Catullus, Propertius, Tibullus, Florence, Giunta, 1503, old limp vellum

Catullus, Gaius Valerius, Albius Tibullus and Sextus Propertius. Catullus. Propertius. Tibullus. (Florence: Filippo Giunta, 5 August 1503)

The first of the Giunta octavo classics. Like the contemporary Lyon counterfeit, it is a line for line reprint of Aldo’s, but Giunta’s colophon acknowledges Aldo’s edition (magna ex parte emendati per Aldum Manutium Romanum virum doctissimum), noting there are further emendations by Benedetto Riccardini (Benedictus Philologus), who added a dedication to his pupil, of the Bonaccorsi family.

On b4v, in Catullus’ “In Asinium,” the compositor transliterated Aldo’s μνημοσυνον to mnemosynum. Each section is prefaced by an extract on the relevant poet from Pietro Crinito's De poetis latinis (cf. lot 412).

8vo (166 x 102 mm.). Italic type, 30 lines plus headline. collation: a⁴ b-e⁸ f¹⁰ A-I⁸ aa-dd⁸ ee⁴ (a4 and I8 blank): 154 leaves. Ink drawing of a writer on ee2v. (Occasional foxing.)

binding: Old limp vellum (170 x 109 mm), later manuscript title on spine, remains of gilt and gauffered edges, stubs from two pairs of alum-tawed ties. (Binding refurbished and reattached, lower cover stained.)

provenance: Red paper label on title with the Giunta lily and lettered IHS MA — Christie, Manson & Woods, New York, sale, 18 May 1984, lot 92 (possibly the property of Thomas B. Stevenson), $1,000. acquisition: Purchased from E.K. Schreiber, New York, 1984. references: Edit16 10357; Pettas, Giunti of Florence 4; Renouard xxxiv/4