Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica, Venice, Aldus,1521, later red morocco by Riviere

Apollonius Rhodius. Απολλωνιου του ροδιου Αργοναυτικα, μετα των παλαιων τε και πανυ ωφελιμων σχολιων. Apollonii Rhodii Argonautica, antiquis una, & optimis cum commentariis. Venice: heirs of Aldo Manuzio & Andrea Torresano, April 1521

A fine copy of the first Aldine edition. In his preface, Gian Francesco Torresano states that he used many manuscripts to correct the text, though it is predominantly based on the 1496 Alopa edition. An innovation that appears for the first time in this book, however, is a numbering system in the margins to facilitate reference between the text and the commentary (Cataldi Palau, p. 134).

8vo (153 x 98 mm). Greek type, 30 lines plus headline. collation: a-z⁸ A-D⁸ E¹² (n8 and E9-10 blank): 228 leaves. Woodcut Aldine device on title-page and final verso (otherwise blank). (c2 slightly narrower.)

binding: Crushed red morocco gilt by Riviere (160 x 111 mm), gilt Aldine device on covers, spine gilt in compartments, gilt edges.

provenance: Sir Charles James Stuart (1824-1902), armorial bookplate, sale, Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 29-30 June 1903, lot 10 ("fine copy"), £1-16s, to Henry Sotheran — Arthur Lauria, catalogue (Paris, 1953), item 3 and catalogue 56 (Paris, 1962), item 2 — Sotheby & Co., London, 4-6 May 1970, lot 80, £55. acquisition: Purchased from Sotheby's. references: UCLA 199; Cataldi Palau 66; Edit16 2161; Renouard 90/5