Aristotle, Libri quatuor de coelo et mundo, Lyon, 1542, contemporary Venetian chestnut morocco

ARISTOTLE. Aristotelis Stagyritae libri quatuor de coelo et mundo, sub nexis eius duobus illis de generatione & corrup. cum singulorum Epitomis, hactenus non impressis, ac Averro. fidiss. interprete: necnon eiusdem opusculum de substantia orbis, in calce operis appositum, cum apostillis. M. Ant. Z. Quibus nil inesse vitii deprehendes. Lyon: Jacques Giunta (and Thibaud Payen), 1542

This forms part of a seven-volume set of the works of Aristotle, edited by Zimara and printed for Jacques Giunta, all bound for the unidentified P.T. P.D., and giving the title on the lower cover. Two other volumes, Ethics and De anima, are De Marinis 1208bis and 1208ter (listed under Florence and Tuscany), a third, containing the books on logic and dialectic, was in the sale of Louis-Alexandre Barbet in 1932, and the location of the Metaphysics is currently unknown. The early provenance of the volumes indicates that the set was split up at an early date.

8vo (162 x 105 mm). Roman type, 40 lines plus headline. Collation: A-Z⁸ AA-QQ⁸ RR⁴ SS⁸: 324 leaves. Woodcut printer’s device on title-page, woodcut initials and diagrams. (Slight staining in first few leaves.)

Binding: Contemporary Venetian chestnut morocco gilt (167 x 115 mm), central gilt armorial, outer border of interlinked circle tools with gilt fleurons at corners, upper cover with letters P.D. above armorial and P.T. below, lower cover with DE COELO, spine with blind lettering and triple blind fillets along bands, the four false bands with small diagonal gilt dashes, later marbled edges, stubs from two pairs of ties. (Ends of spine repaired, a few other small repairs to edges of boards.)

Provenance: P.D. P.T., initials on binding — M. Ant. Zachius, early inscription on front flyleaf — Sebastianus Setinus (of Sezze?), inscription on front flyleaf — Edgar Soete (bookseller), sale, Jean-Pierre Bonduelle, Jean-Marc Lancry & Dominique Courvoisier, Corbeil-Essonnes, 18 November 2000, lot 1. Acquisition: Purchased in 2001 from Librairie Lardanchet, Paris. References: USTC 157475; von Gültlingen VII: Payen 98