75 Incunables from Shapero Rare Books

Item 19 is another important first of printing, the Rudimentum Novitiorum, printed in 1475. This was an encyclopedic style history of the world, broken down into six eras. The final is the Christian era, and the book was likely written by a theologian for the benefit of young clerics. What is most notable is that the book contains the first real maps beyond the simple “T-O” diagram, preceding the first atlas by two years. The detailed world map incorporates reality with artistic license. Various cities and states are shown in roughly the right locations, but without regard to size. Each is shown as a similarly sized hill in an essentially correct location. Mythical creatures abound, though this was true for centuries of more accurate maps that followed too. The map of Palestine, however, is a more realistic depiction of the land from a bird's-eye perspective. Price on request.

Item 69 is the first printed encyclopedia of women. Printed in 1497, and created by the monk Giacomo Filippo Foresti da Bergamo, it bears the title De claris mulieribus (of famous women), a reused name. A similar work was created in the 14^th century, in manuscript form obviously, by Giovanni Boccaccio. However, Bergamo updated the collection of women, focusing more on those of notable accomplishments, the earlier version being a mix of heroic and evil women. This is updated to include some contemporary women and as such includes seven portraits taken from actual likenesses of the women. This copy carries the provenance of the great chronicler of the 15^th century, Hartmann Schedel, creator of the Nuremberg Chronicle. It remained with Schedel's family until sold by his grandson in 1552. €250,000 (US $314,400).

Shapero Rare Books may be reached at +44 207 493 0876 or rarebooks@shapero.com. Their website is www.shapero.com.