< Back

Last edition of a 16th-century manual on sundials

VIMERCATO, Giovanni Battista.
Dialogo de gli Horologi Solari ... Nel quale con ragioni specolative, e pratiche facilmente s'insegna il modo di fabricar tutte le sorti di horologi. Novamente ristampo con le sue figure ... & con un agiunta di un horologio da servirsene al lume della luna.

With a large woodcut publisher's device on the title-page, 3 large folding woodcut plates, more than 30 woodcuts in the text, nearly all full-page, and numerous woodcut decorations.

With a large woodcut publisher's device on the title-page, 3 large folding woodcut plates, more than 30 woodcuts in the text, nearly all full-page, and numerous woodcut decorations.

With a large woodcut publisher's device on the title-page, 3 large folding woodcut plates, more than 30 woodcuts in the text, nearly all full-page, and numerous woodcut decorations.

With a large woodcut publisher's device on the title-page, 3 large folding woodcut plates, more than 30 woodcuts in the text, nearly all full-page, and numerous woodcut decorations.

With a large woodcut publisher's device on the title-page, 3 large folding woodcut plates, more than 30 woodcuts in the text, nearly all full-page, and numerous woodcut decorations.



Padua, [after the Venice edition by Giolito, 1585], 1672. 4to. 18th-century stiff plain wrappers. With a large woodcut publisher's device on the title-page, 3 large folding woodcut plates, more than 30 woodcuts in the text, nearly all full-page, and numerous woodcut decorations. [27], [1 blank], 79, [1 blank], 89-331 [= 131], [1] pp.

Rare last edition of one of the most popular and best illustrated 16th-century accounts of sundials and their manufacture, with a new chapter describing and illustrating a moondial. After briefly explaining the principles and the various kinds of sundials, it discusses their manufacture. Included are horizontal and wall sundials, and the affect of the location. The last chapter, apparently unique to the present edition, is devoted to the moondial, a sort of nocturnal for telling time at night, but using moonlight rather than the position of the stars. The three large folding plates (about 32 x 38 cm) and the dozens of large woodcuts provide numerous diagrams to aid the reader in both understanding and constructing sundials.

First published in Venice in 1557 as Diologo della Descrittione Theorica et Pratica de gli Horologi Solari , but under the present title from 1565 by Gabriel Giolito there, it went through at least 9 editions in 30 years. After 1587, however, there was no new edition until the present, which is based on Giolito's of 1585. The printer caused much confusion by including the three folding woodcut plates in his series of signatures. The first falls between gatherings K and M and is signed "L," but the pages are numbered as though there were a normal gathering L of 4 leaves, so that numbers 81 to 88 are omitted. The other two plates follow the last normal gathering Q, and the second is signed "S," implying that the first is supposed to be R. The on-line Ist. Cent. Cat. Unico records its three copies under two different descriptions, but the matching fingerprint and misprinted page number 131 suggest they represent a single edition, and at least some of the differences in the descriptions result from the confusing collation. A once very popular, but now rare and little-known practical manual of sundials, extensively illustrated.
A few minor tears and faint stains, and some reinforcing in the gutter margin. Three blank leaves before the first plate are clearly insertions, but appear to be early, new endpapers. Good copy, and nearly untrimmed, with most of the deckles intact.
Riccardi I, B-col. 603; Sotheran 15399; Ist. Cent. Cat. Unico (3 copies, 1 possibly a variant); cf. Zinner, Astron. Instrumente, p. 606 (1557 ed.).

Related Subjects: 17th Century  Horology  Science  Scientific Instruments  Sundials 

Add to Shopping cart
€ 2.500,00

Prices in EUROS (€), shipping and BTW/VAT extra.

< Back

Terms of sale

All items are offered subject to prior sale. Prices are nett and in (€) EURO. VAT/BTW, postage, and insurance are not included. 

Free shipping for orders over € 2,500.  EU customers: if applicable, please quote your VAT number when placing orders.

Preferred mode of payment: by credit card through our secure online payment service, which is facilitated by Ogone. If you wish to make other arrangements, please contact us. Terms of sale

E-mail this to a friend







This is a captcha-picture. It is used to prevent mass-access by robots. (see: www.captcha.net)

Type the characters that you see in the box (5 characters). The code can include characters 0..9 and A..F.*

  


Antiquariaat FORUM B.V.
Tuurdijk 16
3997 MS t Goy-Houten,
The Netherlands
Phone: (+31) (0)30 601 1955
Fax: (+31) (0)30 601 1813
E-mail: info@forumrarebooks.com
Web: http://www.forumrarebooks.com







€ 1.302.050,00
shipping cost:
shopping cart