Bibliotheca Brookeriana: A Renaissance Library Part VII

Bibliotheca Brookeriana: A Renaissance Library Part VII

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 1593. Belon, L'histoire naturelle des estranges poissons marins, Paris, 1551, the Beckford copy.

Belon, L'histoire naturelle des estranges poissons marins, Paris, 1551, the Beckford copy

Estimate

4,000 - 6,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

BELON, PIERRE. L'histoire naturelle des estranges poissons marins, avec la vraie peincture & description du Daulphin, & de plusieurs autres de son espece, observee par Pierre Belon du Mans. Paris: Regnault Chaudière, 1551


THE BECKFORD COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION OF BELON'S FIRST BIOLOGICAL WORK, with numerous woodcut illustrations of fish, two depicting antique medals in the collection of Jean Grolier, one showing a dolphin and another depicting a hippopotamus.


This copy belonged to William Beckford (1760-1844), author of Vathek (1786). Most of his library passed to his nephew, Alexander Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton, before being sold in these rooms in 1882. The present copy later belonged to Pierre Mouchon (1897-1962), the author of a bibliography of French works on hunting.

4to (226 x 154 mm). Roman and italic type, 36 lines plus headline. collation: A-H4 Aa4 k4 L-N4 O2 P4: 58 leaves (final verso blank). Woodcut printer's device on two title-pages, woodcut initials and illustrations, early manuscript corrections in an unidentified hand. (Marginal dampstaining, some spotting.)


binding: Eighteenth-century red morocco (232 x 162 mm), triple gilt fillet frame, small floral stamps at corners, spine with 5 bands, second compartment with title, third with date, other compartments with gilt decoration, edges gilt, marbled endpapers. (Binding slightly rubbed at extremities, corners and head of spine defective, joints cracking, worming to foot of spine.)


provenance: William Beckford (1760-1844), by descent to—Alexander Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton (1767-1852), by descent until sold, Sotheby's, The Beckford Library, removed from Hamilton Palace, 30 June-13 July 1882, lot 775, £15 10s to Quaritch—Pierre Mouchon (1897-1962), bookplate with motto "Cave muscam pungit". acquisition: Purchased in 2020 from Librairie Paul Jammes, Paris. references: USTC 11204

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