APPIANUS (c.100-c.170). Historia Romana . - De bellis civilibus . Translated by Petrus Candidus Decembrius (1399-1477). Venice: Bernhard Maler (Pictor), Erhard Ratdolt and Peter Löslein, 1477.
APPIANUS (c.100-c.170). Historia Romana . - De bellis civilibus . Translated by Petrus Candidus Decembrius (1399-1477). Venice: Bernhard Maler (Pictor), Erhard Ratdolt and Peter Löslein, 1477. 2 parts in one volume, royal half-sheet 4 o (274 x 194 mm). Collation: I: a-i 1 0 k-n 8 o 1 0 (a1 blank, a2 Decembrio's address to Pope Nicholas V, a3 text, o10r colophon, o10v blank); II: a-c 1 0 d 1 2 e-x 1 0 (a1 blank, a2 Decembrio's address to Alfonso of Aragon, a3 contents, a4 De bellis civilibus , x10r second colophon, x10v blank). 131 leaves (of 132, without blank a1); 211 (of 212 leaves, without blank a1). 31-33 lines with shoulder notes. Type: 1:109R. Full woodcut white-vine border to first title, three-sided woodcut white-vine border to second title printed in red, woodcut white-on-black initials in two sizes. (Some minor marginal spotting, scattered wormholes at end, otherwise in fine condition.) Provenance : Argiro (written in the empty shield of the second woodcut border) -- Acquired from Bernard M. Rosenthal, 1977. CHAINED GERMAN BINDING: Contemporary German blindstamped calf over wooden boards, lion stamp close to Schwenke-Sammlung 33, original four-link iron chain fastened to the top of the back cover to an iron staple, metal clasps (leather straps replaced). FIRST COMPLETE EDITION. Appian's Greek narratives, describing Roman wars from the earliest times to the accession of Vespasian, were written in 24 books and survived in 10 with portions of others. Pier Candido Decembrio, his humanist translator, divided the surviving books into two parts; part two only was first printed by Vindelinus de Spira in 1472. Redgrave, Radolt's bibliographer, wrote: 'To my mind there are few printed books of any age which can be compared with the Appian of 1477, with its splendid black ink, its vellum-like paper, and the finished excellence of its typography' (p.13). It is one of Ratdolt's earliest Venetian imprints, following only Regiomontanus's Calendarium , and contains the first use of both of the fine woodcut border pieces. This copy with both borders printed in black, a very small minority have either or both printed in red. A VERY FINE LARGE COPY IN A RARE CONTEMPORARY CHAINED BINDING. H *1307; BMC V, 244 (IB. 20484-7); GW 2290; Polain(B) 284; IGI 763; Essling 221; Redgrave 3-4; Sander 482; Goff A-928.
APPIANUS (c.100-c.170). Historia Romana . - De bellis civilibus . Translated by Petrus Candidus Decembrius (1399-1477). Venice: Bernhard Maler (Pictor), Erhard Ratdolt and Peter Löslein, 1477.
APPIANUS (c.100-c.170). Historia Romana . - De bellis civilibus . Translated by Petrus Candidus Decembrius (1399-1477). Venice: Bernhard Maler (Pictor), Erhard Ratdolt and Peter Löslein, 1477. 2 parts in one volume, royal half-sheet 4 o (274 x 194 mm). Collation: I: a-i 1 0 k-n 8 o 1 0 (a1 blank, a2 Decembrio's address to Pope Nicholas V, a3 text, o10r colophon, o10v blank); II: a-c 1 0 d 1 2 e-x 1 0 (a1 blank, a2 Decembrio's address to Alfonso of Aragon, a3 contents, a4 De bellis civilibus , x10r second colophon, x10v blank). 131 leaves (of 132, without blank a1); 211 (of 212 leaves, without blank a1). 31-33 lines with shoulder notes. Type: 1:109R. Full woodcut white-vine border to first title, three-sided woodcut white-vine border to second title printed in red, woodcut white-on-black initials in two sizes. (Some minor marginal spotting, scattered wormholes at end, otherwise in fine condition.) Provenance : Argiro (written in the empty shield of the second woodcut border) -- Acquired from Bernard M. Rosenthal, 1977. CHAINED GERMAN BINDING: Contemporary German blindstamped calf over wooden boards, lion stamp close to Schwenke-Sammlung 33, original four-link iron chain fastened to the top of the back cover to an iron staple, metal clasps (leather straps replaced). FIRST COMPLETE EDITION. Appian's Greek narratives, describing Roman wars from the earliest times to the accession of Vespasian, were written in 24 books and survived in 10 with portions of others. Pier Candido Decembrio, his humanist translator, divided the surviving books into two parts; part two only was first printed by Vindelinus de Spira in 1472. Redgrave, Radolt's bibliographer, wrote: 'To my mind there are few printed books of any age which can be compared with the Appian of 1477, with its splendid black ink, its vellum-like paper, and the finished excellence of its typography' (p.13). It is one of Ratdolt's earliest Venetian imprints, following only Regiomontanus's Calendarium , and contains the first use of both of the fine woodcut border pieces. This copy with both borders printed in black, a very small minority have either or both printed in red. A VERY FINE LARGE COPY IN A RARE CONTEMPORARY CHAINED BINDING. H *1307; BMC V, 244 (IB. 20484-7); GW 2290; Polain(B) 284; IGI 763; Essling 221; Redgrave 3-4; Sander 482; Goff A-928.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
