Ausonius, Venice, Aldus, 1517, contemporary Roman brown morocco

Ausonius, Decimus Magnus. Ausonius. (Venice: heirs of Aldo Manuzio & Andrea Torresano, November 1517)

The first Aldine edition of the works of the poet and grammarian Ausonius.

8vo (162 x 98 mm). Italic type, 30 lines plus headline. collation: a-n⁸ o⁴: 108 leaves. Woodcut Aldine device on title-page and final verso. (Title-page stained and soiled, other occasional light foxing or staining.)

binding: Contemporary Roman chestnut morocco (167 x 104 mm), tooled in gilt and blind, centerpiece composed of a star within a circle with a small knotwork tool at center, leafy border with a line of long-stemmed fleurons along top and bottom of compartment, corners filled with the same fleuron with lines radiating out from it, two concentric outer borders of blind fillets, blind-tooled spine, edges gilt and gauffered, stubs from four pairs of ties. (Binding slightly rubbed.)

provenance: Early manuscript note (a Roman bookseller's code?) on title-page, beneath device, "a . 30" — "Aloysii Antonii Mariae Todon. 1780", signature on title-page — Louis-Alexandre Barbet (1850-1931), signature on flyleaf, sale, Baudouin, Ader & Giraud-Badin, Paris, 7-10 November 1932, lot 262. acquisition: Purchased from Rossignol, Paris, 2004. references: UCLA 158; Cataldi Palau 25; Edit16 3482; Renouard 80/7