ARIOSTO, LA LENA, [VENICE, 1538], LATER CALF IN PERIOD STYLE

8vo (155 x 93mm.), woodcut portrait on title-page, text in italics, later morocco tooled in sixteenth-century style, slipcase, title-page slightly soiled, joints rubbed, slipcase split at head

Censimento 16 CNCE 2559 (dated to c. 1538); Baldacchini, Alle origini dell'editoria in volgare: Niccolò Zoppino da Ferrara a Venezia, annali (1503-1544), no. 378; Gamba 72; cf. Mortimer, Harvard Italian 27 (1535 edition) & Sander 538 (1533 edition); this edition not in IA

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."

Ariosto's light-hearted play was first performed in Ferrara in 1528, shortly after the Sack of Rome by the troops of Charles V. Edit 16 lists around eight editions from the 1530s, most of which use the same woodcut portrait of Ariosto, first used in the 1532 Ferrara edition of Orlando furioso and based on the portrait by Titian. Baldacchini states that Zoppino is the printer of this edition, which appears to be a counterfeit of the first edition of c. 1533 (Censimento 16 CNCE 2567).