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an old drawing of a man standing next to a clockan old book with a drawing of people working in a brick ovenan old book sitting on top of a white table next to a white wallan old book with a drawing of a man sitting on a bench
Premium Maître Paul PASTAUD

27 - AGRICOLA (Georg Bauer, known as Georgius).
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Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
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Description
AGRICOLA (Georg Bauer, known as Georgius). *De Re Metallica*. Twelve books. [...] Basel, published and printed using copperplate engravings by King Louis, 1621. Folio, [10]–502 pp. (poorly numbered to 538)–[58], 1 fold-out plate (with a tear), havana calfskin, ribbed spine, title page, gilt fillet framing the covers (contemporary binding). Binding badly damaged, with losses to the cap and corners. The flyleaf, title page and page a2 (epistle) are gnawed with loss of text. Numerous foxing spots or browning, sometimes very pronounced. Ex-libris of Paul Chapuy, mining engineer. Third Latin edition of this essential Renaissance work devoted to mining, metallurgy and the Earth sciences. Regarded as the first major treatise on mining sciences, it remained the definitive reference in these fields for over two centuries (as evidenced, moreover, by its final mark of provenance). Published after the original edition of 1556, this final Latin edition reproduces the famous illustrations from the 1556 and 1561 editions, namely a collection of 270 woodcuts within the text, most of which are half-page or full-page, as well as a double-folded plate (here torn and half missing, as is often the case). Based on models by Basilius Wefring and his colleagues at Joachimsthal, they are largely attributed to Hans Rudolf Manuel Deutsch (1525–1571). Remarkable for their technical precision and clarity, they constitute an essential iconographic source on 16th-century mining and metallurgical processes. In it, Agricola (1494–1555) describes with great precision the techniques for extracting and processing ores, as well as the advances of his time in mechanics, hydraulics, transport and furnace systems. Several books also address more specific topics, such as animals living underground or miners’ illnesses. Finally, this edition is distinguished by the inclusion, for the first time, of six further treatises by the author, including his first text devoted to physics and a treatise on mineralogy.
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About the sale MONTIGNAC – 31st BOOK SALE – Day 1 of 4 – Nos. 1 to 549
Auction location
Auction time 08/19/2026 at 11:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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