Bayer, Johann

Folio (12 3/8 x 8 1/2 in.; 313 x 215 mm). Engraved title-page and 51 full-sheet engraved star charts, lacking all text, but bound with the text of Bayer's Explicatio characterum aeneis uranometrias imaginum, tabulis, insculptorum, addita (Ulm: Balthasar Kühn for Johannes Görlin, 1640; 4to [8 x 6 in.; 204 x 152 mm, uncut]); engraved title slightly frayed at edges, occasional minor soiling. Contemporary vellum; a bit worn and soiled.

Philip M. Chancellor (bookplate)

cf. Honeyman 246; Norman 142; Deborah Warner, The Sky Explored: Celestial Cartography 1500-1800, pp 18–19; Zimmer 3951.

Folio (size). Engraved title-page and 51 full-sheet engraved star charts, lacking all text, but bound with the text of Bayer's Explicatio characterum aeneis uranometrias imaginum, tabulis, insculptorum, addita (Ulm: Balthasar Kühn for Johannes Görlin, 1640). Contemporary vellum; a bit worn and soiled.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

An intriguing early edition of the first accurate star atlas, combining the engraved plates from the second edition with the text from a scarce unillustrated scholarly edition of the work. Based on the binding, the text and plates were combined shortly after publication, probably when a remainder set of the engravings was discovered. Several pages of the text have early annotations by a student.