Beschreibung:

BRUNSCHWIG, HIERONYMUS. [Grosses Destillierbuch, German ]. Liber de arte Distillandi de Compositis. Das buch der waren kunst zu distillieren die Composita und simplicia, und das Buch thesaurus pauperum. (Strassburg: [Johann Grüninger], 1512). Median folio, 305 x 208mm. (12 1/16 x 8 1/4in.), contemporary blind roll-tooled goatskin over reverse-bevelled wooden boards, covers with central panel consisting of a repeated roll tool of entwining vines, outer frame with floral and leaf roll tool, traces of two clasps, holes and nails from removed bosses; an Augsburg binding, the floral tool= Schwenke-Sammlung Blattwerkornament 51; rebacked in the seventeenth century, rubbed, a few scrapes to lower cover, repairs to gutters of first two leaves, AA1 detached with traces of old tape repair at gutter and at gutters of adjacent leaves, borders of double-page woodcut shaved, minor creasing to a few leaves, browning and spotting. 364 leaves. Gothic type, double column, large woodcut of an air- and water-cooled still on title, double-page woodcut of tray with scroll, 257 smaller woodcuts (including repeats), of which 130 cuts of distilling apparatus, some composed of two or three assembled blocks, THE WOODCUTS COLORED BY A CONTEMPORARY HAND, eight-line and smaller uncolored ornamental woodcut initials. FIRST EDITION of the so-called "Grosses Destillierbuch". The text is an enlarged revision of the Kleines Destillierbuch containing more extensive descriptions of methods of distillation, plants and illnesses, as well as new sections on surgery and easily procured remedies. The many new woodcuts show stills, furnaces and beakers, and scenes of physicians treating patients. The woodcuts of plants from the Kleines Destillierbuch were not used in this edition. Ahumada 26 (this copy); NLM/Durling 748; Stillwell Science 828. Provenance : Erased inscription on A2r, "Collegii..."---a few early ink "NB"s in margins of quire Z---"Bibliotheca [B?] enipontana", ink stamp on title--Juan Carlos Ahumada, bookplate, ink stamps on A2r and i6r--Anonymous owner (sale, Christie's New York, 29 October 1992, lot 42).