Book History, Education, Learning & Printing / Bindings

[TORINUS (THORER), Albanus (ed).]. De re medica huic volumini insunt...
[Colophon: Basel, Andreas Cratander, 1528]. Folio. With woodcut printer's device on title-page, repeated on final page, 2 pages with 4-piece decorative woodcut borders and numerous woodcut decorated initials. 18th-century half calf, with marbled paper in a tree pattern on sides, gold-tooled spine with the coat of arms of the Russian Tsars. [12], 125, [1] ll. Full description

TORRENTINUS, Hermannus (Herman van der BEKE). Elucidarius poeticus co[n]tinens historias poeticas, fabulas, insulas regiones, urbes, fluvios, mo[n]tesq[ue] insigniores, atq[ue] huiusmodi alia, ...
Antwerp, Michiel Hillen van Hoogstraten, 1527. With the title in an elaborate woodcut border.
With: (2) [FIOCCHI, Andrea Dominico (Andras Dominicus FLOCCUS)] under the name of Lucius FENESTELLA. De magistratibus, sacerdotiisq[ue] Romanorum libellus, iamprimum nitori restitutus.
[Cologne, Hero Fuchs, 1527]. With the title in a finely cut 4-piece woodcut border. 2 editions in 1 volume. 8vo. 16th-century(?) limp vellum (formerly used for a slightly thinner book). The binding is an interesting example of a spine reinforced with a horizontal metal rod at the central sewing support to give more support and prevent the bookblock from becoming concaved or developing sharp kinks; probably bound in Flanders. [88]; [88] ll. Full description

TOSTATUS (TOSTADO DE MADRIGAL), Alfonso. Super Leviticum in sensu litterali nova et hactenus abscondita a se edita commentaria.
(Colophon: Venice, Petrus Liechtenstein, 1529). With title-page printed in red and black with a large woodcut containing the coats of arms of the Emperor Charles V (Charles I of Spain) and two bishops (the author and perhaps a relative), leaf 2 with a woodcut of the author writing at his desk, with his arms, and a woodcut initial with the other bishop's arms inside the letter, the arms in the initial and some lines of text printed in red. Printed in two columns.
With: (2) TOSTATUS, Alfonso. Opus super Deuteronomium.
(Colophon: Venice, Petrus Liechtenstein, 1528). With title-page printed in red and black, leaf 1 with a woodcut of the author writing at his desk, with his arms (not the same woodcut as in ad 1), and a woodcut initial with the other bishop's arms as in ad 1. Printed in two columns. 2 works in 1 volume. Folio. Contemporary blind- and gold-tooled tanned sheepskin over wooden boards; each board in a panel design with 2 (on the back board 3) different vine rolls, rules, and on the front board a central medaillon depicting Bathsheba kneeling before King David playing his harp, and a half dozen separate stamps, with author and title at the head, "Thostati Super Leviti et Deuteronomy" and the binding date MDXXXII (1532); blind-tooled spine, remnants of brass anchor plates on the back board (for straps?), catch plates on the front board lacking. 249, [1 blank]; [1], 120 ll. Full description

V.C.P. Exercice spirituel, ou est enseigné au Chrestien la maniere d'employer le jour au service de dieu.
Paris, Pierre Rocolet, 1649. 2 parts in 1 volume. 12mo. With an engraved title, 9 full-page engraved plates, all hand-coloured and heightened with gold, 5 woodcut headpieces, and 5 decorated woodcut initials. Every page has been outlined in red, and some of the chapter headings have been traced with gold. Contemporary elaborately gold-tooled red morocco fanfare binding, with a central quatrefoil inlay of brown morocco on both boards, surrounded by geometric and pointillé designs, gold-tooled board edges and turn-ins, gilt pointillé edges, marbled endpapers. [1], [1 blank], [42], 172; 288 pp. Full description

VEEN, Jan van der. Zinne-beelden, oft Adams appel. ... Mitsgaders syne oude ende nieuwe ongemeene bruydt-lofs ende zege-zangen.
Amsterdam, Everhard Cloppenburgh, 1642. 4to. With large emblematic engraving on the title page and 50 engraved emblems in text (10 x 13.5 cm), all by Salomon Savry, woodcut head- and tailpieces, numerous woodcut decorated initials (several series) and decorations built up from typographic ornaments. Set in roman and italic types. Gold- and blind-tooled red, grained sheepskin (1817/18) for George Spencer-Churchill, 5th Duke of Marlborough, gold-tooled turn-ins and board edges, gilt and gauffered edges, grey-brown endpapers, red satin ribbon marker. [23], [1 blank], 523, [1 blank] pp. Full description

[VIGNE, David de la] and Mr. De CHERTABLON. La maniere de se bien preparer a la mort, par des considerations sur la cene, la passion & la mort de Jesus-Christ, avec de très-belles estampes emblematiques, expliquées par Mr. De Chertablon.
Antwerp [= Amsterdam?], George Gallet, 1700. 4to. With an engraved allegorical frontispiece ("numbered" A), mainly showing Death knocking on a door, the title page is printed in red and black, 39 numbered full-page engraved plates, and two additional full-page engraved plates ("numbered" B-C). All plates are copies (the majority in reverse) of etchings by Romeyn de Hooghe. Contemporary gold-tooled tan calf, with the coat of arms of the Vignerot du Plessis family, dukes of Richelieu, as a centrepiece on both boards, a red morocco title label lettered in gold on the richly gold-tooled spine, gold-tooled board edges and turn-ins, marbled endpapers, red edges. 63, [1] pp. Full description

WELCKER VON GONTERHAUSEN, Heinrich. Neu eröffnetes Magazin musikalischer Tonwerkzeuge, dargestellt in technischen Zeichnungen alle Saiten-, Blas-, Schlag-, & Friktions- Intrumente unter Aufnahme der neusten Verbesserungen und darauf bezüglichen statistischen Notizen, nebst geschichtlicher Uebersicht der Musik und Instrumente vom ersten Ursprung bis in die jetztzeit, mit specieller Beschreibung ihres Baues, Tonumfangs und fasslicher Angabe ihrer Behandlung und Erhaltung.
Frankfurt, im Selbst-Verlag des Verfassers (printed by Reinhold Baist), 1855. Large 8vo. With a lithographed frontispiece, 140 lithographed illustrations in the text, and 3 folding lithographed plates. Contemporary gold foil stamped burgundy velvet, with the author and title in gold on the spine, an elaborate decorative frame on both boards, surrounded by a wide single fillet frame, gilt edges, white watered silk endpapers. The work is housed in a red cloth solander box. 439, [3] pp. Full description

[WETSTEIN, George]. Het gelukkig ongeval. Bly-eindend treurspel.
Amsterdam, Heirs of J. Lescailje en Dirk Rank, 1721.
With:
(2) IDEM. Erik, Prins van Zweden. Treurspel.
Amsterdam, Heirs of J. Lescailje and Dirk Rank, 1722.
(3) IDEM. Gustavus Adolphus. Koning van Zweden, beschermer der Duitsche vryheit. Oorlogspel.
Amsterdam, Heirs of J. Lescailje and Dirk Rank, 1723. 3 works in 1 volume. 8vo. Each work with an engraved frontispiece, the original preliminary ink drawing for the frontispiece, protected by tissue paper guards, and an engraved device on the title page. Contemporary gold-tooled olive morocco, with a red morocco title label lettered in gold on the spine lettered, bound by the so-called Fleur-de-Lis Bindery (The Hague 1729-ca. 1756; Storm van Leeuwen, IIA, pp. 110-117). With the coat of arms of Aaron de Joseph de Pinto in the centre of both boards, tooled onto a red morocco inlay of the same shape, surrounded by richly ornamental borders with the crowned monogram of De Pinto (ADJP) in the corners, the same monogram repeated in 5 of the 6 compartments on the spine, gold-tooled board edges and turn-ins, gilt edges, marbled endpapers. 88; 83; 87 pp. Full description

WINSEMIUS, Pierius. Chronique ofte historische geschiedenisse van Vrieslant. Beginnende vanden jaere nae des Werelts scheppinghe 3635. ende loopende tot den jaere nae de gheboorte Christi.
Franeker, Jan Lamrinck, 1622. Folio. With an engraved allegorical title page, a large engraved coat of arms of the province of Friesland, a large folding engraved map of Friesland, 3 folding engraved plans. Further with (in the text) 49 half-page, full-length engraved portraits, 2 engraved costume plates, 2 plans of sieges, 1 view 6 seals and coats of arms of Friesland at the end. Also with many woodcut decorated initials and woodcut head- and tailpieces. All engraved and woodcut illustrations are beautifully coloured by a contemporary hand. Contemporary gold-tooled sprinkled calf. [10], 913, [61] pp. Full description