Guevara, La institutione del prencipe christiano, Venice, 1549, contemporary Parisian freehand gougework binding by Wotton Binder C

8vo (170 x 100 mm). Italic type, 31 lines plus headline. collation: *⁸ A-Y⁸ Z⁴ (final recto blank): 188 leaves. Woodcut printer's device on title-page and final verso, woodcut initials, ruled in red throughout. (Small stain to outer margin of quire I.)

binding: Contemporary Parisian freehand gougework binding (176 x 112 mm), likely by Wotton Binder C, gilt-tooled, with an elegant interlaced strapwork design surrounding a central cartouche, azured leaves and azured trefoils on tendrils towards head and foot, flat spine with 3 false bands tooled to a Guilloche design, edges gilt, in a brown morocco solander case. (Small neat repairs to corners, joints starting.)

provenance: "J. Grangier", early signature to title, possibly Jean Grangier (1576-1643, professor at the University of Paris)—Robert Samuel Turner (1818-1878), ex-libris to upper pastedown, his sale, Sotheby's, 18 June 1888, lot 2323, to Bernard Quaritch, London—Librairie Lardanchet, Lyon, Catalogue 38 (Lyon 1934), item 1627 (illustrated)—Maurice Burrus (1882-1959), bookplate to upper pastedown and purchase note "Vénot Lyon, 1934", by descent until sold, Christie's, Paris, 15 December 2015, lot 187. acquisition: Purchased at the preceding sale. references: Edit16 CNCE 22172; USTC 835210