LIVIUS, TITUS. - ILLUSTRATED BY JOST AMMON.

Historiae Principis, libri omnes, qvotqvot ad nostram aetatem pervenervnt. Una cvm doctissimorvm virorvm in eos lucvbrationibvs, post omnes aliorum editiones... repraesentibus, exornati... Tomus I (of 2).

Franckfurt, (Corvinus), 1568. Large folio. (38 x 25 cm.). Later hcalf. Covers nearly detached and spine gone. Some old owners signatures on titlepage. The first ab. 50 leaves frayed in lower right corners, likewise some at end. Some quires loosening. In general sewing somewhat loose. Old underlinings in ink and some old annotations in margins. Titlepage with broad pictorial wood-cut border. (32),(2) blank,988,(20 - Register) pp. Profusely illustrated with smaller and larger wood-cut initials, and with more than 100 large, fine wood-cut engravings in the text (each ab. 11x15 cm.) by the well-known renaissance-illustrator Jost Ammon.

With two traceable Danish ownerships (their names on titlepage). Axel Jul (Juul) 1606-1671. Danish numismatist. He acquired the book 1630. - Michael (Mikkel) Hvass from Sjørup or Søgaard( in Jutland 1583 - ca. 1655). Studied at Sorø Academy and the University atLeyden. Author of two works.

"A uncommon and magnificent edition: it has a number of curious wood-cuts, and the typography is exceedingly splendid. The connesseur will discover many singular traits in the engravings - the bustle of a battle and solemnity of a marsh are sometinmes well represented - but he will smile on finding cannons and bombs indtroduced in a Roman siege. The text is printed with frequent contractions, but, from what I have perused, it is not incorrect. The engravings, and general splendour of the volume, will always render it a great acquisition to the library of the curious." (Dibdin II, p. 166).

Jost (Ammon) Amman (1539 - 1591) was a Swiss artist, celebrated chiefly for his woodcuts, done mainly for book illustrations.

"Amman was born in Zurich, the son of a professor of Classics and Logic. He was himself well-educated. Little of his personal history is known beyond the fact that he moved to Nuremberg in 1560, where he continued to reside until his death in March 1591. He worked initially with Virgil Solis, then a leading producer of book illustrations. His productiveness was very remarkable, as may be gathered from the statement of one of his pupils, that the drawings he made during a period of four years would have filled a hay wagon. A large number of his original drawings are in the Berlin print room. About 1,500 prints are attributed to him. He was one of the last major producers of woodcuts for books, as during his career engravings were gradually taking over that role." (Wikipedia).

Adams L 1345.

Order-nr.: 48421