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Lot n° 212
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5000 - 6000
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RONDELET (Guillaume). *Libri de piscibus marinis*. — *Univer - Lot 212
RONDELET (Guillaume). *Libri de piscibus marinis*. — *Universae aquatilium historiae pars altera*. Lyon, Matthieu Bonhomme, 1554–1555. 2 parts in one folio volume, brown calfskin with blind-stamped decoration of fillets and scrolls (one of which is adorned with four small medallion portraits), coat of arms and crowned monogram repeated in blind stamping, coat of arms and book title in ink within a Renaissance cartouche on the side edge (contemporary binding).
First edition of this important Renaissance work on ichthyology by the naturalist Guillaume Rondelet (1507–1566).
Beautiful and abundant woodcut illustrations in the text, comprising 439 figures of fish, shells, crustaceans, and other aquatic or amphibious animals, the execution of which is attributed to the Lyon-based engraver Georges Reverdy.
A lovely portrait of the author, drawn by Pierre Vase according to Baudrier, appears on the verso of the final preliminary leaves of each of the two parts. (Baudrier, vol. X, pp. 239–240; Brun, p. 284.)
Rondelet taught at the Faculty of Medicine in Montpellier and, on several occasions, accompanied Cardinal de Tournon as his physician during the cardinal’s diplomatic missions. His friend Rabelais, Pierre Belon, and Conrad Gesner were among his students. His book on ichthyology is notable for the richness of its documentation, the precision of its descriptions, and its illustrations.
The work served as a reference for generations of naturalists, including John Ray and Linnaeus. Rondelet’s observations on Mediterranean fish would not be superseded until much later by the work of Antoine Risso of Nice in 1810 (Valérie Chansigaud, *Histoire de l’illustration naturaliste*, 2009, p. 30).
A copy bearing unidentified coats of arms. Note the pen-and-ink decoration on the volume’s edge, featuring the coat of arms at the top, the title in a Renaissance cartouche in the center, and the date of publication at the bottom.
Foxing and browned pages. A tear with no loss on folio Kk2; a small tear in the paper on folio l4 of the second part, causing some letters in the text to overlap (p. 87). Two title pages are transposed in the second volume, and a small engraved seashell is glued to p. 104. Restored binding (caps, hinges, and corners).
Appraiser: Mr. Dominique Courvoisier
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