Print Book
Title Le theatre des bons engins, auquel sont contenus cent emblemes..
Author La Perrière, Guillaume de, 1499-1565.
Published Imprimé à Paris : par Denis Ianot libraire & imprimeur, demourant en la rue neufue nostre Dame à l'enseigne sainct Iehan Baptiste pres saincte Geneuiefue des Ardens. [1540]


Status Loan Type Location Shelf-mark
 Reference Only  Not for loan  Level 12 Spec Coll  Sp Coll S.M. Add. 469  

More Details

Description [108] leaves : ill., 17 cm. (8vo)
Note "On le vend à Paris en la rue neufue nostre Dame à L'enseigne sainct Iehan Baptiste, pres saincte Geneuiefue des Ardens:" -- titlepage.
Signatures: A-N⁸ O⁴.
Imprint details from colophon on O4v.
"The first edition of the first native French emblem book. The privilege is dated in the old Easter style as 'Le dernier jour de janvier, 1539' [i.e. 1540] and the work is consequently often wrongly dated 1539." -- Adams, Rawles & Saunders, p. 22.
Indexed In: Adams, Rawles & Saunders. French Emblem Books, F.364
Landwehr, J. French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese emblem books, 445.
USTC, 15358
Local Note Copy imperfect: wants O1 (emblem 99) and O4.
Provenance Montbard, Jacques Richard de, 1744-1812. Book stamp.
White, Henry, 1761-1836. Inscription.
Yates, Thompson and Bright. Lot 127 in sale of.
Yates, Samuel Ashton Thompson, 1842-1903. Bookplate.
Christie, Manson & Woods. Acquired via.
Place & Date Paris 1540
Printer/Binder Janot, Denis, active 1529-1544.
Copy specific Provenance: Jacques Richard de Montbard (1744-1812), physician and biblipophile from Lyon: oval bookstamp on titlepage and A3r "Ex bibliotheca J. Richard D. M.". Book not listed in 'Catalogue des livres, machines de physique et d'astronomie, gravures ... composant le cabinet de feu M. Richard de Montbard...' (Lyon: Kindelem, 1812). Rev Henry White (1761-1836), Sacrist of Lichfield Cathedral: inscription on verso of front free endpaper, "HENR. WHITE LICHFIELD MARTII XII MDCCCXXI". Not listed in 'Catalogue of the library of the Rev. Henry White, of Lichfield' ([London] : [Harding, Triphook, and Lepard], 1824) or in 'Catalogue of the curious and valuable library of the Rev. Henry White, of Lichfield' ([London] : J.W. Southgate); acquired by unknown member of Bright, Thompson and Yates families at some point from 1800s to 1940s - exact provenance unknown ; Samuel Ashton Thompson Yates (1842-1903): bookplate on front pastedown ; University of Glasgow: lot 127 in "Yates, Thompson and Bright: a family of bibliophiles Wednesday 16 July 2014" (London: Christie's, 2014).
Annotations: evidence of early censorship of nude woodcuts on C4v, C5v, C7v, D1v, I3v, I4v (partially washed out); bibliographical notes on verso of front free endpaper (possible associated with White's provenance), "collated & complete with the exception of one leaf O1" and beneath this in pencil in a different hand, the erroneous note "This seems to be a mistake. There are 101 but no 99 making 100 emblems as stated". At the foot of the page, in pen, in the same hand as the first note, "Le Theatre des bons engins" printed by Denis Janot at Paris, no year but probably in 1539 or 1540 the licence being dated 1539. The author Guillaume de la Perrierre a native of Tholouse. The borders round the cuts are the same as those in the Hecatomgraphie"; various booksellers' marks? and possible price codes on front pastedown, "G4 I1" and rear free endpaper, "col. AD/BQ lacks O1 + O4"; two excised sale catalogue listings pasted in.
Binding: late 18th/early 19th century tree calf with gilt decoration; gilt decorated border with red morocco label with title in gilt; full gilt edges; blue marbled endpapers; one line on N6r with ink deletion causing a tear across the page and staining some of the subsequent leaves.
Library Class Sp Coll S.M. Add. 469
Subject Emblem Books, French.

Permanent link to record