Livius, Decas prima, Lyon, 1548, Lyonese panel stamp binding of brown morocco

LIVIUS, TITUS. Titi Livii Patavini latinae Historiae principis. Decas prima. Lyon: Sébastien Gryphe, 1548

It is possible that the sets of three stars on the covers indicate ownership by Benoît Le Court (d. 1559), but, unlike most of his library, this copy does not contain his purchase notes on the inside cover (see lot 1140). An identical panel-stamped binding identified as belonging to Benoît Le Court is on a small-format Petrarch printed in Lyon, now in the Bibliothèque municipale, Lyon, and for another small format panel-stamped binding from his library, see Bibliotheca Brookeriana I, 11 October 2023, lot 55.

16mo (122 x 71 mm). Roman and italic type, 29 lines plus headline. Collation: a-z⁸ A-Z⁸ aa-mm⁸ nn⁴: 468 leaves. Woodcut printer's device on title-page, woodcut initials, ruled in red, capitals and woodcut initials infilled in yellow. (Repaired wormholes to first few leaves including title-page, small tear to head of C2.)

Binding: Lyonese panel stamp binding (129 x 80 mm), brown morocco, gilt panel stamp with central lozenge containing an open fleuron tool, a circle above and below containing 3 stars, these 3 shapes formed by 4 lines extending outward to form 3 semi-circles to either side, spine with four bands, gilt rosette in compartments, edges gilt and gauffered. (Ends of spine and corners renewed, joints cracking.)

Provenance: Plausibly Benoît Le Court (d. 1559) — Franciscan convent of St Francis, inscription on first leaf of text — inscriptions of Claude Falconnet and Meysonnier on inside front cover — Jean Fürstenberg (1890-1982), Exposition de reliures de la Renaissance: collection Jean Furstenberg, Paris 1961, no. 109 — Fondation Fürstenberg-Beaumesnil, Mesnil-en-Ouche — Wemaëre-de Beaupuis-Denesle Enchères SARL & Binoche et Giquello, Livres et objets d'art provenant des collections de la Fondation Fürstenberg-Beaumesnil, Paris, 9 December 2013, lot 163. Acquisition: Purchased at the preceding sale. References: USTC 122986; von Gültlingen V: Gryphe 1059; Hélène Lannier, "Récit d’une reconstitution: la bibliothèque du juriste lyonnais Benoît Court" in Réforme, Humanisme, Renaissance 2019/1 (N° 88), pp.105-121