CEPIO, PETRI MOCENICI IMPERATORIS GESTORUM, VENICE, 1477, SIXTEENTH-CENTURY BROWN MOROCCO GILT

4to (203 x 145mm.) 53 leaves (of 54, without initial blank), [a-f8 g6], 23-25 lines, roman type, woodcut border on a2r, woodcut initials (5-6 lines; a2r, a3r, c4r, e4v, g4v), a few contemporary marginal annotations, early sixteenth-century gilt-tooled brown morocco over pasteboard, marked "I" in black ink on upper board, title-page cut close and slightly repaired in gutter, binding slightly rubbed

E.P. Goldschmidt, catalogue 120 (1961), no. 21; Georgios J. Arvanitidis, prominent collector of Byzantine and Ottoman history, his red leather bookplate pasted onto upper pastedown

ISTC ic00378000

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."

The text is an encomium of the life of Pietro Mocenigo (1406-1476), Doge of Venice from 1474 to his death, and in particular his deeds against the Ottomans, written by Coriolano Cippico [Cepione] (1425-1493), a businessman and naval commander from Dalmatia. Cippico was an officer in the Venetian army and served under Mocenigo when the Venetians captured Smyrna and defeated the Turks at Scutari. With the financial gains from the campaign, Cippico built a palace in Traù, his home town, and a fortress on the coast, now known as Castel Vecchio, for which he was praised and economically supported by the Venetian government. The work was dedicated to Marcantonio Morosini, Venetian ambassador to the Duke of Burgundy: the dedication letter precedes the text (a2r-a3r). Its text is an invaluable source of first-hand information, and was heavily used by Marcantonio Sabellico and Marin Sanuto for their works on the history of Venice. It was republished in Latin in 1594, following an Italian translation printed in 1570.

The edition is also the first to survive among the twelve produced by Bernhard Maler (Pictor), Erhard Ratdolt and Peter Löslein between 1476 and 1478.