Mattioli - Opera Omnia - 1598

Mattioli Pietro Andrea

The complete collection of all works by MATTioli, kept in his precious contemporaneous leather binding in hogskin.

FIRST complete edition of the botanical and medical work by Pietro Andrea Mattioli.
ADAMS M 906
NISSEN BBI 1309
PRITZEL 5984

This monumental folio work includes the famous Commentaries on Dioscorides, and is enriched by about 2000 wood engravings of plants, animals, instruments, alembics, etc. It is also adorned with numerous very interesting contemporaneous marginal notes in the text.

The text is edited by the Swiss botanist Gaspard Bauhin (1560/1624), with the work substantially expanded by his comments and additions.

In addition to the botanical text, there is also a treatise on distillation, as well as the “Apologia adversus Amathum Lusitanum,” the “Epistola medicinalia,” and the “Dialogus de morbo gallica.”

This edition belongs to variant B, indicated by SBN, in which the 2*6 (index) sheet is white. In this copy it was erroneously inserted immediately after the title page.

Splendid and intact contemporaneous full leather binding in hogskin, bearing large rhombi and multiple frames on the boards, with at the center and on all four sides evocative portraits (see photo), all tooled in blind.
Sturdy six-nerved spine, with manuscript title and author at the upper end.
Slight, imperceptible and professional marginal restorations.

Generally well-preserved leaves, with uniform browning but not troublesome, with the text and the over 2000 woodcuts regularly readable.
Beautiful title-page within an elaborate figured frame, extremely rich and detailed.
Ex libris handwritten of the book-collector belonging to the title page.
Numerous very interesting contemporaneous marginal notes adorn the text.
Another title-page, with the “Apologia” on sheet 2A1.
Small and light sporadic spots.
Final leaves of the work slightly trimmed but still original and NOT from another copy.
Old handwritten librarian’s ex libris on the recto of the front endleaf.
Endpapers ancient but not contemporary.

Excellent copy, complete and original in every part.
COLLATED. COMPLETE
Shipment weight 7 kg