Suetonius Tranquillus, Gaius.

Learn more about Lot 186 Median folio (333 x 225mm.), 107 leaves (of 108, without final blank), roman type with some words in Greek type, 38 lines, 7-line initial spaces, that on [a]3 supplied in gold with white vine stem decoration (somewhat worn), others supplied later in red or (faded) blue, early nineteenth-century straight-grained navy morocco gilt, medallion portraits in enamel on copper (each 37 x 28mm.) of the Twelve Caesars set onto the inside front cover, with similar medallion portraits of their wives set onto the inside back cover, names (in their English forms) stamped in gilt on the rim of and underneath each portrait, red velvet lining pasted opposite the medallions, gilt edges, in modern navy morocco-backed folding box, early annotations washed, last few leaves repaired in margins

William H. Robinson Ltd, Pall Mall, London, Catalogue 81 (1950), item 112; Frederick, 2nd Lord Hesketh, bookplate in case

H 15116; GW M44221; BMC iv 11; Goff S816

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."

The second edition of Suetonius's Lives of the Twelve Caesars, issued shortly after the first edition of August 1470, also printed in Rome but edited by Giannantonio Campano.

The medallion portraits of the Roman emperors are taken from the lost series of portraits by Titian. Titian painted this series for the Gonzaga of Mantua in the late 1530s; as he only completed eleven pictures, the twelfth was composed by Bernardino Campi in 1562. The Gonzaga sold the collection to Charles I in 1628, and after his execution they were sold and eventually made their way to the Royal Alcázar in Madrid, where they were destroyed in the fire of 1734. They only survive in the prints made by Aegidius Sadeler in 1593-1594, to which Sadeler added the series of twelve imperial wives.

These portraits have been identified as the work of the Master of the "Caesars Service", after Titian and Sadeler, produced c. 1700 and later added into the binding. The Master of the "Caesars Service", a porcelain tea service produced in Augsburg c. 1705 by Tobias Baur, also produced a pair of shields with near-identical portraits on enamel, also made in Augsburg c. 1698-1700 and now in the Schatzkammer in Munich.