Herbarius latinus

Chancery 4to (209 x 140mm.), 172 leaves [a⁴ b-y⁸], blank leaf after [a]4 conjoint with front pastedown, 32-33 lines, gothic type, xylographic title with manuscript title added, 150 woodcut illustrations of plants (a couple with early green colouring), red initial-strokes, paraphs and underlining, a few early annotations, contemporary German blind-stamped pigskin over wooden boards with unicorn and eagle tools, single clasp, manuscript fragments used as sewing guards, traces of blue edges, in modern morocco-backed folding box, occasional wormholes, f. xciii torn without loss but affecting text, a few small stains, upper cover with closed cut, lacking half of strap, upper joint cracked at head

Stanislaus Bock, cooperator [of Brieg, i.e. Brzeg, Silesia?], early inscription on inside front cover; German library stamp on [a]2 (partly erased); Juan Carlos Ahumada, Buenos Aires, bookplate, sale, Christie's New York, 29 October 1992, lot 24

Goff H63; H 8448=8443; GW 12269; BSB-Ink H99; Klebs 506.2. There are no copies recorded outside Germany, the US and Switzerland.

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A RARE EARLY HERBAL. The woodcuts were closely based on those in Peter Schoeffer's Latin herbal of 1484, which was the first herbal printed in Germany. These early herbals became the model for subsequent herbals in the later fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The manuscript title "Aggregator practicus de simplicibus seu..." has been added above the xylographic title "Herbarius".

While the eagle stamp has not been found in Einbanddatenbank, the bookbinder Johannes Grieme of Breslau used similar outline tools of birds, and the early provenance would seem to confirm that the book could well have been in eastern Europe soon after publication.