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an old leather book with a decorative design on the frontan open book with a picture of a man on itan open book with a drawing of a fish on itan open book with a drawing of a jelly on itan open book with a drawing of a tree on itan open book with drawings of fish on it sitting on top of a tablean old leather book sitting on top of a white surfacean old book that is sitting on a white surfacean old leather book sitting on top of a white surfacean old book with a picture of a man on itan open book with a hand holding it in front of a white backgroundan old book with a picture of a man on itan old book with a black and white image of a man ' s facean open book with a page in it sitting on top of a tablea book open on a table with a white backgroundan open book with a drawing of a fish on itan open book with a drawing of a fish on the inside of itan open book with a drawing of fish on itan open book with a fish on it sitting on top of a tablean open book with a drawing of a fish on the inside of itan open book with a drawing of a fish on itan open book with a drawing of a fish on the inside of ita book with a fish on it sitting on a tablean open book with a snake on it sitting on top of a tablean open book on a table with a drawing of a bird on itan open book with a drawing of a human heart on itan open book on a table with a drawing of a knife and a bookmarkan open book with a drawing of a shell on itan open book on a white table with a drawing of a vasean open book with drawings of fish on it sitting on a tablean open book with drawings of fish on it sitting on a tablean old open book with a lot of writing on itan old leather book with a decorative design on the cover
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212 - RONDELET (Guillaume). *Libri de piscibus marinis*.
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Estimate €5,000 - €6,000
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Description
RONDELET (Guillaume). *Libri de piscibus marinis*. — *Universae aquatilium historiae pars altera*. Lyon, Matthieu Bonhomme, 1554–1555. 2 parts in one folio volume, brown calfskin with blind-stamped decoration of fillets and scrolls (one of which is adorned with four small medallion portraits), coat of arms and crowned monogram repeated in blind embossing, coat of arms and book title in ink within a Renaissance cartouche on the side edge (contemporary binding). First edition of this important Renaissance work on ichthyology compiled by the naturalist Guillaume Rondelet (1507–1566). Beautiful and abundant woodcut illustrations throughout the text, comprising 439 figures of fish, shells, crustaceans and other aquatic or amphibious animals, the execution of which is attributed to the Lyon-based engraver Georges Reverdy. A fine portrait of the author, drawn by Pierre Vase after Baudrier, appears on the reverse of the final preliminary leaves of each of the two parts. (Baudrier, vol. X, pp. 239–240; Brun, p. 284.) Rondelet taught at the Faculty of Medicine in Montpellier and, on several occasions, accompanied Cardinal de Tournon as his physician during his diplomatic missions. His friend Rabelais, Pierre Belon and Conrad Gesner were among his students. His book on ichthyology is notable for the wealth of its documentation, the precision of its descriptions and its illustrations. The work served as a reference for generations of naturalists such as John Ray and Linnaeus. Rondelet’s observations on the fish of the Mediterranean were not superseded until much later by the work of Antoine Risso of Nice in 1810 (Valérie Chansigaud, *Histoire de l’illustration naturaliste*, 2009, p. 30). A copy bearing unidentified coats of arms. Note on the edge of the volume a pen-and-ink decoration featuring the coat of arms at the top, with the title in a Renaissance-style cartouche in the centre, and the date of publication at the bottom. Waterstains and browned leaves. A tear with no loss on leaf Kk2; a small tear in the paper on leaf l4 of the second part, with some letters in the text overlapping (p. 87). Two title leaves are out of order in the second volume, and a small engraved seashell is glued onto p. 104. Binding restored (caps, hinges and corners). 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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