De L'Orme, Le premier tome de l'architecture, Paris, 1568, contemporary limp vellum, Amat de Rymon's copy

De L'Orme, Philibert. Le premier tome de l'architecture de Philibert de l'orme conseillier et aumosnier ordinaire du Roy, & Abbé de S. Serge lez Angiers. Paris: Fédéric Morel, 1568

First edition, second issue of Philibert de L'Orme's architectural treatise.

De L'Orme was an influential practitioner of stereotomy, where stones are cut into particular shapes for the construction of vaulted structures. Philibert argued that vaults created through this technique were not only more imaginative, but were stronger and cheaper as less material was required, in part as flying buttresses were unnecessary. In books III and IV of this work, de L'Orme provides the first printed theory of the technique of stereotomy, and a discussion of the dome he designed for the chapel of the Chateau d'Anet.

The first owner of this work, Amat (Amatus or Aimé) Rymon from Maçon, was educated in both Greek and Latin; his interest in architecture would result in the construction of his Chateau de Champgrenon in 1580. He was also a minor poet, and the Greek motto he writes in this book was from a group of poets connected with Pontus de Tyard.

Folio (383 x 252 mm). Roman type, 42 lines plus headline. collation: ã⁴ ẽ⁶ a-n⁶ o⁴ p² q⁶ r⁴ s-v⁶ x⁴ y-z⁶ A-C⁶ D² E-M⁶ N⁴ O-Y⁶ Z⁴ Aaa⁶ Bbb⁴ Ccc-Ddd⁶ Eee⁴ *²: 294 leaves (final leaf blank). Title within woodcut border, woodcut initials and head-pieces, 205 woodcuts, of which 74 are full-page and 7 are double-page, occasional marginalia. (Tear and small holes to front free endpaper, woodcut on I4 shaved, small tear to the head of O1, dampstaining to head and foot at start, dampstaining from quire Z onwards, occasional marginal worming, several leaves browned, occasional light spotting.)

binding: Contemporary limp vellum (398 x 263 mm), remains of 2 pairs of ties, later manuscript title to spine. (Corners frayed, some loss to foot of upper cover, small tear to spine, back cover scraped.)

provenance: Amat de Rymon, canon of Mâcon and procureur du roi, inscription on title-page, with the motto in Greek, πρόvoια, η μετάvoια — José Caetano Mazziotti Salema Garção (1893-1961), small armorial blindstamp on title. acquisition: Purchased in 1989 from Sevin Seydi, London. references: BAL RIBA 1955; ortimer, Harvard French 356