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Sphaera mundi
by SACROBOSCO, Johannes de
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Beverly Hills, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Venice: [Bonetus Locatellus] for Octavianus Scotus, 1490. Venice: Bonetus Locatellus for Octavianus Scotus, 1490].
After Manilius's Astronomica, Sacrobosco's Sphaera was the first printed book on astronomy (Ferrara: 1472). Small quarto (7 3/4 x 5 7/8 inches; 197 x 150 mm). 48 leaves. Woodcuts and diagrams, seven of which are colored. With the full-page woodcut portraying Urania, Ptolemy, and Astronomia on a throne, printed here for the first time. And a woodcut printer's device printed in red on colophon leaf. Additionally there are numerous engraved initials. This is the second book printed in color, the first being the first edition of this title.
Full modern calf. Boards ruled in gilt. Spine stamped and lettered in gilt. Some minor scuffs to boards. Modern marbled endpapers. Previous owner's old ink faded marginalia, on title-page and throughout. Some minor occasional soiling and a few minor marginal wormholes. Overall a very good, crisp copy. Housed in a custom cloth clamshell.
Written about 1220, De Sphaera is "a small work based on Ptolemy and his Arabic commentators...antedating the De sphaera of Grosseteste. It was quite generally adopted as the fundamental astronomy text, for often it was so clear that it needed little or no explanation. It was first used at the University of Paris....and from the middle of the thirteenth century it was taught in all the schools of Europe. In the sixteenth century it gained the attention of mathematicians, including Clavius. As late as the seventeenth century it was used as a basic astronomy text" (DSB XII, p. 61).
BMC V, p. 438. Goff J-409.
HBS 68493.
$13,500.
After Manilius's Astronomica, Sacrobosco's Sphaera was the first printed book on astronomy (Ferrara: 1472). Small quarto (7 3/4 x 5 7/8 inches; 197 x 150 mm). 48 leaves. Woodcuts and diagrams, seven of which are colored. With the full-page woodcut portraying Urania, Ptolemy, and Astronomia on a throne, printed here for the first time. And a woodcut printer's device printed in red on colophon leaf. Additionally there are numerous engraved initials. This is the second book printed in color, the first being the first edition of this title.
Full modern calf. Boards ruled in gilt. Spine stamped and lettered in gilt. Some minor scuffs to boards. Modern marbled endpapers. Previous owner's old ink faded marginalia, on title-page and throughout. Some minor occasional soiling and a few minor marginal wormholes. Overall a very good, crisp copy. Housed in a custom cloth clamshell.
Written about 1220, De Sphaera is "a small work based on Ptolemy and his Arabic commentators...antedating the De sphaera of Grosseteste. It was quite generally adopted as the fundamental astronomy text, for often it was so clear that it needed little or no explanation. It was first used at the University of Paris....and from the middle of the thirteenth century it was taught in all the schools of Europe. In the sixteenth century it gained the attention of mathematicians, including Clavius. As late as the seventeenth century it was used as a basic astronomy text" (DSB XII, p. 61).
BMC V, p. 438. Goff J-409.
HBS 68493.
$13,500.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Heritage Book Shop, LLC
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 68493
- Title
- Sphaera mundi
- Author
- SACROBOSCO, Johannes de
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- [Bonetus Locatellus] for Octavianus Scotus
- Place of Publication
- Venice
- Date Published
- 1490
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
- Keywords
- Incunabula|Illustrated Books|Science and Technology|Astronomy|Books in Latin
Terms of Sale
Heritage Book Shop, LLC
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Heritage Book Shop, LLC
Biblio member since 2006
Beverly Hills, California
About Heritage Book Shop, LLC
Owned and operated by Ben Weinstein, who has been in the business of antiquarian books for over fifty years, Heritage Book Shop\'s inventory consists of some of the finest items in the areas of first editions, early printed books, bindings, illustrated books, literature, and manuscripts. Heritage Book Shop serves a clientele base consisting of private collectors as well as esteemed public institutions. We take great pride in the dedication we offer our clients. Whether you are building a first-rate collection of a favorite author or an extensive library, we look forward to offering the experience of our knowledgeable and helpful staff.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Crisp
- A term often used to indicate a book's new-like condition. Indicates that the hinges are not loosened. A book described as crisp...
- Device
- Especially for older books, a printer's device refers to an identifying mark, also sometimes called a printer's mark, on the...
- Quarto
- The term quarto is used to describe a page or book size. A printed sheet is made with four pages of text on each side, and the...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- Marginalia
- Marginalia, in brief, are notes written in the margins, or beside the text of a book by a previous owner. This is very...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Colophon
- The colophon contains information about a book's publisher, the typesetting, printer, and possibly even includes a printer's...
- Leaves
- Very generally, "leaves" refers to the pages of a book, as in the common phrase, "loose-leaf pages." A leaf is a single sheet...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
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