Lot 32: JOHANNES DE SACRO BOSCO (fl. c.1230-1240). Sphaera mundi . Commentary by Cecco d'Ascoli (1269-1327), Franciscus Capuanus (fl. 1485), Jacobus Faber Stapulensis (c.1460-1536). - Georgius PURBACHIUS (1423-1461). Theoricae novae planetarum .

JOHANNES DE SACRO BOSCO (fl. c.1230-1240). Sphaera mundi. Commentary by Cecco d'Ascoli (1269-1327), Franciscus Capuanus (fl. 1485), Jacobus Faber Stapulensis (c.1460-1536). - Georgius PURBACHIUS (1423-1461). Theoricae novae planetarum. Commentary by F. Capuanus. Venice: Simon Bevilaqua, 23 October 1499.

Super-chancery 2° (317 x 209mm). Collation: a-cυ6 dυ8 e-zυ6 &υ6 \\iυ4 (a1r Sacrobosco title, a1v Cecco d'Ascoli preface, a2v large woodcut of an armillary sphere, a2r Sacrobosco text with Cecco commentary surround, d8v blank, e1r Capuanus preface and commentary, l5v Faber preface, index and commentary, o6r colophon, printer's device, p1r Peurbach text, \\i3r register, \\i3-4r blank, \\i4v Peurbach title). 150 leaves. 59 lines and headline, Peurbach in double column. Type: 22/24:120G, 23:112Rυb, 18:80(82)Rυb. Large woodcut armillary sphere (on a1v and m1v), woodcut diagrams, woodcut initials in second work. 9-line initial opening text in yellow on red ground with green frame, first armillary sphere and some other woodcuts, woodcut initials and capital strokes coloured by a 16th-century hand in red, blue, green or yellow, 1- to 6-line initials in red or blue over printed guide-letter.

Binding: contemporary Italian brown goatskin over inner-bevelled wooden boards, tooled in blind by Belluno Bindery B, sides with frames of crosses and knotwork [Hobson 8], circular motif at centre [Hobson 26], 5 round brass bosses on each cover, 2 fore-edge clasps, spine with diagonal fillets, flower-head and small punches, single vellum flyleaf at each end (a little scuffed, slight cracking at spine, a little loss at head and tail, missing 4 bosses).

Provenance: some contemporary annotations -- Antonio Pillone (1464-1533; binding) -- Odorico Pillone (1503-1593; fore-edges) -- Sir Thomas Brooke (1830-1908; bookplate; sold by his heirs in 1957 to Pierre Berès).

Vecellio fore-edge painting: full-length figure of a scholar in red robes with ermine collar, holding a book (fore-edge facing out) in one hand and raising an armillary sphere in the other, against a background of the sky with floating clouds, top and bottom edges marbled.

De Sphaera mundi was a fundamental text on astronomy that enjoyed wide circulation from its origin in the 13th century up to the 18th. It was taught in all the schools of Europe and went through 35 editions in the incunable period alone. Peurbach's text is an 'elementary but thorough textbook of planetary theory ... of great importance' (DSB). One cut (9r) showing the curvature of the sea's surface is identical to that in De Sanctis's edition of 1488, and other cuts derive from that edition. Bibliothèque Pillone 30; [not H]C *14125; BMC V, 524 (IB. 23996); CIBN J-278; BSB-Ink. I-512, I-513; Bod-inc. J-189; Sander 6666; Essling 263; Klebs 874.26; Goff J-419.

WILDE, Oscar (1854-1900). Autograph
Est. £5,000 - £8,000
($8,165 - $13,064)