Historia romana. [And:] De bellis civilibus
by APPIAN OF ALEXANDRIA
- Used
- Signed
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Beverly Hills, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Venice: Bernard Maler, Erhard Ratdolt and Peter Löslein, 1477. One of the Earliest Examples of a Venetian Woodcut Border
[APPIAN OF ALEXANDRIA. Historia romana. [And:] De bellis civilibus. Venice: Bernard Maler (Pictor), Erhard Ratdolt, and Peter Löslein, 1477].
First complete edition of Appian's Roman history (De bellis civilibus had been printed by Vindelinus de Spira in 1472). Two parts in one volume. Large quarto (11 1/4 x 8 1/8 inches; 286 x 206 mm.). [131] (of [132], lacks initial blank); [212] leaves. Roman type, thirty-two lines, printed marginalia. Two full-page white-vine woodcut title borders (the first use of each border), five- and nine-line white-on-black woodcut initials, all hand-colored in this copy. Ruled in red throughout, headlines supplied in red, some paragraph marks supplied in red and blue. Early ink pagination in lower margin. The lower part of c1 verso and all of c2 recto have been left blank intentionally, to correspond with a lacuna of one folio in Appian's manuscript, with a printed marginal note to that effect.
Modern antique-style vellum over boards. Gilt spine with brown morocco label. The binding is signed: "Bound for William Brown, Edinburgh." Leaf a2 reinforced at gutter. Recto of first leaf and verso of last leaf soiled, some dampstains and light foxing or spotting. Three repaired tears in gutter of final leaf. From the Library of John A. Saks, with his bookplate. Early ink signature in armorial medallion of Part I title border: "Rober/ti Koe/nigsman/ni/1627/12 Cal./April." Effaced arms on Part II title border. Overall, an excellent copy.
An excellent copy of the third book from Ratdolt's press at Venice. These volumes represent the earliest example of the use of a fully-developed woodcut border in a Venetian book. Ratdolt's first border, a three-sided, simple black-on-white title designed for the Calendarium of 1476, is composed of fairly conventional plants growing out of vases. The borders for the Historia romana and De bellis civilibus, by contrast, are scrolling white vines and acanthus leaves, full and lush, black-on-white (in some copies, red-on-white), with a medallion for the owner's arms in the lower edge. Ratdolt's initial letters, which replaced the illuminated or rubricated initials, are also of the utmost importance in the history of book-decoration (see Hind, A History of Woodcut, II, pp. 459-462).
BMC V, p. 244. Goff A-928. GW 2290. Hain 1307*. Polain 284. Proctor 4367, 4368.
HBS 66848.
$25,000.
[APPIAN OF ALEXANDRIA. Historia romana. [And:] De bellis civilibus. Venice: Bernard Maler (Pictor), Erhard Ratdolt, and Peter Löslein, 1477].
First complete edition of Appian's Roman history (De bellis civilibus had been printed by Vindelinus de Spira in 1472). Two parts in one volume. Large quarto (11 1/4 x 8 1/8 inches; 286 x 206 mm.). [131] (of [132], lacks initial blank); [212] leaves. Roman type, thirty-two lines, printed marginalia. Two full-page white-vine woodcut title borders (the first use of each border), five- and nine-line white-on-black woodcut initials, all hand-colored in this copy. Ruled in red throughout, headlines supplied in red, some paragraph marks supplied in red and blue. Early ink pagination in lower margin. The lower part of c1 verso and all of c2 recto have been left blank intentionally, to correspond with a lacuna of one folio in Appian's manuscript, with a printed marginal note to that effect.
Modern antique-style vellum over boards. Gilt spine with brown morocco label. The binding is signed: "Bound for William Brown, Edinburgh." Leaf a2 reinforced at gutter. Recto of first leaf and verso of last leaf soiled, some dampstains and light foxing or spotting. Three repaired tears in gutter of final leaf. From the Library of John A. Saks, with his bookplate. Early ink signature in armorial medallion of Part I title border: "Rober/ti Koe/nigsman/ni/1627/12 Cal./April." Effaced arms on Part II title border. Overall, an excellent copy.
An excellent copy of the third book from Ratdolt's press at Venice. These volumes represent the earliest example of the use of a fully-developed woodcut border in a Venetian book. Ratdolt's first border, a three-sided, simple black-on-white title designed for the Calendarium of 1476, is composed of fairly conventional plants growing out of vases. The borders for the Historia romana and De bellis civilibus, by contrast, are scrolling white vines and acanthus leaves, full and lush, black-on-white (in some copies, red-on-white), with a medallion for the owner's arms in the lower edge. Ratdolt's initial letters, which replaced the illuminated or rubricated initials, are also of the utmost importance in the history of book-decoration (see Hind, A History of Woodcut, II, pp. 459-462).
BMC V, p. 244. Goff A-928. GW 2290. Hain 1307*. Polain 284. Proctor 4367, 4368.
HBS 66848.
$25,000.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Heritage Book Shop, LLC (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 66848
- Title
- Historia romana. [And:] De bellis civilibus
- Author
- APPIAN OF ALEXANDRIA
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- Bernard Maler, Erhard Ratdolt and Peter Löslein
- Place of Publication
- Venice
- Date Published
- 1477
- Keywords
- Incunabula
Terms of Sale
Heritage Book Shop, LLC
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Heritage Book Shop, LLC
Biblio member since 2006
Beverly Hills, California
About Heritage Book Shop, LLC
Owned and operated by Ben Weinstein, who has been in the business of antiquarian books for over fifty years, Heritage Book Shop\'s inventory consists of some of the finest items in the areas of first editions, early printed books, bindings, illustrated books, literature, and manuscripts. Heritage Book Shop serves a clientele base consisting of private collectors as well as esteemed public institutions. We take great pride in the dedication we offer our clients. Whether you are building a first-rate collection of a favorite author or an extensive library, we look forward to offering the experience of our knowledgeable and helpful staff.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Recto
- The page on the right side of a book, with the term Verso used to describe the page on the left side.
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Verso
- The page bound on the left side of a book, opposite to the recto page.
- Soiled
- Generally refers to minor discoloration or staining.
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Marginalia
- Marginalia, in brief, are notes written in the margins, or beside the text of a book by a previous owner. This is very...
- Quarto
- The term quarto is used to describe a page or book size. A printed sheet is made with four pages of text on each side, and the...
- Gutter
- The inside margin of a book, connecting the pages to the joints near the binding.
- Folio
- A folio usually indicates a large book size of 15" in height or larger when used in the context of a book description. Further,...
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- Vellum
- Vellum is a sheet of specialty prepared skin of lamb, calf, or goat kid used for binding a book or for printing and writing. ...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Leaves
- Very generally, "leaves" refers to the pages of a book, as in the common phrase, "loose-leaf pages." A leaf is a single sheet...