1494 INCUNABLE WITH THE FIRST SECULAR WOODCUT GENEALOGICAL TREES
1494. Item #9
Boccaccio, G. Genealogiae deorum gentilium. Venice, Bonetus Locatellus for Octavianus Scotus, 7 March 1494, 2 parts in 1 vol. (with continuous foliation). (i.e. Venetiis ductu & expensis Nobilis uiri. D. Octauiani Scoti ciuis Modoetie[n]sis. M.CCCC.XCIIII. Septimo kalendas Martias finis i[m]positus fuit huic operi. per Bonetum Locatellum.) Folio. 30 x 20 cm. Complete: 162 lvs., 13 woodcut genealogical tables, lovely woodcut ornamental capitals and unusual small initials. 18th century binding, spine very worn with losses on spine, likely later faux wood-grained paper over boards. First blank detaching from text block, some thumbing, non obtrusive lower inner margin water stain running through one third of book, a few minor stains and some pages foxed, but generally very good. Ref: Goff B-753; Hain/ Copinger 3321.
Boccaccio's mythological encyclopedia in 15 volumes was written around 1350-75 is a visual and erudite compilation of the tangled family relationships of the classical pantheons of Ancient Greece and Rome. The present edition is particularly interesting due to the fact that it contains "De montibis", the first printed geographical encyclopedia of this kind with an index of the mountains, rivers, sources, forests, lakes and oceans which are mentioned in treatises by ancient authors; it was published separately for the first time in 1473. This is the RARE FIRST ISSUE by Scotus dated 7 March 1494. A 23. February 1494/95 is sometimes mistakenly given precedence but that was published almost a year later according to the Julian calendar. The genealogical trees are are regarded as the earliest known secular ones.
The work is "humanist in spirit and medieval in structure". (Ref: Encyclopædia Britannica)
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