Milestones of Science Books

OBSEQUENS, Julius.

Prodigiorum liber.

Basel: Johannes Operinus, 1552.

1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Item #002705

8vo (161 x 107 mm). [20], 327 [i.e. 339] , [13] pp. Signatures: [alpha]¹⁰ A-Y⁸. Woodcut vignette on title, 83 woodcut illustrations, historiated initials. Bound in fine 20th century red morocco, spine with 5 raised bands, decorated and lettered in gilt, red-dyed edges, marbled endpapers. Internally quite crisp and clean with only very little browning, a few leaves with mainly light marginal waterstaining, light worming in outer margin of second half, small paper flaw in H5 affecting image on recto and verso. Provenance: Guy Bechtel (bookplate; G. Bechtel's collection of books of occult studies was sold at auction in 1978). A fine copy. ----

Adams O-8; Durling 3380; Wellcome I, 4602. First separately printed edition of Obsequens' work on omens and supernatural events, first published in 1508 at the end of Aldine's edition of Pliny's Epistolae. The illustrations depict various abnormal animals and humans, landscapes, destroyed cities, meteorite falls, weather and other natural phenomena. Edited by Conrad Lycosthenes, the work also contains Polydore Vergil's De prodigiis and Camerarius' De ostentis.

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