Edition identification — from the listing to the catalogues

London: Jennings and Chaplin, 1832. Hardcover. Good. First Jennings and Chaplin edition. Two volumes. Octavo. Collated and complete as issued: 1 engraved title, 88 [i.e. 85] engraved plates (two of which are hand colored), and 30 engraved vignettes. Bookplate of Mary Ellen Wood on the front pastedowns. Contemporary full morocco, gilt borders and spine, morocco spine labels, marbled endpapers. The binding is snug and tight, but good only with scuffing to the boards, wear to the edges, and cracking to the joints near the spine ends; else very good with scattered foxing to the plates.

Bononiae (Bologna): Apud Societatem Typographiae Bononiensis, 1574. Second Edition. Hardcover. Excellent. Bonasone, Giulio; Carracci, Agostino; Fontana, Prospero; Parmigianino. Quas serious ludebat, libri quinque. Pp. [1] f.e., [48], CCCLVII, [1], [1] r.e. Contemporary yapp binding in limp vellum, with a gilt double fillet border and foliate corner pieces to the boards; the smooth spine is divided by five double fillets enclosing four floral rosettes. Some expected rubbing to the edges and spine, particularly at head and foot. The title page bears a circular ink stamp ex-libris of Pasquale Oliva, 1976, and a second armorial ex-libris label of the Lamberti family with the motto ""Cosa fatta capo ha""; a third ex-libris appears on the front pastedown, for Malesci, with the motto ""Silendo volo"", signed by the artist B. Bartoccini, 1990. A fresh, wide-margined, clean copy in excellent condition throughout. The best of Renaissance thinking in 151 emblems, with Parmigianino and Agostino Carracci's marks on the plates. Achille Bocchi's Symbolicarum Quaestionum de Universo Genere is one of the most intellectually ambitious emblem books of the sixteenth century. First published in Bologna in 1555 at Bocchi's own Nova Academica Bocchiana press, the work appears here in its second and final edition of 1574 - the first publication issued by the newly founded Società Tipografica Bolognese. The title announces its programme through the phrase serio ludere - playing seriously - a humanist ideal in the spirit of Horace's Ars Poetica, placing the work within a tradition that includes Erasmus's Adagia and the emblem literature inaugurated by Alciati's Emblemata of 1531. Bocchi's relation to Alciati was one of intellectual kinship: the Syntagma index records at p. 87 the dedication Ad Andream Alciatum amicorum optimum - to Andrea Alciati, best of friends - an explicit homage to the founder of the genre embedded within the body of the work itself. Symbolic literature is treated here not as light diversion but as a vehicle for theology, philosophy, moral inquiry, and philology, structured across four formal classes as the Syntagma makes clear. The visual programme is equally distinguished. The 151 full-page copperplate engravings were executed by Giulio Bonasone after designs principally by Prospero Fontana, with some attributed to Parmigianino. Bonasone, who is believed to have trained with Marcantonio Raimondi, brought to the plates a formal elegance well suited to Bocchi's allegorical register. For this 1574 edition, the plates were retouched throughout by Agostino Carracci - then seventeen years old and at the very beginning of his career as an engraver - who also appears to have newly engraved plate I in copper, replacing the woodcut that had served in the 1555 printing. The occurrence of first and second states varies from copy to copy, making precise collation complex, as noted by Ruth Mortimer. A further biographical thread connects the artists: Prospero Fontana, who provided the majority of the designs, later opened the Bolognese painting school attended by the young Carracci cousins, making the Symbolicarum Quaestionum a small but telling document in the formation of that tradition.

Basileae apud Hier. Frobenium et Nic. Episcopium, MDXXXVII, 1537.. 1537 4to. 323, [9] p. Many wood engraved plates, some full page. Later vellum over boards, the spine titled in ink. There is a small meniscus of mouse damage on the fore edge of both boards, otherwise the binding is in good condition. The title page has a small paper fault which affects four letters of text, with evidence of a larger fault in the blank margin of the lower corner. The text is generally clean and crisp with occasional early underlinings and marginalia. There is an old water stain visible on the fore edge of leaves in signatures g - i.

1565. Frankfurt, 1565. 3rd ed with 6 plates by Amman. Frankfurt, 1565. 3rd ed with 6 plates by Amman. The Law of Arms: Fronsberger's Military Code of the Holy Roman Empire (1565). Featuring 6 Grand Folding Plates by Jost Amman & Provenance of the Werdenstein Library Fronsberger, Leonhardt. [Amman, Jost (1539-1591), Illustrations]. Von Kayserlichem Krieg rechten, Malefitz und Schuldhandlen, Ordnung und Regiment: Samt Derselbigen unnd Andern hoch oder Niderigen Beuelch, Bestallung, Staht und Empter, Zu Rossz und Fu , An Geschutz und Munition, In Zug und Schlachtordnung, Zu Feld, Berg, Thal, Wasser und Land, Vor oder in Besatzungen, Gegen oder von Feinden Furzunemen, Welcher Art Sitten Herkommen und Gebrauch, Under und bey Regierung de Allerdurchleuchtigstenm Gro machttigsten, Unuberwindlichsten, Und Krieg erfahrnen berumptisten Romischen Keysers Caroli de Funfften.... Frankfurt: [Georg Raben, In Verlegung Sigmund Feyerabends und Simon Huters], 1565. [iv], CCLI, XXI, [7] ff. 6 copperplate folding plates by Jost Amman. Woodcut text illustrations. Folio (12" x 7-3/4"). Contemporary paneled calf, rebacked in period style, raised bands to spine, clasps restored, hinges mended, preliminaries and following gathering re-hinged. Some scuffing to boards with wear to edges and corners, large early armorial bookplate of the Bavarian Ducal Library dated 1618 to front pastedown, front hinge starting. Title page with large woodcut vignette printed in red and black. Tiny inscription beneath the imprint is "H.G.V. Werdenstein". Moderate toning to text, light foxing in places, light edgewear to a few leaves at beginning of text, upper corner of title page repaired, small later owner name neatly lettered below imprint date. A very appealing copy with all of the often-lacking plates. $8,500. * Third edition with plates by Amman. This 1565 edition is the definitive 16th-century manual on the military and naval laws of the Holy Roman Empire. Beyond its legal importance, it is an artistic monument illustrated by the master Jost Amman, whose six expansive folding copperplates provide a panoramic view of Renaissance warfare. These include sprawling encampments and chaotic land and sea battles, executed with the technical precision that made Amman the most sought-after engraver of his generation. This copy bears the 'H.G.V. Werdenstein' inscription of the celebrated humanist Hans Georg von Werdenstein (.

(Colophon: Basel, apud Andream Cratandrum, 1534). Folio. Nice hcalf from ab. 1750, richly gilt back, gilt title-label. Corners a bit bumped. Slightly rubbed. Woodcut printer's device to title and last leaf. (28),264,(2) pp. With many smaller and larger woodcut initials. Small stamp at lower corner of the first 2 leaves. Some, rather faint, dampstainings to first and last leaves, otherwise clean and with broad margins. Engraved book-plate inside front board (Bibliotheque du comte Le Moyne de Martigny). Very scarce edition of Theophrastus' two main works. It is one of the earliest Latin editions of Gaza's esteemed translation, in reality it is the third printing of the first Latin edition (first issued 1483, then 1529 in 8vo, and now 1534) of the works which together constitute the foundation of scientific botany. By Linnaeus Theophrastus is called "the father of Botany". This edition comprises both botanical works, The History of Plants and The Causes of Plants, which have survived in their entirety and are the earliest books of this kind in world literature."It is very strange that so much botanic knowledge should have been accumulated by the end of the fourth century and that so little, if anything, was added to it in ancient times. Theophrastos is not only the first botanic writer but also the greatest until Renaissance of the sixteenth century in Germany....The botany of Theophrastos and the zoölogy of Aristotle represents the climax of natural history in antiquity." (Sarton in A History...Vol. I p. 558). "No study of plants of such breadth and quality had previously been conceived: botany now first appears as a distinct science with a comprehensive yet clearly defined field of enquiry." (A.G. Morton). - Stillwell No. 702 (Note) - Hunt No. 26 (listing the 1529-edition in 8vo) - Pritzel: 9189. - Not in Choulant, Handbuch der Bücherkunde für die Ältere Medicin.