Search Results: 16th Century Rare Book from Katz Fine Manuscripts Inc.

LOMBARDY ITALY. Good+. 1525. Original Vellum. On offer is an ancient, very charming and even beautiful, manuscript relic of early civil law and legal procedure, bound in vellum, being the "Corpus Iuris Civilis of Justinian", the Digesta [Digests or Pandects] Books 1 through 38 in condensed form. [All titular headings from 1.1.0 through 38.17.0 with each followed by an abbreviated explanation of the premise. In some instances may also have portions of subsections such as 1.5.6. The text does not contain the elaborations of Ulpianus, Pomponius, Florentinus or their like.] Justinian the Great "Justice is the constant and perpetual wish to render to everyone his due" was the Roman Emperor of Byzantine Constantinople from 527 to 565. He was the last Roman Emperor to speak Latin as his first language. He tried to revive the greatness of the empire by reconquering the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire, achieving only partial success in this, although he did… Read More

Good+. 1544. Full-Leather. On offer is a superb ancient book VIA CRUCIS [Way of the Cross; Twelve Stations of the Cross]. "Domini Redemptoris ac Salvatoris Nostri Jesu Christim." Twenty-nine [29] printed pages detail the 12 stations of the Cross in the Cruxifiction of Jesus. Pagination begins at page 3 through page 32. Original binding, 4 bands, 5 compartments and while the original title page has been removed there are four [4] manuscript pages including a simple but beautifully handwritten new title page with the word Via rubricated leading to the Oratio. There are seven [7] pages in more lovely calligraphy at the end titled "Officium S. Spiitus". Followed by a number of blank pages. Seems like an ideal book for a pilgrim to record his own journey to the Holy Land. Handwritten is an 'ex libris' noting Ferdinandi de Graes [?] as the owner. The full leather binding is well attached, no cracks, but some small worm holes in the endpaper. Old pencil note dates… Read More

STRASSBURG STRASSBOURG FRANCE: Joanne Gzieninger. Very Good. 1524. Decorative Cloth. Printed 1524, ORIGINAL CLASSIC TREATISE OF COCLES ON MEDICINE, PHYSIOGNOMY AND PALM READING (Chiromancy) EXCEEDINGLY RARE EDITION. Not in the American Auction Records for 30 years! FILLED WITH WOODCUTS OF FACES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS AS WELL AS CLEARLY MARKED PALMS WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR READING (approx 80 full page woodcuts of Palms alone!) An extremely rare an important edition of which I cannot readily trace other copies. Thorndike, in his classic 'History of Experimental Magic" pg 64. states the First Italian edition was printed in 1525 and a German edition at Strassburg in 1530. The book here is not recorded by him and predates that German edition by six years. The Book: Cocliti, B. Ein kurtzer bericht der gantzen Phiionomey und Ciromancy. Strassburg, 1524. small 8vo, mottled boards, internally very clean copy, handsome woodcuts throughout and fine dark impression, last leaf in facsimile.… Read More

VENICE, ITALY: Francesco Rampazetum. Very Good with no dust jacket. 1559. Half-Leather. L. FLORI De Gestis Romanorum apud Francesco Rampazetum VENICE 1559. Old Latin book by Lucius Annaeus Florus on Roman history printed in Venice in 1559. Pages number: 63 + 212 leaves (424 pages) + 7. Half calf binding with label on spine. VERY FRESH AND CLEAN COPY. Page 89 missing where the seam is coming loose. Size: 4.00 in. x 3.00 in. ; Latin; 32mo - over 4" - 5" tall; Ancient History, Greek, Greece, Roman, Italian, Rome .

Italy: Gabriel Giolito de' Ferrari. Very Good with no dust jacket. 1564. Half-Leather. POLIBIO HISTORICO GRECO Vinegia - 1564 "The Histories" by the Greek historian Polybius in 17 books, translated into Italian by Lodovico Domenichi. Printed in 1564 by Gabriel Giolito de' Ferrari. PLEASE NOTE: The frontispiece is NOT the original. It is a photocopy done on antique paper.Pages number: reproduction frontispiece + 22 + 546 + registro Half calf binding. Very clean pages. First 8 pages have been reinforced.Size: 8.50 in. x 6.50 in.; Italian Language; 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall; Ancient History, Greek, Greece, Rome, Roman .

LUGDUNI. Very Good+ with no dust jacket. 1575. Half-Leather. ROYAL FOLIO. PRINTED 1575. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HEBREW GRAMMARS EVER COMPILED AND AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE TRANSLATORS OF THE KING JAMES BIBLEFrom the esteemed 18th century library of Thomas Peckitt, himself the author of Hebrew Grammar and other theological works, with his fine bookplate and signature. It should be noted that this is a very important volume in the Biblical Studies; The Trinitarian Bible Society in their April - June 1979 Quarterly Record cites this volume as being at the disposal of the translators for the KING JAMES BIBLE. The Book: Pagninus, "Thesaurus Linguæ Sanctæ", Lugduni, 1575. Large Folio Orginal soft calf with blindstamping, sympathetically rebacked, internally clean. From the famed library of Henry Peckitt, well known 18th century scriptural scholar with his siganture and handsome bookplate. Pagninus was perhaps the greatest of Christian Lexicographers and whose work was… Read More

SEGOVIA SALAMANCA SPAIN ESPANA. Very Good. 1599. On offer is a superb late 16th early 17th Century manuscript book in two volumes being the transcribed works of John of Segovia the influential Catholic Theologian who was a professor at the Spanish University of Salamanca, represented Castille at the Council of Basel, and represented the council in the 1439 Diet of Mainz. He played a large role in the removal of Pope Eugene IV and the placement of Antipope Felix V. Volume One: "Tractatus de Deo" a 333 page work in a fine hand though not necessarily the work of a scrivener, the endpapers featuring heraldic and maybe royal watermarks [each is topped with a crown very similar to a Spanish heraldic crown of higher nobility. There seems to be the use of quartering and a pallet like central division. Pictured within the escutcheon are castles, lions, fleur de lis like symbols, likely eagles, a cross, three horizontal circles, with the use of borders and orles, without the use of… Read More