Gustavus Selenus [August II, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg] | Das Schach- oder König-Spiel, Leipzig, 1617, authorial presentation copy

Gustavus Selenus [Augustus II, Duke of Brunswick]

Das Schach- oder König-Spiel. Leipzig: Groß, 1617.

Second edition, folio (284 x 190 mm), half-title, engraved borders on title page, one double-page table before the first divisional title, engraved borders on title-page and 5 divisional titles, 3 double-page engraved plates, numerous engraved illustrations in the text, woodcut device at the end, woodcut initials, head- and tail-pieces, contemporary vellum, tooled in silver with foliate borders (now tarnished), edges gilt and gauffered, fore-edge flaps, browning and dampstaining, marginal wormhole, stains to covers, lacking 2 pairs of ties (stubs remaining)

AUTHORIAL PRESENTATION COPY OF THE FIRST CHESS MANUAL IN GERMAN IN AN ATTRACTIVE CONTEMPORARY VELLUM BINDING. An inscription on the front free endpaper records the gift of the volume the year of its publication:

"Der Durchlauchtig Hochgeborner Furst, und Herr, Herr Augustus der Junger, Herzog zu Braunschweich, und Luneburg, mein gnediger Furst, und Herr, hat [?] mir…dis buch, gnedig verehrt…den 14 decembris Ao 1617. Jobst Graff vom Branddt [paraph]". (His Serene Highness, the Prince and Lord, Lord Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg, my gracious Prince and Lord, has graciously bestowed upon me this book on 14 December 1617. Jobst Graff vom Branddt [paraph]).

August II was a remarkable polymath: he was the author of works on such subjects as mathematics and cryptography under the pen-name Gustavus Selenus, as well as several works on games. He is perhaps best known as a book collector—the Herzog August Bibliothek at Wolfenbüttel is one of Europe's greatest libraries. This history of chess was based on Tarsia's Italian translation of Ruy López's 1561 Libro de la invencion liberal y arte del juego del Axedrez (see lot 42). As well as instructions about gameplay, the work includes woodcuts by Jacob van der Heyden illustrating contemporary German chess pieces. Owing to the popularity of the book, the style of chess sets pictured in these woodcuts — featuring elaborate, floral pieces — became known as "Selenus chess sets", after the author himself.

The present (second) edition was printed the year after the first edition (for which see previous lot).

PROVENANCE:

Presented by the author to "Jobst Graff vom Branddt" on 14 December 1617; "ex libris J.W. (?)Heermann", ownership inscription to front free endpaper; Karl Ferdinand Friedrich von Nagler (1770–1846, Prussian politician and art collector), stamp to verso of half-title

LITERATURE:

USTC 2069448; VD17 39:125792Z