Appianus Alexandrinus, Historia delle guerre esterne de' Romani, Venice, Aldus, 1545, morocco gilt by Niccolò Franzese

Appianus Alexandrinus. Historia delle guerre esterne de' Romani di Appiano Alessandrino, tradotta da Messer Alessandro Braccio secretario fiorentino, nuovamente impressa, et corretta (Libro di Appiano Alessandrino, nel quale si contengono le guerre che fecero i Romani con li Carthaginesi, et con gli Spagnuoli nella Spagna. Nuovamente tradotto di Greco in volgare Italiano). Venice: (in the house of the sons of Aldo Manuzio), 1545

The handsome Roman binding can be assigned to Niccolò Franzese, though the name of the original owner is not known. It is listed by Hobson, Apollo and Pegasus, p.82, no.42 in his list of bindings by Niccolò Franzese.

Parts 2 and 3 only (of 3) bound in one volume, 8vo (151 x 100 mm). Italic type, 30 lines plus headline. collation: aa-yy⁸ aaa- iii⁴ kkk⁶: 218 leaves. Woodcut Aldine device on title-pages and final versos (otherwise blank). (First few quires lightly soiled.)

binding: Contemporary Roman dark brown morocco elaborately gilt by Niccolò Franzese (156 x 109 mm), rectangular panels on covers with arabesque decoration over a pointillé ground, lettered APPIANO ALESSANDRINO II on both covers, spine compartments outlined with a single gilt fillet, edges gilt and gauffered, stubs from two pairs of ties. (Extremities very slightly rubbed, neat repairs to corners and ends of spine, a few small wormholes in binding.)

provenance: Vincenzo Mariettini, inscription on flyleaf — Libreria antiquaria Luigi Lubrano, Naples, catalogue 47 (1930) item 13 — Georgios J. Arvanitidis (1876-1953), booklabel — Gérard de Miribel (1921-2021), booklabel — Ader & Tajan, sale, Paris, 4 June 1993, lot 1. acquisition: Purchased from Ader sale. references: UCLA 339 (all for both volumes); Edit16 2207; Renouard 134/9