Massari, In nonum Plinii De naturali historia, Basel, 1537; Oppianus, Alieuticon, Strassburg, 1534, contemporary half pigskin, presentation copy from Beatus Rhenanus
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December 10, 04:10 PM GMT
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MASSARI, FRANCESCO. Francisci Massarii Veneti In nonum Plinii De naturali historia librum castigationes & annotations. Basel: Hieronymus Froben & Nicolaus Episcopius, March 1537 [bound with:]
OPPIANUS ANAZARBENSIS. Oppiani poetae Alieuticon, sive de piscibus, libri quinque è Graeco traducti ad Antonium Imperatorem. Post Oppianum sequuntur disticha … authore Laurentio Lippio Collensi, interprete librorum quinque Oppiani. C. Plinii secundi Naturalis historiae libri duo... Pauli item Iovii de piscibus liber unus... Hos non contemnendos authores Johannes Caesarius... recognovit... explanavit. Strassburg: Jakob Cammerlander, February 1534
A presentation copy from Beatus Rhenanus to Veit Kopp, a humanist and schoolmaster in Sélestat, and the author of Latin poetry, who was highly regarded by Rhenanus. Rhenanus worked closely with the Froben print shop and was the editor of Massari's work on Pliny; his preface here is addressed to Balthasar Entzepergerius (Balthus Entisperg). He bequeathed his substantial library to the town of Sélestat.
Massari's work on the ninth book of Pliny's Natural History covers fish and aquatic animals, fittingly bound with another classical text on fish. Massari had travelled widely across the Mediterranean to study fish and sought to identify the species described by Pliny.
2 works bound in one volume, 4to (195 x 145mm). (1) Roman and italic types, 26 lines plus headline. collation: AA–BB4 a–z4 A–Z4 aa–bb4: 200 leaves. Woodcut printer’s devices at beginning and end. (2) Roman type, 32 lines plus headline. collation: π4 A–Z4 a–p4: 256 leaves. Woodcut initials and device at end.
binding: Contemporary half pigskin over wooden boards (207 x 166 mm), decorated with blind fillets and a blind roll-tooled strip, two clasps, spine with manuscript titles in upper compartments, plain edges stained blue. (Binding slightly rubbed.)
provenance: Beatus Rhenanus (1485-1547), presentation copy to Veit Kopp, with inscription in Kopp's hand “Vito Coppo Rotemburgio, Selestadii ludum literarium moderanti, Beat. Rhenanus dono dedit An. M. D.XXXV” (final 2 or 3 numerals of date trimmed by binder) — Veit Kopp of Rottenburg am Neckar (later schoolmaster in Sélestat (1531-1532); donated some of his books to the Dominicans of Sélestat) — J. Casparus a Sperwers Eckh [Sperwerseck], inscription on upper pastedown with the price "ii Baciis"(?) — Joannes K…tell (?) Nörlingensis (of Nördlingen), inscription on upper pastedown with mottos in Greek, Latin and German — PrPh Rare Books, California International Antiquarian Book Fair Pasadena, February 7-9 2014, item 5. acquisition: Purchased in 2016 from Librairie Thomas-Scheler, Paris. references: (1) VD16 M 1337; USTC 658059; (2) VD16 O 803; USTC 679743
