Scriptores rei rusticae, Libri de re rustica, Venice, Aldo Manuzio & Andrea Torresano, 1514, contemporary light brown goatskin, possibly Milanese

Scriptores rei rusticae. Libri de re rustica M. Catonis lib. I M. Terentij Varronis lib. III L. Iunij Moderati Columellae lib. XII Eiusdem de arboribus liber separatus ab alijs, quare autem id factum fuerit: ostenditur in epistola ad lectorem. Palladij lib. XIV De duobus dierum generibus: simulque de umbris, & horis, quae apud Palladium, in alia epistola ad lectorem. Georgij Alexandrini enarrationes priscarum dictionum, quaein his libris Catonis: Varronis: Columellae. Venice: Aldo Manuzio & Andrea Torresano, May 1514

A third copy of the first Aldine edition. A beautiful clean, crisp example in extraordinary contemporary goatskin anticipating the Art Deco bindings of four centuries later. This remarkable design is similar to De Marinis, La Legatura artistica in Italia nei secoli XV e XVI no. 2609, pl. 434, which he described as having "labyrinth" decoration; the two bindings undoubtedly originated in the same shop. The binding described by De Marinis covered an octavo manuscript Psalter that had been given by Luigi della Croce, a monk of Chiaravalle, to a nun named Symoneta ("domicelle Symoneta 18 des kalendes de mai 1489, Aloisius della Croce monachus clarevallis"). The monastery of Chiaravalle being close to Milan, and the Della Croce family being an important Milanese family, De Marinis suggests the binding is Milanese.

4to (208 x 129 mm). Italic type, 39 lines plus headline. collation: *⁸ aa–bb⁸ cc¹⁰ a–h⁸ i⁴ k–z⁸ A–Q⁸: 342 foliated leaves (cc10 blank). Woodcut Aldine device on title-page, aa1r, and Q8v, three woodcut illustrations of agricultural implements, nine woodcut and four typographic diagrams in text illustrating field layouts and seeding patterns, six- and seven-line initial spaces with guide letters. (Some light dampstain to upper corners quires m7–t, thin dampstain to fore-edges of final 12 leaves.)

binding: Contemporary light brown goatskin (220 x 142 mm), possibly Milanese, covers with a border of multiple blind fillets mitred at corners, gilt frame of repeated circular arabesques within gilt fillets, repeated gilt trefoils on stems at either side, central panel with cornerpieces of alternating broad gilt and blind quadrants over a gilt small lattice work of squares, this design repeated and combined to form a complete central "labyrinth" circle, traces of four pairs of blue silk ties, spine gilt in four compartments with horizontal lines of trefoils above and below bands of lattice work, plain endpapers, edges gilt and gauffered to a rope work design. (Slightest rubbing and minor repair to extremities, some loss of gilt to lower left corner of front cover, spine with a few wormholes and small stains.)

provenance: Unidentified owner(s), inscriptions effaced from title-page — Arthur Lauria, Paris, ink stamp on front pastedown — Maurice Burrus (1882–1959), bookplate and annotation "No. 407"; Alde & Isabelle de Conihout with Pascal Ract-Madoux, Manuscrits et livres remarquables de la collection Maurice Burrus, Paris, 17 October 2017, lot 71. acquisition:Purchased at Alde via Robin Halwas. references: UCLA 121; Adams S805; Aldo Manuzio Tipografo 123; Edit16 37471; Renouard 66/2; Simon, Bibliotheca Bacchica II:593; Simon, Bibliotheca Gastronomica 310; USTC 800443