AFRICANUS, JOANNIS LEONIS AFRICANI DE TOTIUS AFRICÆ DESCRIPTIONE LIBRI IX, 1556

FIRST LATIN EDITION, 8vo (165 x 101mm.), later vellum, gilt edges, title printed on spine, new endpapers, occasional browning, minor marginal loss to 2O5

Sum Johannes W--, early inscription on title; Weyms, early signature on title; Charles-Henri-Auguste Schefer (1820-1898), orientalist and bibliophile, armorial bookplate; Count C.A.C. Lewenhaupt, gift inscription in Swedish on front endpapers; runic 'H' in manuscript

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, 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."

Africanus (c.1494–c.1554?), born, al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Wazzan al-Fasi, حسن ابن , was a Berber Andalusi diplomat, author, traveller and merchant. He was famously captured by pirates and sold as a slave, and was later freed and baptised after being presented to Pope Leo X. This volume, first published in Italian, contained the first detailed descriptions published in Europe of the Barbary Coast (now Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) and the kingdoms of west-central Africa.