[Biblia sacra polyglotta], volume VIII, Antwerp, 1571-72, Roman pink morocco bound for Cardinal Guglielmo Sirleto

BIBLE. POLYGLOT. The eighth volume of the Plantin Polyglot bible, containing commentaries and other supplementary works, comprising:

(1) Aaron, sive, sanctorum vestimentorum ornamentorumque summa descriptio: ad sacri apparatus instructionem: Benedicto Aria Montano Hispalensi, expositore. Antwerp: Christopher Plantin, 1572

(2) Nehemias, sive, de antiquae Ierusalem situ, volumen [caption title, 1572]

(3) Liber Ioseph, sive de arcano sermone, 1571

(4) Liber Ieremiae, sive, de actione, ad sacri apparatus instructionem, 1571

(5) Thubal-Cain, sive, de mensuris sacris liber, tribus voluminibus distinctus, 1572

(6) Phaleg, sive, de gentium sedibus primus, orbisque terrae situ, liber, 1572

(7) In librum Chanaan, sive de duodecim gentibus [caption title, 1572]

(8) In librum Chaleb, sive de terrae promissae partitione [caption title, 1572]

(9) Exemplar, sive, de sacris fabricis liber, 1572

(10) Daniel, sive, de saeculis codex integer, 1572

(11) Index Biblicus, qui res eas, de quibus in sacris Bibliis agitur, [caption title, 1572]

(12) Hebraea, Chaldaea, Graeca, et Latina nomina virorum, mulierum, populorum, [caption title, 1571]

(13) Variae lectiones, et annotatiunculae, quibus thargum, id est, chaldaica paraphrasis infinitis in locis illustratur et emendatur, [caption title, 1572]

(14) De varia in Hebraicis libris lectione, as de Mazzoreth ratione atque usu, [caption title, 1572]

(15) Variarum in Graecis Bibliis lectionum libellus, [caption title, 1571]

(16) Illustris D. Sirleti S.R.E. Cardinalis annotationes variarum lectionum in psalmos, [caption title, 1571]

(17) Guido Fabr. Bod. in tabulum titulorum totius Novi Testamenti Syriaci, [caption title, n.d.]

(18) Variae lectiones in Latinis Bibliis editionis vulgatae, [caption title, 1572]

A volume of the Plantin Polyglot Bible in a Roman binding for Cardinal Guglielmo Sirleto, the Vatican librarian, who was consulted about the text; item 16 in this volume is his note about variant readings in the Psalms. The archives at the Plantin-Moretus Museum record that on 17 July 1572, a copy was sent to Rome for Cardinal Sirleto, with an inscription in gold stating that it was a royal gift in praise of his erudition.

The Plantin Polyglot, the second polyglot Bible, was conceived in eight volumes (six of Biblical text and two volumes of apparatus) and printed at Antwerp by Christophe Plantin between 1568 and 1573. The edition comprised 1,200 sets on four different qualities of paper, and thirteen sets on vellum; two vellum volumes were in the Bibliotheca Brookeriana I, New York, 11 October 2023, lot 14.

The chief editor of the Polyglot was the polymath Benito Arias Montano; among his chief assistants was Plantin’s son-in-law and successor, Franciscus Raphelengius. Plantin’s magnum opus, the Polyglot is properly considered to be the greatest single printing enterprise of the sixteenth century, in terms of its production costs, its demands on typographical expertise, and its concentration of scholarly and editorial skills. From Plantin’s business records and correspondence, we are well informed in many aspects of the production of the Polyglot. The paper issues comprised Royal paper from Troyes (960 copies), Royal paper from Lyon (200 copies), Imperial paper from Germany (30 copies), Imperial paper from Italy, probably Fabriano (10 copies). 

Volume VIII only, 18 parts in one volume, folio (416 x 278 mm), one of 960 copies printed on papier grand royal de Troyes. Collation: (1) a⁴, full-page engraving; (2) *², engraved map; (3) ♰⁴ A-K⁶ L⁴; (4) a⁶ b⁸; (5) aa⁶ bb⁴; (6) A⁸; (7) A⁴; (8) A⁶ (last leaf blank); (9) A⁶ B⁴; 10 engraved plates (one double-page); (10) A⁶; (11) A-C⁴; (12) A-E⁶; (13) A-D⁴ (with imposition in the Hebrew style); (14) ♰⁴; (15) A⁸ (last leaf blank); (16) A⁶; (17) ♰⁸; (18) A-C⁶: 182 leaves. Woodcut Plantin devices on title-pages, woodcut initials. (Some browning, lacking three maps from parts 7, 8 and 9)

Binding: Contemporary Roman pink morocco (422 x 292 mm.), gilt arms of Guglielmo Sirleto within a cardinal's cartouche in centre, later elaborate gilt decoration on covers, traces of 2 pairs of pink silk ties, spine with Sirleto's rampant lion in centre and stars in corner of each compartment, second compartment with later morocco title label, edges gilt, endleaves with watermark dated to Rome, 1566 (Briquet 7629), housed in modern green cloth box. (Rubbing at extremities, joints starting; recased and the contents reassembled as the third title-page was originally bound at the front).

Provenance: Cardinal Guglielmo Sirleto (1514-1585), armorial insignia on upper cover and spine — Cardinal Giuseppe Renato Imperiali (1651-1737), stamp on title-page of Liber Ioseph and manuscript shelfmark on front free endpaper (Giusto Fontanini, Bibliothecae Josephi Renati Imperialis, Rome, 1711, p. 67) — Jesuit library stamp to title-page of Liber Ioseph. Acquisition: Purchased in 2007 from Bernard Quaritch, London. References: Voet 644, VIII 8.A, 9.A, 1.A, 2.A, 3.A, 4.A, 5.A, 6.A, 7.A, 10.A, 11.A-B, 12.A-B, 13.A-B, 14.B, 15.A, 16.A, 18.A-B, 17.A-B