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an old book with a black cover and gold lettering on itan open book with a drawing of a group of people on itan open book with a drawing of a man and a woman on itan open book with a picture of a man and a woman on itan old book with a green cover and a black bindingan old book sitting on top of a white table next to a black bookan old book sitting on top of a white table next to a black booka picture of a sign on a wall with a coin in the backgrounda close up of a pencil on a white surface next to a wallan old book with a drawing of a man and a woman on itsomeone is holding a book open to a page of textan open book with a drawing of a man sitting in a chaira person holding a book open to a page with a drawing on itan open book with a drawing of a man and woman on itan open book with a drawing of a man and a woman on itan open book with a picture of a man and a woman on itan open book with a drawing of a man and a woman on itan open book with a picture of a man and a woman on itsomeone is holding a book open to a page with a picture on itsomeone is holding a book open to a page with an image of a group of people on itan open book with a drawing of a man on itan open book with a picture of a man and a woman on itan open book with a drawing of a man holding a swordan open book with a drawing of a man and a woman on it
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206 - THE SEVEN WISE MEN OF ROMME. No place, no date [in the colop…
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Estimate €20,000 - €25,000
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Description
THE SEVEN WISE MEN OF ROMME. No place, no date [in the colophon]: Paris, Michel le Noir, undated [1505–1515]. Small Gothic quarto, dark green morocco, blind-stamped fillet, ribbed spine with gold lettering, gilt head, untrimmed, slipcase (Sangorski & Sutcliffe, London). An extremely rare Gothic edition, illustrated with 42 woodcuts, including a full-page woodcut on the title page. It is not listed at all in the electronic database *The Seven Sages of Rome*, despite the fact that this database is exclusively dedicated to the study of this book and catalogues its editions and manuscripts. Only one copy of this edition is known to exist in public collections, held at the Mazarine Library (this copy forms part of a collection bound by Niédrée) (see WorldCat and CCFr). This prose novel has its origins in the Book of Sindibad, a vast, multi-layered narrative of Indian or Persian origin, likely written in Sanskrit, then translated into Persian and Arabic (8th century) before spreading throughout medieval Europe. The popularity of this book is on a par with that of the Fables of Bidpai. Each in turn recounting a story in which the treachery and malice of women are demonstrated, the Seven Sages of Rome, to whom Emperor Poncianus had entrusted the education of his son Diocletian, succeed in saving the life of the prince, who had been accused by the Empress, his stepmother, of attempting to tarnish her honour (Brunschwig auction catalogue). The work was first printed in Cologne shortly before 1475 under the title *Historia septem sapientium Rome*; the first French edition dates from Geneva (1492) according to Bechtel, except for the Seven Sages and GW databases, which attribute the first edition to the Parisian edition by Pierre Le Rouge, whose publication date, as indicated by Bechtel (1500–1510), has been revised to an earlier date, no later than 1489. A very fine copy, the only one cited by Bechtel (S-17). From the libraries of Edmée Maus and Gianni de Marco. Restoration in the lower margin of folio E4 and along the edge of folio K8. A few slight fox-spots and faint marginal water stains. Expert: Mr Dominique Courvoisier
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About the sale TREASURES OF THE LOIRE VALLEY: books and archaeology
Auction location
Auction time 11/23/2026 at 2:00 PM
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