Basilius Besler (1561-1629). Hortus Eystettensis . [Nuremberg]: 1613. Royal broadsheet (545 x 447mm). Collation of preliminaries: π engraved title, (:)r-3(:)r letterpress dedication to Johann Conrad, Prince Bishop of Eichstätt, 3(:)v encomium from the Dean of the Medical College of Nuremberg, )( address to the reader, χ1r blank, χ1v privilege for France, 2χ privileges for Belgium and the Netherlands, 3χr verses to Besler with his engraved portrait and arms, 3χv list of textual sources; 19 leaves of index in Latin and German distributed at the end of each seasonal part (7; 8; 3; 1), section titles and text printed on versos of the plates. Engraved title by Wolfgang Kilian 4 engraved season titles by J. Leypold, and 367 engraved plates on 368 sheets by Wolfgang Kilian Dominicus Custos Raphael Custos Georg Gärtner Johann Leypold, Levin van Hulsen, Friedrick van Hulsen, Peter Isselburg Servatius Raeven, Heinrich Ulrich and possibly others, after Daniel Herzog, Georg Gärtner and others. Paper without watermark, except one sheet with an indecipherable mark. (Some light spotting and dampstaining, repaired tear into one plate without loss, short marginal tear.) Contemporary German blindtooled pigskin over thick paper boards, central panel with lozenge surrounded by a variety of concentric rolls, flat spine diapered with single flowerhead in each compartment, 2 brass fore-edge clasps, green edges (front hinge splitting, minor repairs at corners, somewhat soiled). Provenance : Jacques d'Etampes, Seigneur de la Ferté-Imbaut, marquis de Mauny (d.1668, bookplate) -- Charles d'Etampes, marquis de Mauny, la Ferté-Imbaut (bookplate). FIRST EDITION, UNCOLOURED ISSUE, complete with descriptive text. Barker distinguished two issues of the first edition: one with descriptive text printed on the versos of the engraved plates, and another with no descriptive text on the plate versos (see previous lot). The present copy is printed on unwatermarked paper with the text on the verso of the plates. Barker surmises that these copies were intended to be sold via regular trade channels, for which Besler was responsible and through which he could realise his ambition of gaining 'fame and profit'. These plain copies, while more common, are no less magnificent than the coloured de luxe copies. Their uncoloured state shows off the delicacy and detail of the engravings, which rate among the greatest botanical illustrations ever printed. Hunt 430 (1713 edition); Nissen BBI 158; Pritzel 745; Stafleu & Cowan 497; L. Tongiorgi Tomasi, Oak Spring Flora , 11.
Basilius Besler (1561-1629). Hortus Eystettensis . [Nuremberg]: 1613. Royal broadsheet (545 x 447mm). Collation of preliminaries: π engraved title, (:)r-3(:)r letterpress dedication to Johann Conrad, Prince Bishop of Eichstätt, 3(:)v encomium from the Dean of the Medical College of Nuremberg, )( address to the reader, χ1r blank, χ1v privilege for France, 2χ privileges for Belgium and the Netherlands, 3χr verses to Besler with his engraved portrait and arms, 3χv list of textual sources; 19 leaves of index in Latin and German distributed at the end of each seasonal part (7; 8; 3; 1), section titles and text printed on versos of the plates. Engraved title by Wolfgang Kilian 4 engraved season titles by J. Leypold, and 367 engraved plates on 368 sheets by Wolfgang Kilian Dominicus Custos Raphael Custos Georg Gärtner Johann Leypold, Levin van Hulsen, Friedrick van Hulsen, Peter Isselburg Servatius Raeven, Heinrich Ulrich and possibly others, after Daniel Herzog, Georg Gärtner and others. Paper without watermark, except one sheet with an indecipherable mark. (Some light spotting and dampstaining, repaired tear into one plate without loss, short marginal tear.) Contemporary German blindtooled pigskin over thick paper boards, central panel with lozenge surrounded by a variety of concentric rolls, flat spine diapered with single flowerhead in each compartment, 2 brass fore-edge clasps, green edges (front hinge splitting, minor repairs at corners, somewhat soiled). Provenance : Jacques d'Etampes, Seigneur de la Ferté-Imbaut, marquis de Mauny (d.1668, bookplate) -- Charles d'Etampes, marquis de Mauny, la Ferté-Imbaut (bookplate). FIRST EDITION, UNCOLOURED ISSUE, complete with descriptive text. Barker distinguished two issues of the first edition: one with descriptive text printed on the versos of the engraved plates, and another with no descriptive text on the plate versos (see previous lot). The present copy is printed on unwatermarked paper with the text on the verso of the plates. Barker surmises that these copies were intended to be sold via regular trade channels, for which Besler was responsible and through which he could realise his ambition of gaining 'fame and profit'. These plain copies, while more common, are no less magnificent than the coloured de luxe copies. Their uncoloured state shows off the delicacy and detail of the engravings, which rate among the greatest botanical illustrations ever printed. Hunt 430 (1713 edition); Nissen BBI 158; Pritzel 745; Stafleu & Cowan 497; L. Tongiorgi Tomasi, Oak Spring Flora , 11.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
