Librorum Philosophi-Corum Volumen I
Strasbourg, France: Josias Rihel (Printer), 1574. 8vo. Very Good. Item #19263
A gorgeous 1574 edition of Cicero in an elaborately detailed 1598 vellum binding.
With "corrections" by the 16th-century German educator and Protestant reformer Johannes Sturm, this offering constitutes volume I only of an original two-volume set.
Rihel (1525-1597) operated a print shop in Strasbourg, France (then the Holy Roman Empire), where he operated in the second half of the 16th century. Following the humanist tradition of his family, his print shop was strategically positioned near the famous Gymnasium (now known as the Jean Sturm Gymnasium).The Rihel family ran a highly successful publishing and printing business, with Josias continuing the legacy and taking over his father Wendelin's press. Over his career, Rihel established multiple printing presses throughout the city to produce over 170 humanist, classical, and scientific works
252pp plus index. Square tight binding. Generally clean interior. Very sporadic marginalia throughout text, some in ancient ink, other in pencil. Front and rear pastedowns with more detailed notes, also in pencil and contemporary ink. No endpapers. Last page of text with a half-inch clipping removed from the fore edge. Binding with rubbing, light soiling and some loss at the corners, which are a bit curled. Rear board upper fore edge corner with a mild defect (See pics). "Vol I" handwritten on spine, again in ancient ink.
Overall, a quite handsome early edition of Cicero, printed in 16th-Century France.
Price: $750.00