Aristotele - De Sensu, Memoria, Somniis, Generatione Animalium & De Plantis – Venezia - 1572

ARISTOTLE – NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, ZOOLOGY & BOTANY

Venice, Ad signum Seminantis, 1572

Twelve Aristotelian treatises in an elegant miniature-sized 16th-century Venetian edition. Complete copy with distinguished provenance from the library of Marquis Francesco Carandini.
A fascinating Renaissance volume bringing together twelve treatises from the Aristotelian tradition, exploring the fundamental mysteries of nature and living beings.
From sensory perception and memory to dreams and their interpretation, from animal reproduction to longevity, respiration and the nature of plants, this remarkable collection offers a compelling insight into the foundations of Western natural philosophy.

The volume constitutes Part Six of the Aristotelian works published in Venice under the imprint Ad signum Seminantis.

Twelve treatises in one volume

The collection includes:

De sensu et sensibilibus – On Sense and Sensible Objects.
De memoria et reminiscentia – On Memory and Recollection.
De somno et vigilia – On Sleep and Waking.
De somniis – On Dreams.
De divinatione per somnium – On Divination through Dreams.
De motu animalium – On the Movement of Animals.
De generatione animalium – On the Generation of Animals.
De longitudine et brevitate vitae – On Length and Shortness of Life.
De iuventute et senectute, vita et morte et respiratione – On Youth, Old Age, Life, Death and Respiration.
De sanitate et morbo – On Health and Disease.
Physiognomica – On Physiognomy.
De plantis – On Plants.

Several treatises belong to the traditional pseudo-Aristotelian corpus, historically transmitted alongside Aristotle's authentic writings.

Distinguished provenance – The Carandini Library

An especially attractive feature of this copy is its illustrated bookplate belonging to Francesco Carandini (1858–1946), Marquis of Sarzano, Italian historian, scholar and artist, member of a distinguished noble family.
The finely detailed illustration depicts the historic Rocca di Sarzano, formerly owned by the Carandini family, with a flag displaying the family's heraldic insignia.
The bookplate bears the inscription “Ex Libris Franc. Carandini” and is additionally inscribed “Rocca di Sarzano” and signed “F. Carandini” along its lower margin.
The design can therefore plausibly be attributed to the Marquis himself, who was known for his artistic work and bookplate designs.

An appealing example of documented noble provenance, adding a distinctive historical and personal association to this Renaissance volume.

Collation – Complete copy

200 leaves – 399 numbered pages, with the final verso blank.

Carefully collated gathering by gathering, with regular gatherings of eight leaves, from the original title page to the final gathering Bb.

All twelve treatises are present, with no missing leaves detected.

The text concludes correctly on page 399 with the words Librorum de Plantis Finis. The verso of the final leaf is blank.

Printed in Latin, with attractive Renaissance typography, decorative woodcut initials and occasional geometrical figures in the text.

Binding and condition

Elegant later half-brown-leather binding with leather corners, marbled paper boards and a gilt-decorated spine with four raised bands, title lettering and elegant floral ornaments.

The binding is decorative and generally well preserved, with normal signs of age and handling.

The interior shows age-related toning, occasional staining and waterstains affecting some leaves, especially the title page. A few old pen marks are also present.

The text remains generally crisp and clearly legible.

Dimensions: 12 × 8 cm (4.7 × 3.1 inches).

A charming small-format Renaissance volume combining a complete 1572 Venetian edition, important texts on the natural world and a distinguished Italian noble provenance.

The photographs form an integral part of the description and accurately document the condition of the copy.