1555 Aldine Press Venetian Counterfeit Le Pistole Di Cicerone

Description: Aldus Manutius was the patriarch of a family of printers which included his sons and other family members as well as partnerships with several others including Pietro Bembo of the familiar font beloved of book designers for its gracefulness. Aldus also introduced italic type, and produced books in the smaller octavo size intended for portability and ease of reading. After Aldus’ death in 1515, the press was continued by his wife and her father, Andrea Torresani, until his son Paulus took over. His grandson, Aldus Manutius the Younger took over and ran the firm until 1597. As a firm, they were responsible for the introduction of the idea of the “portable book” or “editio minor” which allowed for books to travel with their owners rather than the folio volumes popular at the time which were cumbersome and expensive. The italic typeface was copied extensively and many editions were pirated causing Aldus to use as his publisher’s device the image of a dolphin wrapped around an anchor, taken from an old silver coin with the motto “Festina Lente.”The sincerest form of flattery is often imitation and this counterfeit of Aldus has italicized font, several very nice woodcut Capitals, the anchor and dolphin printer’s mark and claims of publication in Venice. The original Aldus Manutius was infuriated by these copies of his work, and went to great lengths to expose the various ways that these fakes were wrong. This, of course, improved the fakes and put even more of these “pocket books” into the public eye. This copy of Cicero, as translated by a Matteo Senarega, is in excellent condition, very nicely bound in vellum with a leather label on the spine lettered in gilt. There is some very minor foxing and the occasional spot. Inside the front is the bookplate of Sir Henry FitzHerbert Bar’t (1783-1858). There is pencil and ink markings inside the front both over the bookplate and opposite. Several very nice decorated capitals inside depicting scenes from legend including a Leda and the Swan starting book one. The text inside seems Italian rather than Latin. “Le Pistole di Cicerone ad ATtico: Fatte Volgari da M. Matteo Senarega”: In Vinegia, con Privilegio dell’illustrissima Signoria di Vinegia: Venice: ND: 1555RAREE1555HTXA

Price: 2000 USD

Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2023-12-04T20:12:46.000Z

Shipping Cost: 17.1 USD