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Auktionsarchiv: Los-Nr. 25

PLINIUS SECUNDUS, Gaius (Pliny the Elder, 23-79). Historia naturalis . Venice: Johannes de Spira, [before 18 September] 1469.

Auction 30.03.1994
30.03.1994
Schätzpreis
80.000 £ - 120.000 £
ca. 119.344 $ - 179.016 $
Zuschlagspreis:
177.500 £
ca. 264.795 $
Auktionsarchiv: Los-Nr. 25

PLINIUS SECUNDUS, Gaius (Pliny the Elder, 23-79). Historia naturalis . Venice: Johannes de Spira, [before 18 September] 1469.

Auction 30.03.1994
30.03.1994
Schätzpreis
80.000 £ - 120.000 £
ca. 119.344 $ - 179.016 $
Zuschlagspreis:
177.500 £
ca. 264.795 $
Beschreibung:

PLINIUS SECUNDUS, Gaius (Pliny the Elder, 23-79). Historia naturalis . Venice: Johannes de Spira, [before 18 September] 1469. Royal 2° (420 x 280mm). Collation: [1 10 2 8 3-9 10 10 1 2 11-18 10 19-20 8 21-28 10 29 1 2 30-32 10 33 8 34-36 10 ] (1/1r introduction, dedication by Pliny to Domitian, 1/2r tables (Book 1), 3/1r Books 2-9, 11/1r Books 10-19, 21/1r Books 20-34, 34/1r Books 35-37, 36/9v colophon, 36/10 blank). 355 (of 356, without final blank) leaves. 50 lines, table in two columns. Type 1:110R 1 . 2- and 17-line initials on fo.1 and 12-line initial on fo.19 (3/1r) supplied in gold and colours with foliate decoration by an 18th-century artist, other 1-, 2-, and 11-line initial spaces left blank, spaces for headings and some Greek. (Tiny wormholes in first 9 and final 32 lvs. filled, marginal paper flaw in fo.93, light spotting in margin of fos.110, 113, 281, marginal annotations washed from quires 21 to end with occasional minor repair to paper, small piece of upper corner of fo.301 repaired.) Maroon morocco, spine in compartments with gilt lettering, wide gilt roll-tooled turn-ins, vellum endleaves, edges gilt over red-stain, (spine very slightly faded and spotted), bound by Charles Lewis for Botfield, for which he was paid #6.16.6, including 50 hours of cleaning. Provenance : very occasional corrections made in a tiny, contemporary hand; Pierre Henri Larcher (1726-1812, sale Paris, De Bure, Feb. 1814, no.253); Beriah Botfield, acquired from Payne & Foss in 1830 for #40.0.0 (P. & F. Acquisitions, p.72). FIRST EDITION. By his own account Pliny sets out 20,000 facts derived from 2000 works to comprise his encyclopedia of knowledge, the Historia naturalis . While it certainly covers subjects of the physical world, geography, agriculture, anthropology, mathematics, etc., the Historia naturalis also includes literature and arts. Its description of techniques such as chasing in silver and description of sculpture and painting make it an important source for the history of ancient art. The extensive tables and indexes provided by Pliny attest to its aim as a universal reference work, and the authority attributed to Pliny in the Middle Ages attests in turn to its continued usefulness. Even up to his death Pliny followed his natural curiosity, preferring to stay and observe the eruption of Vesuvius rather than flee its flames and sulphurous vapours. This copy was previously in the collection of the Hellenist scholar, Pierre Henri Larcher, renowned for his translation of Herodotus. It is presumably Larcher's annotations which have been so assiduously removed from the margins. Botfield paid Lewis for 50 hours of cleaning in order to return it to a nearly pristine state. In the catalogue of Larcher's library, sold in 1814, it is noted as "très grand de marges." It is indeed a VERY LARGE COPY, taller and wider than all four British Library copies. ONE OF THE FIRST THREE BOOKS PRINTED AT VENICE. Johannes de Spira, first printer there, had printed two editions of Cicero, this Pliny, and had started work on Augustine's De civitate Dei when he died later in 1469. According to the colophon in the Augustine which was written by his brother and successor, Vindelinus, the Pliny was printed in an edition of 100 copies only and took three months to complete. It was finished by 18 September 1469, when it was mentioned as published in a patent of that date granting Johannes a monopoly for printing in Venice and its environs. In this copy fo.1 lines 13 and 14 end ...apud me and ... co[n]stitui as in BL copies IC.19507-09, and fo.5r, col.1 line 5 ...vbi nascant as in IC.19506. HC(+Add) 13087; BMC V, 153 (IC. 19506-9); Klebs 786.1; IGI 7878; PMM 5; Flodr, Plinius Maior 1

Auktionsarchiv: Los-Nr. 25
Auktion:
Datum:
30.03.1994
Auktionshaus:
Christie's
London, King Street
Beschreibung:

PLINIUS SECUNDUS, Gaius (Pliny the Elder, 23-79). Historia naturalis . Venice: Johannes de Spira, [before 18 September] 1469. Royal 2° (420 x 280mm). Collation: [1 10 2 8 3-9 10 10 1 2 11-18 10 19-20 8 21-28 10 29 1 2 30-32 10 33 8 34-36 10 ] (1/1r introduction, dedication by Pliny to Domitian, 1/2r tables (Book 1), 3/1r Books 2-9, 11/1r Books 10-19, 21/1r Books 20-34, 34/1r Books 35-37, 36/9v colophon, 36/10 blank). 355 (of 356, without final blank) leaves. 50 lines, table in two columns. Type 1:110R 1 . 2- and 17-line initials on fo.1 and 12-line initial on fo.19 (3/1r) supplied in gold and colours with foliate decoration by an 18th-century artist, other 1-, 2-, and 11-line initial spaces left blank, spaces for headings and some Greek. (Tiny wormholes in first 9 and final 32 lvs. filled, marginal paper flaw in fo.93, light spotting in margin of fos.110, 113, 281, marginal annotations washed from quires 21 to end with occasional minor repair to paper, small piece of upper corner of fo.301 repaired.) Maroon morocco, spine in compartments with gilt lettering, wide gilt roll-tooled turn-ins, vellum endleaves, edges gilt over red-stain, (spine very slightly faded and spotted), bound by Charles Lewis for Botfield, for which he was paid #6.16.6, including 50 hours of cleaning. Provenance : very occasional corrections made in a tiny, contemporary hand; Pierre Henri Larcher (1726-1812, sale Paris, De Bure, Feb. 1814, no.253); Beriah Botfield, acquired from Payne & Foss in 1830 for #40.0.0 (P. & F. Acquisitions, p.72). FIRST EDITION. By his own account Pliny sets out 20,000 facts derived from 2000 works to comprise his encyclopedia of knowledge, the Historia naturalis . While it certainly covers subjects of the physical world, geography, agriculture, anthropology, mathematics, etc., the Historia naturalis also includes literature and arts. Its description of techniques such as chasing in silver and description of sculpture and painting make it an important source for the history of ancient art. The extensive tables and indexes provided by Pliny attest to its aim as a universal reference work, and the authority attributed to Pliny in the Middle Ages attests in turn to its continued usefulness. Even up to his death Pliny followed his natural curiosity, preferring to stay and observe the eruption of Vesuvius rather than flee its flames and sulphurous vapours. This copy was previously in the collection of the Hellenist scholar, Pierre Henri Larcher, renowned for his translation of Herodotus. It is presumably Larcher's annotations which have been so assiduously removed from the margins. Botfield paid Lewis for 50 hours of cleaning in order to return it to a nearly pristine state. In the catalogue of Larcher's library, sold in 1814, it is noted as "très grand de marges." It is indeed a VERY LARGE COPY, taller and wider than all four British Library copies. ONE OF THE FIRST THREE BOOKS PRINTED AT VENICE. Johannes de Spira, first printer there, had printed two editions of Cicero, this Pliny, and had started work on Augustine's De civitate Dei when he died later in 1469. According to the colophon in the Augustine which was written by his brother and successor, Vindelinus, the Pliny was printed in an edition of 100 copies only and took three months to complete. It was finished by 18 September 1469, when it was mentioned as published in a patent of that date granting Johannes a monopoly for printing in Venice and its environs. In this copy fo.1 lines 13 and 14 end ...apud me and ... co[n]stitui as in BL copies IC.19507-09, and fo.5r, col.1 line 5 ...vbi nascant as in IC.19506. HC(+Add) 13087; BMC V, 153 (IC. 19506-9); Klebs 786.1; IGI 7878; PMM 5; Flodr, Plinius Maior 1

Auktionsarchiv: Los-Nr. 25
Auktion:
Datum:
30.03.1994
Auktionshaus:
Christie's
London, King Street
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