Early Printing & Manuscripts / Natural History & Science

INDAGINE VON HAGEN (ROSENBACH), Johannes. Chiromantia 1 Physiognomia, ex aspectu membrorum hominis. 2 Periaxiomata, de faciebus signorum. 3 Canones astrologici, de judiciis aegritudinum. 4 Astrologia naturalis. 5 Complexionum noticia, juxta dominium planetarium.
(Colophon: Strasbourg, Johann Schott, 1534). Folio (31 x 21.5 cm). With a large woodcut portrait of the author on the title-page, the author's full-page woodcut coat-of-arms on the recto of the otherwise blank last leaf, about 93 woodblock illustrations (including 3 hand blocks and a few square astrological diagram blocks used repeatedly with varying content). 20th-century half maroon goatskin morocco. 126, [1], [1 blank] pp. Full description

ISODORUS HISPALENSIS. Etymologiarum opus, idem de summo bono.
[Venice, Bonetus Locatellus for O. Scotus, ca. 1500]. Folio (29.5 x 21 cm). The text is set in gothic type. With 1 full-page woodcut in the text (a family tree), several smaller woodcuts in the text, including a world map, and numerous woodcut decorated initials. Late 19th century red half calf, with the title lettered in gold on the spine. "75" [= 77], [1], 21 ll. Full description

LAVATER, Ludwig. De spectris, lemuribus et magnis atque insolitis fragoribus, variisque praesagitionibus quae plerunque obitum hominum, magnas clades, mutationésque imporium praecedunt.
Geneva, Eustache Vignon, 1575. 8vo. Early 20th-century vellum. [6], 272 pp. Full description

LEMNIUS, Levinus. Occulta naturae miracula, ac varia rerum documenta, probabili ratione atque artifici coniectura duobus libris explicata, quae studioso avidoque lectori non tam usui sunt futura, quam oblectamento.
Antwerp, Willem Simon (colophon: Gillis Coppens van Diest), 1559. 8vo. With Simons woodcut device on the title-page and a woodcut coat of arms on title-page of the second part. Contemporary gold- and blind-tooled calf. [16], 192 ll. Full description

LEMNIUS, Levinus. Occulta naturae miracula, ac varia rerum documenta, probabili ratione atque artifici coniectura explicata.
Antwerp, Guillaume Simon (colophon:) printed by Christophe Plantin, 1567. 8vo. With a woodcut printer's device on the title page, an oval woodcut portrait of the author, and 6 decorated woodcut initials. 17th-century gold- and blind-tooled brown calf, with a red morocco title label on the spine, the supralibros of The Society of Writers to the Signet as a central ornament on both boards. [16], 473, [22], [1 blank] pp. Full description

LEMNIUS, Levinus. De habitu et constitutione corporis, quam Graeci "krasin", triviales complexionem vocant, libri II.
Erfurt, Esaias Mechlerus, 1582. 8vo. With a woodcut portrait of the author on the title page, several decorated woodcut initials and tail pieces. Contemporary blind-tooled pigskin over wooden boards, sewn on 3 supports with the corresponding raised bands on the spine, the first compartment of the spine has been painted red, a manuscript shelf mark ("E. 188") in red ink in the fourth compartment, the boards are richly blind-tooled with a central panel featuring Justicia (signed "HB") on the front, and Lucrecia (dated 1570) on the back, framed by a decorative border containing small portraits of classical authors, secured with two brass clasps and catches. [8], 167, [13] ll. Full description

LENCKER, Hans. Perspectiva hierinnen auffs kürtzte beschrieben ...
Nürnberg, Dietrich Gerlach, 1571. Small folio (29 x 19 cm). With the title within a woodcut border, 10 full-page woodcuts within collation and 1 double-page woodcut within collation (the latter not included in page numbering). Decorated black and red boards (ca. 1900). [6], XXIX ll. Full description

LICHTENBERGER, Johannes. Pronosticatio in latino rare & prius non audita: quae exponit & declarat nonnullos coeli ifluxus: & i[n]clinatione[m] certaru[m] constellationu[m] magne videlicet co[n]iunctionis & eclipsis: quae suera[n]t istis annis: quid boi maliue hoc tempore & in futuru[m] huic mu[n]do porte[n]dant: durabitq[uam] pluribus annis.
[colophon:] Venice, [Niccolò & Domenico dal Gesù = Nicolo & Domenico Sandri dal Jesus], 23 August [1511?]. 4to. With the large Dal Jesus white-on-black woodcut device, 45 half-page or nearly full-page woodcuts in the text, most with letterpress captions above or below, the first showing Ptolemy, Aristotle, the Sibyl, Birgitta of Sweden and Brother Reinhart receiving divine inspiration, with an explanation on the facing page in a 4-piece ornamental floral woodcut frame. Modern half red morocco. 39, [1 blank] ll. Full description

LOBEL [also L'OBEL or LOBELIUS], Matthias de. Kruydtboeck oft beschrijvinghe van allerleye ghewassen, kruyderen, hesteren, ende gheboomten.
Antwerp, Christoffel Plantin, 1581. 2 volumes bound as 1, the second in 3 parts. Large folio. With an engraved title-page, the author's large "candore et spe" woodcut device on leaf *6r, approximately 2185 botanical woodcuts in the text, 8 woodcut decorated (sometimes interlaced) initials plus repeats (6 series) and 1 typographic interlaced initial. Set in fraktur types with extensive roman and textura and incidental italic and civilité. Later (17th-century?) blind tooled vellum. [10], 994, [2 blank], "312"[= 312, 294 + 2 blank], [2 blank], 15, [1 blank], [67], [1 blank] pp. Full description

[MANUSCRIPT - MEDIEVAL TIMEKEEPING]. Calculus temporum ecclesiasticus.
[Possibly England, ca. 1360]. Small 4to (15.5 x 22.5 cm). Latin manuscript on paper. Brown ink in an early bastarda hand, the final three leaves in a slightly later (still quite contemporary) hand. 19th-century paper wrappers, with the manuscript title on the front wrapper. 30 ll. Full description