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3 - CURZIO (Lancino). Lancini Curtii Epigrammaton libri decem.
See original version (French)

Estimate €600 - €800
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Description
CURZIO (Lancino). Lancini Curtii Epigrammaton libri decem. Decados secundae. Milan, Philippe Foyot (printed by Rocco & Ambrosio da Valle), 1521. Large 8vo, [16]-146 ff., the title page adorned with a beautiful, large woodcut depicting Fama, the goddess of fame, depicted as a winged woman, her body covered with eyes, ears and tongues, holding a torch in one hand and a whip in the other. An antique binding (though dating from after the publication) in reverse-grain leather, with a plain ribbed spine. Stains and losses to the leather. First edition of the second decade alone of Curtius’s epigrams, published posthumously by his nephew Gaspare della Chiesa. (The first decade published in the same edition comprises [18]-161-[1] ff.) Curti’s work is one of the principal sources for understanding cultural life in Milan in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. It provides valuable documentation on significant events, such as the court of Lodovico il Moro, the French occupation of Milan in 1499, Lodovico’s exile, the expulsion of the French by the Swiss, the accession to power of Massimiliano, Ludovico’s son, and finally his deposition in 1512, when the French recaptured the city. His love poems are also remarkable for their innovative forms, as Curti explored new metres and rhymes, whilst introducing acrostics and palindromes. He is best remembered for his ability to blend romanticism and heroism, whilst providing a chronicle of his era that was both original and useful to scholars of his time. Furthermore, his epigram is famous for its verses evoking Sodom and the risqué language he uses to describe ‘a very ordinary pleasure’; Brunet expresses surprise that such a ‘collection of nonsense’ was awarded in 1683 as a prize to a pupil at the Collège des Grassins in Paris. Extensive light water stains running down the spine throughout the volume. A few old marginal notes. (Brunet, II, p. 453.)
See original version (French)
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About the sale Bibliophilia (sale without a live event)
Auction location
Auction time 09/09/2026 at 1:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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