Colonna, Le tableau des riches inventions, Paris, 1600 [after 1610], old calf, Sardou copy

Colonna, Francesco

Le tableau des riches inventions couvertes du voie des feintes amoureuses, qui sont representees dans le Songe de Poliphile [translated by François Béroalde de Verville]. Paris: Matthieu Guillemot, 1600 [after 1610]

4to (250 x 181mm.), engraved title-page, woodcut initials and headpieces, with blank leaf at end of preliminaries, woodcut illustrations (woodcut on C2 touching deckle edge at foot), near-contemporary mottled calf, spine gilt in compartments, woodcut on B1 shaved at foot, small tear in N4 with loss of a few words, repaired tear to Dd2-3, binding slightly worn

Béroalde's version of Colonna's peculiar tale, highlighting its alchemical aspects, was first printed in 1600; this is a reprint with the headpiece on *2 with the arms of Louis XIII (dating it to after 1610) and no privilege. The woodcuts are reused from Kerver's 1546 edition and show some wear.

LITERATURE:

cf. Mortimer, Harvard French 148; USTC 12600 (1600 edition)

PROVENANCE:

Victorien Sardou (1831-1908), Bibliothèque de Marly bookplate, sale in 1909