Early Printing & Manuscripts / Art History & Literature

TORRENTINUS, Hermannus (Herman van der BEKE). Elucidarius poeticus co[n]tinens historias poeticas, fabulas, insulas regiones, urbes, fluvios, mo[n]tesq[ue] insigniores, atq[ue] huiusmodi alia, ...
Antwerp, Michiel Hillen van Hoogstraten, 1527. With the title in an elaborate woodcut border.
With: (2) [FIOCCHI, Andrea Dominico (Andras Dominicus FLOCCUS)] under the name of Lucius FENESTELLA. De magistratibus, sacerdotiisq[ue] Romanorum libellus, iamprimum nitori restitutus.
[Cologne, Hero Fuchs, 1527]. With the title in a finely cut 4-piece woodcut border. 2 editions in 1 volume. 8vo. 16th-century(?) limp vellum (formerly used for a slightly thinner book). The binding is an interesting example of a spine reinforced with a horizontal metal rod at the central sewing support to give more support and prevent the bookblock from becoming concaved or developing sharp kinks; probably bound in Flanders. [88]; [88] ll. Full description

TOSTATUS (TOSTADO DE MADRIGAL), Alfonso. Super Leviticum in sensu litterali nova et hactenus abscondita a se edita commentaria.
(Colophon: Venice, Petrus Liechtenstein, 1529). With title-page printed in red and black with a large woodcut containing the coats of arms of the Emperor Charles V (Charles I of Spain) and two bishops (the author and perhaps a relative), leaf 2 with a woodcut of the author writing at his desk, with his arms, and a woodcut initial with the other bishop's arms inside the letter, the arms in the initial and some lines of text printed in red. Printed in two columns.
With: (2) TOSTATUS, Alfonso. Opus super Deuteronomium.
(Colophon: Venice, Petrus Liechtenstein, 1528). With title-page printed in red and black, leaf 1 with a woodcut of the author writing at his desk, with his arms (not the same woodcut as in ad 1), and a woodcut initial with the other bishop's arms as in ad 1. Printed in two columns. 2 works in 1 volume. Folio. Contemporary blind- and gold-tooled tanned sheepskin over wooden boards; each board in a panel design with 2 (on the back board 3) different vine rolls, rules, and on the front board a central medaillon depicting Bathsheba kneeling before King David playing his harp, and a half dozen separate stamps, with author and title at the head, "Thostati Super Leviti et Deuteronomy" and the binding date MDXXXII (1532); blind-tooled spine, remnants of brass anchor plates on the back board (for straps?), catch plates on the front board lacking. 249, [1 blank]; [1], 120 ll. Full description

ULPIANUS of Emesa and Valerius HARPOCRATION. Commentarioli in olynthiacas, philippicasque Demosthenis orationes. Enarrationes saneque necessariae in tredecim orationes Demosthenis. ...Dictionarium decem Rhetorum. [preceded by the titles in Greek].
(Colophon: Venice, heirs of Aldus Manutius, and his father-in-law Andrea Torresano dAsola [& sons], June) 1527. Folio (31 x 21 cm). With Aldus's famous woodcut dolphin device on the title-page and an older but very similar version on the verso of the otherwise blank last leaf. Set in Greek type (the Upianus in 1 column; the Harpokation in 2 columns) with incidental roman. Recased in 18th-century vellum over flexible boards. 119, [1] ll. Full description

VALERIUS, Cornelius Grammaticarum institutionum libri IIII. I. De primis grammatices Latinae rudimentis. II. De etymologiae, seu analogia. III. De syntaxi, seu recta partium orationis consecutione. IIII. De carminum ratione, seu de versibus faciendis.
Including:
- II. De etymologiae, seu analogia.
- III. De syntaxi, seu recta partium orationis consecutione.
Antwerp, Christophe Plantin, 1575.
With: (2) IDEM. IIII. De carminum ratione, seu de versibus faciendis.
Antwerp, Christophe Plantin, 1573. 4 parts in 1 volume. 8vo (16.1 x 10.3 cm). With Plantin's woodcut device on all 4 title pages, some woodcut initials throughout. Modern binding using older printer's waste, with the author, title and year lettered in grey ink on the spine, red edges. 94, [1], [1 blank]; 97-207, [1 blank]; 209-285, [1], [2 blank]; 259-287, [1 blank] pp. Full description

VALERIUS MAXIMUS. Dictorum factorumq[ue] memorabilium exempla. adjecto indice propriorum nominum rerumq[ue] memoria dignarum locupletissimo
Antwerp, Joannes Grapheus for Joannes Steelsius, 1535. 8vo (14.6 x 9.1 cm). With a woodcut title frame, and a woodcut illustration incorporating Steelsius' device at the end. Old half vellum. 237, [11] ll. Full description

VECELLIO, Cesare. De gli habiti antichi, et moderni di diverse parti del mondo, libri due, ..., & con discorsi da lui dichiarati.
Venice, Damiano Zenaro, 1590. 8vo (19 x 12 x 4.5 cm). With an elaborately decorated woodcut scrollwork border on the title page (incorporating 4 costume figures for the 4 continents, Zenaros salamander device and the coat of arms of the dedicatee, Count Pietro Montalbano), a divisional title with a 4-piece woodcut border, an emblematic woodcut medallion, 5 full-page woodcut views of Venice, 413 full-page woodcut costume figures from around the world (each in a 4-piece woodcut border), ca. 35 woodcut decorated initials plus hundreds of repeats (3 series, the main one covering nearly the complete alphabet with a few letters in more than one version). 19th-century gold-tooled red morocco (Paris, ca. 1865), signed in the front turn-in "HARDY-MENNIL", each board with the crowned and supported arms of the Prince dEssling above crossed branches (oak and palm) in the centre and a stylised flower (thistle? Queen Annes lace?), the monogram "AM" (for André Masséna, Prince dEssling). [24], 499, [1 blank] ll. Full description

VIGERIUS, Marcus. Decachordum Christianum Julio II. Pont. Max. dicatum. Controversia de excellentia instrumentorum Dominicae passionis, per eundem Dn. Marcum Vigerium discussa.
[Hagenau, printed by Th. Anselm & Joh. Albertus for Joh. Koberger, Nuremberg, 1517]. Folio. With title in woodcut border by Urs Graf and 10 beautiful full-page woodcuts (ca. 13.9-14.4 x 9.7-10.2 cm) by the "Master I S with the shovel", a pupil of Hans Schäufelein. Contemporary calf over wooden boards, blind-tooled side, two brass clasps. Leaves from a 14th-century liturgical manuscript pasted on the inner sides of the boards. From the "Koberger Werkstatt". [6], 204, [14] pp. Full description

VREDEMAN DE VRIES, Jan (Hans), Antonio LABACCO, Giacomo Barozzio da VIGNOLA and others. [Collection of architectural and decoration prints including fortification plans, garden plans and architectural decoration].
Antwerp, Venice, Rome, various publishers, [engraved] 1561-1585, [printed 1580-ca. 1600]. Large folio & small 1mo (38.5 x 27 cm). Collection of 4 separately published prints (3 large full-sheet & 1 small full-sheet), plus 67 prints from 9 series (including 3 double-page prints and a 1½-sheet plan of classical Roman ports printed from 2 copperplates). Contemporary or near contemporary limp sheepskin parchment (ca. 1600?). [77] engraved ll. containing [71] prints. Full description

WILDENBERG, Hieronymus (Hieronymus CINGULARIUS). Tersissima latini eloquij Synonymorum collectanea, non modo epistolas, verum etiam carmina cudere volentibus oppido idonea, ex multiiugis & quidem luculentissimis Oratorum tum Poetarum scriptis studiosa recognitione, veluti quaedam progymnasmata eruta, vernaculoque suo ut inventu sint faciliora accommodata, ac denuo secundum Alphabeti seriem deprompta atque concinnata. Annexus est Tractatulus utilissimus de vocum proprietatibus, seu terminorum differentijs.
Magdeburg, Michael Lotter, (ca. 1535). Sm.8vo. Old boards. [75] ll. Full description

ZEHENDTNER VOM ZEHENDTGRÜB, Paul. Ordenliche Beschreibung mit was stattlichen Ceremonien und Zierlichheiten, die Röm. Kay. May. unser aller gnedigster Herr, samt etlich andern Ertzhertzogen, Fürsten und Herrn, den Orden dess Guldin Flüss, in disem [15]85. Jahr zu Prag und Landshüt, empfangen und angenommen.
Dillingen, Johann Mayer, 1587. 4to (20 x 15.5 cm). With title printed in red and black, 7 full-page engraved illustrations (showing the collar (chain) of the Order, the Emperor Rudolf II in his robes and 5 coat-of-arms), and 13 large folding engraved plates showing the splendid ceremonies held at Prague and Landshut, probably all drawn by Anthony Boys. Contemporary gold-tooled tanned sheepskin; rebacked with most of the original backstrip laid down. [1], [1 blank], 155, [1], [2 blank] pp. Full description