(AUCTION CATALOGUE: PINELLI, Maffeo).

Bibliotheca Pinelliana. A Catalogue of the Magnificent and Celebrated Library of Maffei Pinelli, Late of Venice, comprehending an unparalleled Collection of the Greek, Roman, and Italian Authors, from the Origin of Printing: With many of the Earliest Editions printed upon Vellum, and finely illuminated; a considerable Number of curious Greek and Latin Manuscripts of the XI. XII. XIII. XIV, XV. and XVI. Centuries...

the whole Library…will be Sold by Auction, on Monday March 2, 1789, and the Twenty-two following Days… xxviii, 538 pp.; viii, 97 (i.e. 76) pp. Two parts in one vol. 8vo, antique speckled half-calf & marbled boards, flat spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. London: Robson, Clarke, & Edwards, 1789. An unusual copy, with the very rare “Appendix,” of this celebrated sale which marks the beginning of London as an international book auction market center. Our copy has been priced throughout in a contemporary hand, oftentimes with buyers’ name, and contains the very rare “Appendix” containing a further 1919 lots which were sold in February and March of 1790. According to the distinguished bookseller/collector Bernard Breslauer, he had seen only one copy — his own — with the “Appendix” and with all the prices realized. He waited many years for such a copy. In 1788, the London booksellers James Edwards (1757-1816), and James Robson (1733-1806), bought in Venice for 6000 pounds the celebrated Pinelli library of which the excellent inventory catalogue by the custodian of the Bibliotheca Marciana, Jacopo Morelli, had appeared the previous year. They put it up for sale by means of the above catalogue, a shortened translation and adaptation of Morelli’s, by Samuel Paterson (1728-1802), another London bookseller and auctioneer. Although it was not a great success financially, the sale, which brought in 8,637 pounds 10s, was the first auction of foreign books on a large scale to be held in London and put that city on the map as an international center for book auctions. The number of lots exceed the number of works listed by Morelli by almost 300. In addition, Edwards and his colleagues issued an “Appendix” to the Bibliotheca Pinelliana. While it is quite possible that Morelli’s inventory catalogue did not include 300 works, it is highly unlikely that a further 1919 titles were omitted by him. We can only conclude that these books had been acquired from other sources and were thrown onto the market under the glamorous name of Pinelli. Very good copy. 12,859 plus 1919 lots. ❧ De Ricci, p. 89. Peignot, p. 118n. Pollard & Ehrman, p. 204 & no. 260. Taylor, Book Catalogues, p. 256.

• USD 3,500.00 > Andere Währungen
• Bestellnummer: HillBibl-2091

• Antiquariat: Jonathan A. Hill, Bookseller, Inc. (USA)