Leupoldus, Duke of Austria | "Compilatio de astrorum scientia." First, and only incunable, edition

Leupoldus, Duke of Austria

Compilatio de astrorum scientia. Augsburg: Erhard Ratdolt, 9 January 1489

4to (215 x 148 mm). Gothic letter, 41 lines. collation: a–n⁸ o⁶ (-o6): 109 (of 110) leaves (lacking final blank o6). Full-page woodcut of Sphaera Mundi on a2r, numerous woodcut astrological and astronomical illustrations and diagrams in text, 2 diagrams partially printed in red, several illustrations partially handcolored in red, numerous woodcut white-on-black floriated initials, mostly colored in a light red wash, some early marginalia (occasionally shaved); occasional light soiling or dampstaining, chiefly marginal, tiny early repair to fore-edge margin of title-page. Nineteenth-century crushed green morocco, red morocco spine label, plain endpapers, red edges; spine and edges faded.

First, and only incunable, edition of Leopold's thirteenth-century "Compilation on the Science of the Stars," an amalgamation of astrology and astronomy, largely drawn from Latin translations of Sahl b. Bishr, Abu Ma’shar, ‘Umar al-Tabari, ‘Ali al-‘Imrani, al-Kindi, and other Arabic astrologers. A number of the fine woodcuts of the constellations appear in several other editions printed by Ratdolt, including his 1485 Hyginus (see lot 153). Leopold's treatise was reprinted with new woodcuts in Venice in 1520 by Melchior Sessa and Petrus de Ravanis (Adams L516).

REFERENCES:

BMC II 382 (IA 6679); Goff L185; GW M17974; Houzeau & Lancaster 4702; ISTC il00185000