Icíar, Arte subtilissima por la qual se enseña a escrevir, Zaragoza, 1550, contemporary vellum

Icíar, Juan de. Arte subtilissima, por la qual se enseña a escrevir perfectamente, hecho y experimentado, y agora de nuevo añadido, por Juan de Yciar vizcayno. Zaragoza: Pedro Bernúz, (23 July) 1550

Second edition of this richly illustrated writing book, in a remarkably good state of preservation, containing numerous types of handwriting, typefaces and decorative initials, with marginal decoration featuring books and scribes. The first Spanish writing book, Icíar's Recopilacion subtilissima, appeared in 1548, very much based on Italian writing models by Arrighi, Tagliente and Palatino. However Icíar depicts the hands current in Spain, such as "Letra de provision real", "Castellana mas formosa", and "letra de privilegios", as well as Greek and Hebrew letters.

4to (202 x 143 mm). collation: A⁶ B-L⁸: 86 leaves. Woodcut title with white-on-black letters on a pointillé ground surrounded by a woodcut border depicting a scribe at head, woodcut royal arms of Spain, woodcut initials, woodcut portrait of the author on A4v, each text page within woodcut border (some signed by Jean de Vingle), woodcut plates of different letter forms (some white-on-black), woodcut printer's device on final leaf. (A few small marginal repairs, occasional slight browning, some paper becoming friable.)

binding: Old vellum over thin boards (211 x 151 mm), manuscript lettering on spine, stubs from two pairs of ties. (Upper hinge broken.)

provenance: Comte Jacques de la Béraudière (1808-1884), bookplate (his collections sold in 1885) — Hippolyte Destailleur (1822-1893, architect), his manuscript notes on flyleaf, sale, Paris, 13 April 1891, lot 896, 820 livres, to Morgand — Charles Fairfax Murray (1849-1919), his sale, Sotheby's, 8-21 March 1918, lot 853 — Carl W. Jones (1887-1957), bookplate — [John Howell, acquired in 1978 by] — Arthur and Charlotte Vershbow, sale, Christie's, New York, 10 April 2013, lot 232. acquisition: Purchased at the preceding sale. references: Bonacini 2074; Palau 117834; USTC 339187