Cluver, Philipp (1580-1622).

4 parts in one volume, folio (318 x 201mm.), [42 (incl. engraved title-page)], 400; 203, [1]; 230, [2 (blank)]; 36, [18]pp., illustration: engraved title-page, 11 double-page engraved maps, 26 engraved plates, english red goatskin gilt by the 'squirrel binder' for charles i (r. 1625-1649), outer roll-border of leafy scrolls, corner-pieces composed of leafy scrolls with a small butterfly tool, arms of Charles I in centre on a semé of small fleurs-de-lys, spine gilt in compartments with same roll as used on sides, gilt edges, lacking half-title, small hole at head of *4 with partial loss of 2 letters, tear in margin of N2 repaired, occasional other short tears in margins, light damp-stainin lower outer corner of first few leaves, lacking 2 pairs of ties, corners bumped

Willems 108

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

first edition, this copy bound for charles i by the 'squirrel binder'. The corner-pieces, with their small butterfly tool, have been identified as the work of the binder christened the 'Squirrel binder', after one of his tools, by H.M. Nixon in 1970 ("English Bookbindings 62: A London Binding by the Squirrel Binder, c. 1620", The Book Collector, Spring 1970). In addition to the sixteen bindings recorded by Nixon, Mirjam Foot records another 27 examples from the same shop ("Lord Herbert and the Squirrel Binder", The Henry Davis Gift, i, pp.51-58), of which at least sixteen were made for the royal family. Foot identifies the binder with 'Lord Herbert's binder', and links him with Nixon's "binder who was employed by John Bill" (Five Centuries of English Bookbinding, no. 28). She dates the work of the binder to the first 30 or 40 years of the seventeenth century. For the same corner-pieces, see Maggs Catalogue 1075, no. 24, and a copy of Raderus, Bavaria Pia, also with the arms of Charles I, in the British Library (see online database).