RAMELLI, AGOSTINO. Le Diverse et Artificiose Machine...Nellequali si contengono varii et industriosi Movimenti, degni digrandissima Speculatione, per cavarne beneficio infinito in ogni sorte d'operatione; Composte in lingua Italiana et Francese. Paris: in case del'autore 1588. Folio, 337 x 231 mm. (13 1/4 x 9 1/8 in.), contemporary vellum over pasteboard, spine in six compartments, seventeenth-century morocco gilt lettering-piece in the second, a trifle rubbed, small perforation to title-leaf affecting background only of portrait on verso, title a bit soiled, creasing to lower fore-corners of first few leaves, a few of the double-page engravings on new guards, slight rubbing to engravings on fols. G2-3, K1-2, T3 and T6, quire Ii (fols. 331-336) misbound after quire I, P1 with 3-inch tear entering image, a few short marginal tears, marginal dampstaining to a dozen leaves, Hh1 stained, the usual light offsetting, some foxing and browning . FIRST EDITION, text in Italian and French on alternating pages in italic and roman type respectively, engraved title, engraved portrait of the author on verso, both by Léonard Gaultier 194 engravings of which 174 full-page and 20 double-page (numbered to 195, numbers 148-149 a single double-page plate), woodcut initials, tail-pieces and corner ornaments, text pages and illustrations within type ornament borders. Adams R-52; Dibner Heralds of Science 173; Harvard/Mortimer French 452; Norman 1777. A fundamental work for the history of technology, and one of the most famous illustrated books of the sixteenth century. The engravings, about half of which depict hydraulic devices, the rest showing military machines as well as fountains, mills, bridges, foundry equipment, etc., are "among the best in technological illustration" (Dibner), and were copied in a number of seventeenth and eighteenth-century technical books, one of the most popular being plate 188, showing the famous "reading wheel." Ramelli explains in his preface that the exceptional care lavished upon the printing was due as much to his desire to foil an unauthorized pirate publication of some of his designs as to his wish to show his gratitude to his patron Henri III. Provenance : Mathew Cadoux, eighteenth-century inscription on front paste-down, "Paid three guineas for this scarce book" -- Edw. Rogers, nineteenth-century signature on front pastedown and inscription on facing free endleaf, "This book I bought accidentally in a lot at Christie's...".
RAMELLI, AGOSTINO. Le Diverse et Artificiose Machine...Nellequali si contengono varii et industriosi Movimenti, degni digrandissima Speculatione, per cavarne beneficio infinito in ogni sorte d'operatione; Composte in lingua Italiana et Francese. Paris: in case del'autore 1588. Folio, 337 x 231 mm. (13 1/4 x 9 1/8 in.), contemporary vellum over pasteboard, spine in six compartments, seventeenth-century morocco gilt lettering-piece in the second, a trifle rubbed, small perforation to title-leaf affecting background only of portrait on verso, title a bit soiled, creasing to lower fore-corners of first few leaves, a few of the double-page engravings on new guards, slight rubbing to engravings on fols. G2-3, K1-2, T3 and T6, quire Ii (fols. 331-336) misbound after quire I, P1 with 3-inch tear entering image, a few short marginal tears, marginal dampstaining to a dozen leaves, Hh1 stained, the usual light offsetting, some foxing and browning . FIRST EDITION, text in Italian and French on alternating pages in italic and roman type respectively, engraved title, engraved portrait of the author on verso, both by Léonard Gaultier 194 engravings of which 174 full-page and 20 double-page (numbered to 195, numbers 148-149 a single double-page plate), woodcut initials, tail-pieces and corner ornaments, text pages and illustrations within type ornament borders. Adams R-52; Dibner Heralds of Science 173; Harvard/Mortimer French 452; Norman 1777. A fundamental work for the history of technology, and one of the most famous illustrated books of the sixteenth century. The engravings, about half of which depict hydraulic devices, the rest showing military machines as well as fountains, mills, bridges, foundry equipment, etc., are "among the best in technological illustration" (Dibner), and were copied in a number of seventeenth and eighteenth-century technical books, one of the most popular being plate 188, showing the famous "reading wheel." Ramelli explains in his preface that the exceptional care lavished upon the printing was due as much to his desire to foil an unauthorized pirate publication of some of his designs as to his wish to show his gratitude to his patron Henri III. Provenance : Mathew Cadoux, eighteenth-century inscription on front paste-down, "Paid three guineas for this scarce book" -- Edw. Rogers, nineteenth-century signature on front pastedown and inscription on facing free endleaf, "This book I bought accidentally in a lot at Christie's...".
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
