CAOURSIN, Guillaume (1430-1501). Obsidionis Rhodiae urbis descriptio . Ulm: Johann Reger, 24 October 1496.
CAOURSIN, Guillaume (1430-1501). Obsidionis Rhodiae urbis descriptio . Ulm: Johann Reger, 24 October 1496. 2 o (290 x 198 mm). Collation: a-f 8 g-h 6 (quire c misbound after d). 60 leaves, 47 lines. Type: 3:92G. 36 fine full-page woodcuts. (Some scattered wormholes throughout, occasionally catching letters or cuts.) Contemporary South German blind-stamped pigskin over wooden boards, repeated impressions of a small armorial tool (recased), brass clasp. Provenance : G.W.B.D. (small stamp on a2 margin) -- Acquired from John Fleming 1962. FIRST COLLECTED EDITION of Caoursin's works, illustrated with 36 full-page woodcuts "remarkable for their bold design and unusual style and have been compared with those after Reuwich in the Breydenbach" (Davies). The frontispiece woodcut depicts the author presenting his books to the Grand Master at Rhodes, and the one on the colophon shows him seated at a table writing his book alongside a calculating board. Guillaume Caoursin, son of a Rhodian, was born in Douai, and spent forty years in the service of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, as vice-chancellor and secretary to the grand-masters Raimond Zacosta, Giovanni Baptista Orsini and Pierre d'Aubussson. He distinguished himself during the Turkish siege of Rhodes in 1479, and undertook a critical mission to the Holy See in 1484 when he delivered his well-known oration to Pope Innocent VIII in February 1485. The work is comprised of ten sections, and all but the first, concerning the siege of Rhodes in 1480, appear here for the first time. These sections include descriptions of: the earthquake also in 1480, the author's speech before the Rhodian Senate concerning the death of Sultan Mohammed II in 1481, the conflicts over the succession between the brothers Bagyazit and Zyzymy (Dschem), the alliance between the Knights of St. John and Bajesid, the fate of Dschem, the translation of the reliquary with the hand of St. John the Baptist from Constantinople to Rhodes, the famous speech of Caoursin before Pope Innocent VIII, and the appearance of Dschem before the same pontiff. BMC II, 542; BSB-Ink C-85; Fairfax Murray German 103; GKW 6003; HC*4369; Oates 1171; Polain (B) 966; Proctor 2586; Schreiber 3667; Walsh 927; Goff C-113. Fact and Fantasy 7. [ Bound with :] PLATINA, Bartholomaeus (1421-1481). Vitae pontificum . Nuremberg: Anton Koberger 11 August 1481. 2 o (300 x 205 mm). Collation : 1 1 0 2-17 6 18 8 19 6 20 8 . 128 leaves, 55 lines, double column. Types: 4:160G (headings), 5:82G (text). 3- to 4-line initials supplied in red, capital strokes in red. (Corner chipped on 18/2, 19/1 with some bleeding from rubrication.) BMC, II, 420; HC*13047; Goff P-769.
CAOURSIN, Guillaume (1430-1501). Obsidionis Rhodiae urbis descriptio . Ulm: Johann Reger, 24 October 1496.
CAOURSIN, Guillaume (1430-1501). Obsidionis Rhodiae urbis descriptio . Ulm: Johann Reger, 24 October 1496. 2 o (290 x 198 mm). Collation: a-f 8 g-h 6 (quire c misbound after d). 60 leaves, 47 lines. Type: 3:92G. 36 fine full-page woodcuts. (Some scattered wormholes throughout, occasionally catching letters or cuts.) Contemporary South German blind-stamped pigskin over wooden boards, repeated impressions of a small armorial tool (recased), brass clasp. Provenance : G.W.B.D. (small stamp on a2 margin) -- Acquired from John Fleming 1962. FIRST COLLECTED EDITION of Caoursin's works, illustrated with 36 full-page woodcuts "remarkable for their bold design and unusual style and have been compared with those after Reuwich in the Breydenbach" (Davies). The frontispiece woodcut depicts the author presenting his books to the Grand Master at Rhodes, and the one on the colophon shows him seated at a table writing his book alongside a calculating board. Guillaume Caoursin, son of a Rhodian, was born in Douai, and spent forty years in the service of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, as vice-chancellor and secretary to the grand-masters Raimond Zacosta, Giovanni Baptista Orsini and Pierre d'Aubussson. He distinguished himself during the Turkish siege of Rhodes in 1479, and undertook a critical mission to the Holy See in 1484 when he delivered his well-known oration to Pope Innocent VIII in February 1485. The work is comprised of ten sections, and all but the first, concerning the siege of Rhodes in 1480, appear here for the first time. These sections include descriptions of: the earthquake also in 1480, the author's speech before the Rhodian Senate concerning the death of Sultan Mohammed II in 1481, the conflicts over the succession between the brothers Bagyazit and Zyzymy (Dschem), the alliance between the Knights of St. John and Bajesid, the fate of Dschem, the translation of the reliquary with the hand of St. John the Baptist from Constantinople to Rhodes, the famous speech of Caoursin before Pope Innocent VIII, and the appearance of Dschem before the same pontiff. BMC II, 542; BSB-Ink C-85; Fairfax Murray German 103; GKW 6003; HC*4369; Oates 1171; Polain (B) 966; Proctor 2586; Schreiber 3667; Walsh 927; Goff C-113. Fact and Fantasy 7. [ Bound with :] PLATINA, Bartholomaeus (1421-1481). Vitae pontificum . Nuremberg: Anton Koberger 11 August 1481. 2 o (300 x 205 mm). Collation : 1 1 0 2-17 6 18 8 19 6 20 8 . 128 leaves, 55 lines, double column. Types: 4:160G (headings), 5:82G (text). 3- to 4-line initials supplied in red, capital strokes in red. (Corner chipped on 18/2, 19/1 with some bleeding from rubrication.) BMC, II, 420; HC*13047; Goff P-769.
Try LotSearch and its premium features for 7 days - without any costs!
Be notified automatically about new items in upcoming auctions.
Create an alert
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
