Gellius, Noctium Atticarum, Venice, Heirs of Aldo & Torresano, 1515, contemporary Austrian brown morocco

GELLIUS, AULUS. Auli Gellii Noctium Atticarum libri vndeuiginti. Venice: Heirs of Aldo Manuzio & Andrea Torresano, September 1515

The “correct” issue according to UCLA, with “duernionem” in the register and S correctly imposed.

8vo (165 x 95 mm). Greek and Roman type, 30 lines plus headline. Collation: AA-DD⁸ a-z⁸ A-T⁸ V⁴ (DD8 a blank, V1 a cancel): 372 leaves. Woodcut Aldine device on title-page and verso of V4, occasional early marginalia in black and red. (Marginal dampstaining affecting text in some instances, repairs to Q8v-T7 at inner margin, scattered foxing.)

Binding: Contemporary Austrian brown morocco (169 x 100 mm), with outer frame of floral and foliate tools enclosing central panel, diapered by three fillets, marguerite in interstices, "Aul.Gel." at head of upper cover, traces of four pairs of ties, spine with raised bands in four blind-tooled compartments, covers gilt and blind-tooled. (Gilt faded, wear to spine with exposure at tailband, old paper shelf label at foot of spine.)

Provenance: Presentation inscription from Wolfgang Spilberg on pastedown, dated 1536, to Johann Mann of Salzburg — Joannes Hurter, purchase inscription at Freiburg in 1556 on title-page, occasional marginalia — unidentified owner, inscription, “Machrin,” on rear free-endpaper — Martin Breslauer Inc., Catalogue 107, New York (1983), item 148a — Bloomsbury London, 30 June 1988, lot 30. Acquisition: Purchased at Bloomsbury via Martin Breslauer Inc. References: UCLA 138; Renouard 73/9; Aldo Manuzio tipografo 133.8