Vitruvius, De architectura libri decem, Venice, 1567, contemporary Bolognese morocco gilt

Vitruvius Pollio, Marcus. M. Vitruvii Pollionis De architectura libri decem, cum commentariis Danielis Barbari, electi patriarchae Aquileiensis; multis aedificiorum, horologiorum, et machinarum descriptionibus, & figuris, unà cum indicibus copiosis, auctis & illustratis. Venice: Francesco de Franceschi & Johann Criegher, 1567

Another copy of Barbaro's commentary in a fine contemporary binding. The overall design is similar to those of the Pflug and Ebeleben binder of Bologna, though the individual tools do not exactly match other known examples by the same binder (cf. Hobson & Quaquarelli, p. 88); the watermark in the endleaves (Briquet 6097) is found on works produced at around the same time in Lucca, Fabriano, and Rome.

The lozenge-shaped arabesque at the centre of the binding and border of interlacing fillets appear identical to those used on another less elaborate binding on the same 1567 Venetian edition of Vitruvius at Besançon (De Marinis 2322, plate CCCCIII). The Besançon copy contains the ownership inscription of Jean-Baptiste Boisot (1639-1694), and may have originated from the library of Cardinal Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle (1517-1586), whose library Boisot purchased. Granvelle, a serious architectural patron, is the subject of Barbaro's dedication in this Latin edition. Barbaro and Granvelle may well have met in Rome in 1566-7, and it is tempting to think that Barbaro could have had several copies of this edition richly bound and sent to Granvelle, for the Cardinal to give away to friends.

A further suggestive link back to Granvelle is the bookplate of Robert, duke d'Ursel (1873-1955), a direct descendent of the d'Ursel political dynasty of sixteenth century Antwerp. Granvelle's correspondent Gaspard II Schetz (1513-1580) married Catherine d'Ursel, with Schetz's property descending into the d'Ursel family. When the d'Ursels sold their castle in the 1970s, a listing of the family archive revealed several items associated with Granvelle, and items demonstrating the close relationship between Granvelle and Schetz. If the assumption that Granvelle was the original owner of this book holds true, then Schetz is a promising candidate to have received it as the cardinal's gift.

Folio (318 x 211 mm). Roman type, with italic for commentary and headlines, and Greek type used on pp. 359-362, 60 lines plus headline. collation: a6 b4 A-GG6 HH8: 198 leaves. Woodcut printer's device on title-page and final verso, woodcut initials, 135 in-text woodcut illustrations, with the moveable flap on p. 37 not found in some copies, and with manuscript volvelle on p. 306 (not called for in BAL RIBA). (Some worming at lower and inner margins.)

binding: Contemporary russet morocco (325 x 222 mm), richly gilt, plausibly by the Pflug and Ebeleben Binder of Bologna (or possibly a Venetian shop copying their style), interlacing fillets forming geometrical compartments, filled with solid and open tools, in centre a large lozenge-shaped arabesque, remains of 4 pairs of red silk ties, spine gilt in compartments with later paper labels over upper compartments, gilt edges. (A few marks to boards, upper joint starting to crack at head, head of spine slightly chipped, paper labels chipped.)

provenance: Plausibly connected with Cardinal Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle (see catalogue note) — Robert, duke d'Ursel (1873-1955), bookplate. acquisition: Christie's Paris, 20 November 2018, lot 48. references: BAL RIBA 3498; Edit16 48619; Mortimer, Harvard Italian 550