Early Printing & Manuscripts / Natural History & Science

MARBODE (MARBODIUS) of Rennes. De gemmarum lapidumq[ue] pretiosorum formis, naturis, atq[ue] viribus eruditu[m] cu[m] primis opusculu[m], ... scholiis q[uo]q[ue] illustratu[m] p[er] Alardu[m] Aemstelredamu[m].
Cologne, Hero Alopecius [Fuchs], 1539. 8vo. With a woodcut illustration on the title-page, representing a Jewish priest behind a board with the names of 12 stones which represent the 12 tribes of Israel. 17th-century gold-tooled red morocco, richly gold-tooled spinel, gold-tooled fillets and small cornerpieces on both boards, gold-tooled board edges and turn-ins. 124, [2] ll. Full description

MEXIA, Pedro. Coloquios o dialogos compuestos por el magnifico cavallero Pero Mexia, vezino de Sevilla, en los quales se disputan y tratan varias y diversas cosas de mucha erudicion y doctrina. Al illustrissimo senor don Perasan de Ribera Marques de Tarisa &c.
Antwerp, widow of Martinus Nutius, 1561. Small agenda 12mo (14 x 6.5 cm). With Nutius's woodcut device on the title-page. 17th-century(?) blind-tooled overlapping vellum, each board with the coat of arms of the Landgrave of Hesse, gilt edges. 165, [3 blank] ll. Full description

MIZAULD, Antoine. Memorabilium, utiliu[m], ac jucundorum centuriae novem, in aphorismos arcanorum omnis generis locupletes, perpulchrè digestae.
Paris, Fédéric Morel, 1566. 8vo. With Morel's woodcut tree device on the title-page, 2 woodcut headpieces and 7 woodcut decorated initials (plus 3 repeats), the headpieces and initials in an unusually delicate design, finely executed. Set in italic types with the preliminaries in roman, and incidental Greek. 17th-century limp sheepskin parchment. [16], 136 pp. Full description

NUNES, Pedro. De crepusculis liber unus, nu[n]c rece[n]s & natus et editus.Including: [Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn MU'ADH] (mis-attributed to Ibn AL-HAYTHAM). De causis crepusculorum liber unus, à Gerardo Cremonensi iam olim Latinita te donatus, nunc vero omniu[m] primum in lucem editus.
(Colophon: Lisbon, Ludovicus Rodericus, January 1542). 4to. With woodcut architectural title page, 40 woodcut diagrams in the text, Rodericus's spectacular full-page emblematic woodcut device, numerous woodcut initials (several series), and a vine-leaf ornament. Set mostly in the first successful italic type to have sloped capitals, cut by Peter Schoeffer the younger, but with extensive passages in roman. Bound in a period-style Italian calf binding, gold-tooled spine, each board with a blind-tooled frame and a gold-tooled centrepiece, with "Petri Nonii" on the front and "MDXLII" on the back. [73], [1 blank] ll. Full description

NUÑEZ DE AVENDAÑO, Pedro. Aviso de Cazadores y Caça.
Madrid, Pedro Madrigal, 1593.
With: (2) [bound before ad 1] NUÑEZ DE AVENDAÑO, Pedro. De exequendis mandatis regnum Hispaniae, quae rectoribus civitatum dantur, & hodie continentur in titulo.
Madris, Pedro Madrigal, 1593.
2 works in 1 volume. Folio (27 x 18.5 cm). With the woodcut printer's device on the title page of ad 1, and two decorated woodcut initials. Further with the woodcut coat of arms of Habsburg Spain on the title page of ad 2, numerous decorated woodcut initials, a woodcut headpiece at the start of the work, and headpieces made up of typographical ornaments in the first few chapters. Later limp vellum, sewn on 2 vellum tapes laces through the joints, with the manuscript title on the spine, remnants of ties. [8], "555" [= 553], [1], [2 blank], [40]; 34 pp. Full description

OPPIAN of Anazarbus and OPPIAN of Syria (C. RITTERSHUSIUS, translator). Oppiani poetae Cilicis de venatione libri IV. De piscatu libri V.
Leiden, Franciscus Raphelengius, 1597. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. With Raphelengius' (Plantin's) printer's device on the title-page, decorated woodcut initials, and the text is partially set in Greek script. Late 18th-century gold-tooled red morocco. [1], [1 blank], [86], 376, [32]; [8], 344, 164, [3], [1 blank] pp. Full description

PECKHAM, John and Georg HARTMANN. Perspectiva communis. Ideo sic dicta, quod contineat elementa tès optigès, omnibus philosophiae studiosis necessaria.
Nürnberg, Johan Petreius, 1542. Small 4to (18 x 15 cm). With 44 woodcut diagrams in text. Modern boards. [55] ll. Full description

PLINIUS SECUNDUS, Gaius (PLINY the Elder). Historiarum naturae libri XXXVII, post omnes omnium editiones, ...
Paris, Jean Parvum (index: Jean Petit), 1532. Folio. 18th-century cat's paw calf, richly gold-tooled spine. [36], 671, [188] pp. Full description

PLINIUS SECUNDUS, Gaius (PLINY the elder) [and Philippus BEROALDUS (editor)]. Historia naturalis.
Venice, Reynaldus de Noviomago, 6 June 1483. Small folio. With the initials and book numbers alternatingly painted in red and blue. 17th-century blind-tooled sheepskin, red sprinkled edges. [355] ll. Full description

PORTA, Giambattista della. Magiae naturalis, sive de miraculis rerum naturalium libri IIII. Cum indice.
Antwerp, Christophe Plantin, 1585. 12mo. With Plantin's woodcut printer's device on the title page, and 9 decorated woodcut initials. Slightly later vellum, dark blue edges. 296, [7], [1 blank] pp. Full description