Bidspirit auction | [HISTORY] - Hieronymus Sophronius Eusebius

[HISTORY] - Hieronymus Sophronius Eusebius (IV-V century) - 1470. The Pioneers Of The Art Of Printing In Italy. The Monumental Edition Of Saint Jerome’s Epistles - Epistolae. Rome: Sweynheym and Pan-nartz, [not after August, 30] 1470. 2 folio volumes (different sizes).Romantic binding in violet blind-tooled calf with gilt decorations and gilt-lettered title and date at spine («Roma Pannarts 1468»), ff. [286], nine preliminary leaves (Intro and Tabula) missing ab origine, 4 inner leaves and the three blanks; contemporary full calf binding with blind-tooled frames and geometric decorations to both covers, four raised bands spine, a single stud preserved to back board, ff. [336, leaf 9 blank]. The volumes are preserved in a blue morocco case. Text in Latin, some words in Greek. Roman type 2:115R, Greek type 3:116Gr, 45-46 lines. Two large illuminated initials in colors and burnished gold with extensions at the first volume: entirely rubricated in red and blue, with infills. Rare illuminated set of the monumental edition of St. Jerome’s letters, one of the best products by the pioneers of Italian typography. Sweynheym and Pannartz printed this work for the first time in 1468; in spite of the indication 1468 at spine, this is the edition of 1470: the incipit with the Expositio Symboli Ruffini (f.12r) belongs for sure to the second edition. Condition: The first leaves of the second volume slightly worn at outer margin; a waterstain interesting the majority of the leaves at lower blank margin of the first volume, without affecting the text. Otherwise a fascinating set. Provenance: I. The first volume belonged to Cesare Alfieri, who received it as a gift from a Turkish diplomat, according to the inscription Al molto onorando Cesare Alfieri Torino, 20 ottobre 1856. Bookplate with Alfieri’s coat of arms at pastedown: the book was recorded in the Biblioteca Alfieriana with the number E 1375. Cesare Alfieri da Sostegno (Turin, 1799-Florence 1869), Italian diplomat and cousin of the poet Vittorio Alfieri, was First Squire of Charles Albert of Savoy, prince of Carignano. He was one of the authors of the first Italian Constitution, the Statuto Albertino, and president of the Senate of the Reign of Sardinia from 1855 to 1860. The faculty of Political Studies in the University of Florence has been dedicated to him. II. Ex-libris Froissart, representing a stylized Poitiers battle, on first pastedown. III. At the second volume, Ex Libris Giuseppe Turrini. Giuseppe Turrini (1826-1899), was an Italian patriot and scholar of Sanskrit and Indo-European Philology at the University of Bologna. Another ownership label to the same pastedown, with a crown and a geometric interwoven symbol. IV. Inscription by an ancient hand, at last fly-leaf: Questo libro è dellj eredi del (?) Luigi Altoniti | Questo di et anno suo 10 Agosto 1602 («This book belongs to the heirs of Luigi Altoniti. This day and year 10 August 1602»). References: HC 8552*; IGI, 4736; Goff H164; BMC IV-10; Bod-inc H-084; GW 12423; BSB-Ink H-245; CIBN H-97; Aquilon 359; Péligry 427; Delisle 940; Badalic (Croatia) 534; Günt (L) 2526; Polain, (B) 4433; IBE, 3159; Pellechet, Ms 5978 (5966); Voulliéme (B) 3314; Sheppard 2620; Proctor 3312. ISTC ih00164000. •⁠> This lot is located in and ships from Italy. An Italian export license is required prior to shipment, which may cause delays. The Auction House will take care of the export license at no cost to the buyer. Import duties and taxes in the destination country are the buyer's responsibility.