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an image of a drawing of a kitchen with people cookingan open book with a picture of a man and a woman in a kitchenan old book sitting on top of a table next to a white wall
Maître Paul PASTAUD

110 - APICIUS. Ten Books by Apicius Caelius on Ingredients and Con…
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Estimate €180 - €200
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Description
APICIUS. Ten Books by Apicius Caelius on Ingredients and Condiments, or the Art of Cooking. With annotations by Martin Lister, from the household of Her Most Serene Majesty Queen Anne, and with selected notes and various complete readings by Humelberg, Barth, Reinesius, A. Van der Linden, and others [...] Amsterdam, Jansson-Waesberg, 1709. In-8 with an engraved frontispiece, [19] ff. (the last blank), 277–[43] pp. Later ivory vellum, traces of a handwritten title on the spine. Paper yellowed, even slightly browned in places. The frontispiece, drawn and engraved by J. Goeree, depicts the interior of an ancient kitchen. The 17 preliminary leaves include the dedication by Theod. Jaus. Almeloveen to Marin Lister, Martin Lister’s preface to the reader, and the reviews and testimonies concerning Apicius. The final pages contain the ‘Variæ lectiones’ and the index. A rare second edition, following the no less rare original London edition printed in a run of 220 copies, featuring the commentaries of Martin Lister (1638–1712), a British physician and naturalist, and physician to Queen Anne of Denmark, Queen of Scotland and England by her marriage to James VI/I. Attributed to the famous 1st-century Roman gastronome Marcus Gavius Apicius, *De Re coquinaria* is the oldest surviving cookbook from antiquity. Almost certainly written at the end of the 4th century and preserved in a few Carolingian manuscripts, it brings together nearly 450 recipes from Roman cuisine, bearing witness to the gastronomic refinement, culinary techniques and dietary customs of the Empire. Its rediscovery during the Renaissance made it one of the seminal texts in the history of Western gastronomy. Many recipes involve preparations made in lead vessels or grape syrups concentrated in contact with this metal, now recognised as a major source of lead poisoning amongst the Roman elite. “This edition is highly regarded: it may be included in the ‘Variorum’ collection. According to Mr Graesse, in *Trésor des livres rares et précieux*, only 100 copies were printed. However, this does not appear to be entirely certain.” (Vicaire, *Gastr.* 32.) Ex-libris: Valperga di Masino and di Caluso.
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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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