Saxo Grammaticus, Danorum historiae libri XVI, Basel, 1534, Genevan light brown polished calf gilt
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December 10, 04:10 PM GMT
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
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Description
SAXO GRAMMATICUS. Saxonis grammatici Danorum historiae libri XVI. Basel: Johann Bebel, 1534
The Geneva Kings’ Binder, identified by Ilse Schunke, was an atelier of Huguenot craftsmen exiled to Geneva because of their religious beliefs. Many of their bindings were made for Henri III and IV of France.
Folio (310 x 200mm). Roman and italic types, 49 lines plus headline. collation: π1 α2–5 β6 γ4 a–z6 A–H6 I4: 204 leaves. A1 with elaborate historiated woodcut border, woodcut initials, printer’s device on title and last leaf.
binding: Genevan light brown polished calf, probably by a French binder known as the Geneva Kings' Binder, 1560s, gold tooled, broad border between single lines composed of azured arabesque tools and curving fillets, interspersed with small circles, in centre a large shaped cartouche formed by double fillets and containing azured arabesques and solid dots, edges gilt and gauffered to an arabesque pattern heightened with pink enamel.
provenance: Roland Napoléon Bonaparte, Principe di Canino e Musignano (1858–1924), bookplate — Martin Breslauer Inc., Catalogue 104/I: Fine books in fine bindings from the fourteenth to the present century (New York 1979), item 43; A selection of fine and rare books from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century (New York [1981]), item 25. acquisition: Purchased in 1990 from Martin Breslauer Inc., New York. references: VD16 S 2049; USTC 692137