteneinbände” in La Bibliofilia 54 (1952), pp.57-91 (p.91).
(7) Giovanni David Thomagni, Dell’eccellentia de l’huomo sopra quella de la donna libri tre (Venice: Giovanni Varisco & compagni, 1565), bound with: Alfonso de Ulloa, Dialogo della degnità dell’huomo. Nel quale si ragiona delle grandezze & marauiglie, che nell’huomo sono: & per il contrario delle sue miserie e trauagli (Venice: Francesco Rampazetto for Giovanni Battista & Melchiorre Sessa, 1564). Jerónimo Ruiz (armorial supralibros ). — William Beckford (1760-1844) — Alexander Douglas, 10th Duke of Hamilton (1767-1852); Sotheby Wilkinson & Hodge, Hamilton Palace Libraries. Catalogue of the third portion of the Beckford Library, removed from Hamilton Palace, London, 2-14 July 1883, lot 2581 — Ellis & White, London - bought in sale (£2 14s) — F.S. Ellis, London; Sotheby Wilkinson & Hodge, Catalogue of the very choice collection of rare books, illuminated, and other manuscripts, books of prints, and some autograph letters, formed by Mr. Ellis, of 29 New Bond Street, London, 16 November 1885, lot 686 — James Bain, London - bought in sale (£4 18s) — Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl Rosebery (1847-1929), exlibris; Catalogue of the library at Barnbougle Castle (Edinburgh 1901), p.278; George P. Johnston, Catalogue of the early & rare books of Scottish interest in the library at Barnbougle Castle (Edinburgh 1923), p.258 (Thomagni) and p.263 (Ulloa) — Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland, Ry.III.d.28(1-2).
(8) Empty binding. Abate Filippo Ruiz (armorial supralibros?) — Emil Hirsch Antiquariat, Katalog 15: Buch-Einbände. Litteratur und alte Originale. Mit 12 Tafeln (Munich [1897]), item 44 & Pl. 3. Current location not traced.Geoffrey Hobson, Mailoi, Canevari and others (London 1926), p.126 no. 19; Anthony Hobson, French and Italian collectors and their bindings: illustrated from examples in the library of J.R. Abbey (Oxford 1953), p.143; Paul Needham, Twelve centuries of bookbindings 400-1600 (New York 1979), p.236
8vo (154 x 100 mm). (I) Italic type, 29 lines plus headline. collation: A–L8: 88 leaves. Woodcut Ravani device on title-page, historiated and floriated woodcut initials. (II) Roman type, 29 lines plus headline. collation: §8 A–L8 M4 A–G8 H4: 160 leaves. Woodcut initials, second part with section-title with woodcut Torrentino device, numerous typographic diagrams of military formations in text. (III) Italic type, 29 lines plus headline. collation: A8 B4: 12 leaves (B4 blank). Title within woodcut border. (IV) Italic type, 29 lines plus headline. collation: A–E8 F4: 44 leaves. Title with Giolito’s phoenix device, numerous historiated woodcut initials.
binding: Roman red goatskin (159 x 109 mm), ca. 1570, for Jerónimo Ruiz, gold tooled, frame of multiple blind and double gilt fillets, fleurons at outer corners, fleur-de-lis at inner corners, large central cartouche of scrollwork integrating 2 half-length nude males upholding a classical head, in center of which the Ruiz: arms, a lion rampant holding a fleur-de-lis argent (oxidized) in right paw, flanked by gilt initials I. R. between small leaf tools, spine with 3 full and 4 half bands, compartments with small gilt marguerite (overgilt in the seventeenth century), edges gilt and gauffered to a ropework design. (Repairs to spine and corners, a few small stains.) Maroon cloth folding-box, black morocco label.
provenance: Girolamo (Jerónimo) Ruiz (armorial supralibros) — William Phelp Perrin (1743–1820; exlibris) — Charles William Dyson Perrins (1864–1958; exlibris; Sotheby’s, London, 17–18 June 1946, lot 255), purchased by — Maggs Bros, London (£65) — Jean Fürstenberg (1890–1982). Martin Breslauer Inc., New York (Catalogue 107, [1984], item 135, $7500). acquisition: Purchased from Martin Breslauer Inc., 1989. 
references: (I) Edit16 19298; USTC 830056; (II) Edit16 34602; USTC 850250; Moreni, Torrentino, p. 197: 6; (III) Edit 1672124; USTC 853815; (IV) Edit16 19089; USTC 829651; for this and related bindings, see: Pollard, Italian Book-Illustrations and Early Printing; a Catalogue of Early Italian Books in the Library of C.W. Dyson Perrins (London, 1914), nos. 263, 265, 264, 273; Duff, Scottish Bookbinding, Armorial and Artistic: A paper read before the Bibliographical Society, February 18, 1918 (London 1920), p. 12; Musée d’art et d’histoire, Collection Jean Furstenberg : 3 mai–5 juin 1966 (Geneva, 1966), no. 17; De Marinis, Die italienischen Renaissance-Einbände der Bibliothek Fürstenberg (Hamburg, 1966), pp. 66–67; A. Hobson, Apollo and Pegasus: An Enquiry into the Formation and Dispersal of a Renaissance Library (Amsterdam, 1975), pp. 219–220 (“Appendix IX: Bindings with the arms of Jeronimo Ruiz”, no. 1); A. Hobson & Culot, Italian and French 16th-Century Bookbindings (Brussels, 1991), p. 49; Wittock, “Une reliure inédite pour Jeronimo Ruiz” in E codicibus impressisque: Opstellen over het boek in de Lage Landen voor Elly Cockx-Indestege (Leuven, 2004), pp. 217–222 (p.220).