Francesco Redi - Animali Viventi che si trovano negli Animali Viventi - 1684

FIRST EDITION – AUTHOR’S PRESENTATION COPY
LE ORIGINI DELLA PARASSITOLOGIA MODERNA – 26 ENGRAVED PLATES
Extraordinary first edition of Observations on the Living Animals Found in Living Animals by Francesco Redi, published in Florence in 1684: one of the foundational works of modern parasitology and helminthology. Redi describes, through direct observation and dissection, about 108 parasitic organisms, documenting them with 26 copperplates. This copy is of particular importance due to its provenance: at the title page there is the ancient inscription, later canceled, “ex libris Ludovici Cini … ex dono Authoris.” Christie’s described this copy as “FIRST EDITION. PRESENTATION COPY,” considering the inscription presumably penned by Redi. The provenance correspondence, binding, and material peculiarities allow identification of this copy with the one already catalogued by Christie’s.

REASONS FOR COLLECTING / WHY TO BUY
AUTHOR’S PRESENTATION COPY – On the title page is the provenance inscription “ex libris Ludovici Cini … ex dono Authoris”; Christie’s catalogued the copy specifically as PRESENTATION COPY and regarded the handwriting as Redi’s.
PROVENANCE CHRISTIE’S – The features of the Christie’s copy match exceptionally precisely: Ludovico Cini, inscription canceled, contemporary parchment, reinforcement on page 69, defects in the plates and trimming of their lower margins.
FIRST EDITION OF 1684 – Original edition of one of the fundamental works in the history of parasitology and helminthology, a decisive testimony to the establishment of the experimental method in the study of parasitic organisms.
26 ENGRAVED PLATES – An exceptional scientific apparatus with 26 copper-engraved plates, two of which are double, depicting worms, parasites and numerous animal species studied by Redi through dissection and direct observation.

MARKET VALUE
The presence of the provenance “ex dono Authoris” places this copy on a clearly higher level than a normal first edition copy. There is also documentation of another presentation copy of the 1684 edition, donated by Redi to Sir Fabbiano Lambardi, confirming the author’s practice of issuing presentation copies.
For this copy, considering the first edition, the contemporary binding, the 26 plates, and especially the Christie’s provenance and the author’s gift inscription, a indicative commercial value of €2,500–3,500 is proposed, with potential for a higher position among collectors specialized in the history of medicine and science.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
In-4° (239 × 177 mm), pp. (8), 253; 26 copper-engraved plates fully paginated, two of which are double. Contemporary full parchment binding with clasps and a calligraphic title on the spine. Red sprayed edges. Title page printed in red and black with an engraved vignette bearing the emblem of the Accademia della Crusca.
On the title page an ancient provenance note partially canceled: “ex libris Ludovici Cini … ex dono Authoris.” Christie’s described the copy as PRESENTATION COPY, believing the inscription to be by Redi and later canceled. The substantive element “ex dono Authoris” remains clearly legible.
Slight browning and foxing. Ancient marks on the title page and on some plates. Upper margin of page 69 reinforced. Bundle Gg with small woodworm holes affecting some letters. Plates 9 and 13 with small upper margin restorations that do not affect the engraving. Some plates trimmed at the lower margin.
The portrait engraving of Francesco Redi by Justus Sustermans is missing, present only in some copies of the edition and therefore not necessary for ordinary bibliographic completeness of the work.
Overall an important copy in contemporary binding, of particular interest for provenance and for identification as a presentation copy from the author.
This listing contains AI Visualizations. Refer to the original photographs to verify the object’s actual condition. The images are an integral part of the description.
In antique books with a centuries-long history, some imperfections may be present, not always evident in the description.

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Francesco Redi. Osservazioni di Francesco Redi Accademico della Crusca intorno agli animali viventi che si trovano negli animali viventi. In Florence, for Piero Matini, under the Lion d’Oro, 1684.
First edition. Title page printed in red and black with an engraved vignette of the Accademia della Crusca.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Observations represent one of the decisive moments in transforming the study of parasites from a set of occasional observations into a discipline founded on anatomical examination and direct experience. Redi conducted extensive and methodical research on parasitic worms of humans and numerous animals, helping to lay the foundations of modern parasitology.
Through dissections and systematic collections, Redi described about 108 parasitic organisms, including leeches, worms, snails and other forms, depicted with notable accuracy in the copper engravings. The work’s importance lies not only in the individual zoological observations but above all in its method: observe, dissect, compare, and document.
The copy also has autonomous historical interest. Ludovico Cini belonged to the famous Florentine patrician Cini family; the inscription “ex dono Authoris” physically places the volume within the personal and cultural networks through which Redi disseminated his works. Another copy of the same edition donated by the author to Sir Fabbiano Lambardi is also documented.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Francesco Redi (Arezzo, 1626 – Pisa, 1697) was a physician, naturalist, literary figure, and one of the leading protagonists of Italian experimental science in the 17th century. After graduating in philosophy and medicine in Pisa in 1647, he became court physician to the Medici and was a member of the Accademia della Crusca and the Accademia del Cimento.
He is famous for his experiments against the theory of spontaneous generation, published in Experiments on the Generation of Insects (1668). With the Observations of 1684, he extended the experimental method to the systematic study of parasites, gaining a fundamental role in the history of parasitology.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
First edition, Florence, Piero Matini, under the Lion d’Oro, 1684. Bibliographic sources record an actual pagination of 243 pages, despite the typographic numbering reaching 253, due to errors in the edition’s numbering.
The iconographic apparatus includes 26 copper-engraved plates, two of them double. The portrait of Redi, often a source of confusion in commercial collations, is present only in some copies and is not a constant element of the edition.
The scientific significance of the work led to its subsequent diffusion in collections of Redi’s works and in European scientific literature.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU / SBN, UFIE001271; USTC, 1750070; WorldCat, OCLC 8705660; Garrison & Morton, 2448.1; Nissen, ZBI, 3323; NLM / Krivatsy, 9458; Norman Library, 1816; Prandi, 26; Wellcome, IV, p. 488; Walleriana, 11939; Cini, Scienziati Aretini, 53; Parenti, p. 426; Poggiali, I, 562; Razzolini-Bacchi della Lega, p. 288; Gamba, 823; Graesse, VI, 3777; Brunet, IV, 1175; Cole, Comparative Anatomy, p. 484; Osler, 81; Capparoni, I, 81; Christie’s, FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY, provenance Ludovici Cini; Gilibert Libreria Antiquaria, copy “ex libris Ludovici Cini … ex dono Authoris”.