Dio Cassius, Vitae Caesarum, Venice, house of Aldo Manuzio & Andrea Torresano, 1519, contemporary Bolognese morocco gilt by S. Salvatore binder

DIO CASSIUS, AND OTHERS. In hoc volumine haec continentur. Nervae et Traiani, atque Adriani Caesarum vitae ex Dione, Georgio Merula  interprete. Aelius  Spartianus. Iulius  Capitolinus. Lampridius. Flavius Vopiscus. Trebellius  Pollio. Vulcatius  Gallicanus. Ab Ioanne Baptista Egnatio Veneto diligentissime castigati ... (Venice: in the house of Aldo Manuzio & Andrea Torresano, August 1519)

The distinctive cornucopia tool is found on bindings by the First San Salvatore Binder.

8vo (166 x 92 mm). Italic type, 30 lines plus headline. Collation: *⁸ a-zz⁸ A-G⁸: 432 leaves (oo8 a blank, D4 a blank except for pagination and foliation). Woodcut Aldine device on title-page and final verso, early annotations in ink. (Occasional light damp-staining, obscured inscription at end of text, minor worming to the last few leaves.)

Binding: Contemporary Bolognese brown morocco (169 x 98 mm), by the First San Salvatore Binder (ca. 1525-1555), covers with blind-tooled frame, central gilt roundel and quatrefoil containing the title IMPERA | TORV[M] * | VI | TE on upper cover and a Fortuna stamp on lower cover, corners with entwined cornucopia stamps, stubs from four pairs of ties, spine with blind ruling, all edges blue. (Spine creased, joints cracking, blue edges a bit rubbed and faded, lacking the ties.)

Provenance: Franciscus Maria Borillus, later inscription on title-page. Acquisition: Purchased from Libreria Antiquaria Mediolanum, Milan, 2008. References: UCLA 181; Cataldi Palau 48; Edit16 17204; Renouard 87/8