Lot 686
O. Magnus, Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus. Rom 1555.
Estimate
€ 4.000
Starting Price
€ 3.000
Lot:
686
Category:
Old prints up to 1600
Artist:
Olaus Magnus
Olaus Magnus: Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus. Rom: Giovanni Maria Viotto 1555. 27,5 x 20,6 cm. With one full-page wood cut map, approx. 470 partly full-paged woodcuts illustrations, 2 full-page printer’s marks and numerous woodcut initials. 42 leaves, 815 pages. Mod. Parchment, using all cover and spine covers with handwritten spine title.
(Title page with a filled-in tear and handwritten ownership notes. The first section has closed tears in the paper and words missing from the top margin. A few leaves have minor paper damage, such as defects in the corners and margins. Slight water-staining throughout the top margin. Sheet N⁶ has a repaired tear in the bottom margin; sheets S³ and YY⁶ have tears in the outer margins. There are wormholes in the lower spine. The map has been trimmed at the bottom margin right down to the plate edge. Overall, a carefully restored and presumably washed copy.)
Adams M 140. Alden/Landis 555/37. Brunet III, 1302. Mortimer 270. Sabin 43830. Edit 16 CNCE 39066. - The first edition of this important, richly illustrated reference work on the history of the Scandinavian countries, the polar regions and Russia; featuring articles on hunting, fishing, crafts, folklore and much more. Olaus Magnus (1490–1557), the last Catholic Archbishop of Uppsala, painted a comprehensive picture of the Nordic countries, their inhabitants, customs, traditions, economic systems, wildlife and natural phenomena in his magnum opus, which he wrote whilst in exile in Rome. - ‘[The illustrations] designed for Olaus’s text cover an amazing range of subjects – geography and climate (including city views and illustrations of snow crystals), local customs, occupations (including painting and coinage), methods of warfare, animals and fish’ (Mortimer). - “This work long remained the principal authority on Swedish matters for the rest of Europe, and is still a valuable repository of much curious information regarding Scandinavian customs and folklore (Cox I, 177)”. - “The finest and most highly regarded edition” (Brunet).
(Title page with a filled-in tear and handwritten ownership notes. The first section has closed tears in the paper and words missing from the top margin. A few leaves have minor paper damage, such as defects in the corners and margins. Slight water-staining throughout the top margin. Sheet N⁶ has a repaired tear in the bottom margin; sheets S³ and YY⁶ have tears in the outer margins. There are wormholes in the lower spine. The map has been trimmed at the bottom margin right down to the plate edge. Overall, a carefully restored and presumably washed copy.)
Adams M 140. Alden/Landis 555/37. Brunet III, 1302. Mortimer 270. Sabin 43830. Edit 16 CNCE 39066. - The first edition of this important, richly illustrated reference work on the history of the Scandinavian countries, the polar regions and Russia; featuring articles on hunting, fishing, crafts, folklore and much more. Olaus Magnus (1490–1557), the last Catholic Archbishop of Uppsala, painted a comprehensive picture of the Nordic countries, their inhabitants, customs, traditions, economic systems, wildlife and natural phenomena in his magnum opus, which he wrote whilst in exile in Rome. - ‘[The illustrations] designed for Olaus’s text cover an amazing range of subjects – geography and climate (including city views and illustrations of snow crystals), local customs, occupations (including painting and coinage), methods of warfare, animals and fish’ (Mortimer). - “This work long remained the principal authority on Swedish matters for the rest of Europe, and is still a valuable repository of much curious information regarding Scandinavian customs and folklore (Cox I, 177)”. - “The finest and most highly regarded edition” (Brunet).