Beschreibung:

Lucanus, Marcus Annaeus and Decimius Magnus Ausonius. Civilis Belli. Venice: Aldo Manuzio, April 1502 [Bound with:] Ausonius, Decimus Magnus. Ausonius. (Venice: Aldo Manuzio & Andrea Torresano, November 1517) A fine contemporary Roman medallion binding. The first Aldine edition of Lucan's Pharsalia, bound with the works of the poet and grammarian Ausonius. 2 works in one volume, 8vo (157 x 96 mm). Italic type, 30 lines plus headline. collation: Lucanus: a-r8 s4: 140 leaves; Ausonius: a-n8 o4; 107 (of 108) leaves. Woodcut Aldine device on title-page of second work. (Light toning and dampstaining, mainly to first work, lacking leaf with woodcut Aldine device at end of second work.) binding: Roman medallion binding in brown morocco (161 x 101 mm), ca. 1520, multiple gilt fillets around sides, inner frame of repeated gilt arabesques flanked by four gilt fillets, gilt fleuron at outer angles, five trefoils in a row at top and bottom of frame, inner frame containing portrait medallion of a man facing right, draped bust with tunic clasped on the right shoulder, round (31mm diameter) on both covers, LVCANVS above medallion on upper cover and AVSONIVS above medallion on lower cover, edges gilt and gauffered. Housed in a blue morocco case. (Rebacked, single worm hole to spine, small patch of loss to rear upper joint, traces of 4 pairs of fabric ties.) provenance: Inscription, “Rome 4°. Calendas Novembris Anno 1520,” on lower endleaf (possibly the purchase date) — later Latin inscription below — inscription on upper endleaf, eight hexameters of Giovanni Sulpizio da Veroli, the “Argumentum in primum (secundum) librum” for Pharsalia (first printed Venice, 1493) — contemporary marginalia throughout — Eugène Wassermann (1870-1925); Georges Vicaire, Les livres composant le cabinet de M. Eugène v. W*** (Brussels 1913), no. 845 — Galerie Georges Giroux & Henri Leclerc with Charles de Samblanx, Brussels, 24 October-5 November 1921, lot 1006 — Meijer Elte, The Hague — E.P. Goldschmidt & Co., London, purchased 9 May 1925 (New York, Grolier Club, E.P. Goldschmidt stockbook, #6852, £12) — E.P. Goldschmidt & Co., Catalogue 4, London 1924, item 126 and Pl. 17 (£27 10s); Catalogue 8, London 1925, item 104 and Pl. XIV; Catalogue 1928, p. 200 no. 91 and Pl. 39 — Arthur Lauria, Paris — Maurice Burrus (1882-1959), bookplate to pastedown dated 1937 — Christie’s Paris, 15 December 2015, lot 127 (€10,000). acquisition: Purchased at Christie's via Robin Halwas. references: Anthony Hobson Humanists and Bookbinders... (Cambridge: 1989), p. 218 (“Census of Plaquette and Medallion bindings,” no. 8d: “Ownership unknown”); Federico & Livio Macchi, Atlante della legatura italiana : Il Rinascimento (XV-XVI secolo) (Milan: 2007), pp. 126-127 Tav. 43 (“Mercato antiquario”); (1) UCLA 56; Renouard 33/3; Aldo Manuzio tipografo 39; Grolier/Aldus 35; Edit16 36129; USTC 762306; (2) UCLA 158; Renouard 80/7; Edit16 3482; USTC 811535