John Underwood - Rare and Antiquarian Books and Manuscripts

Octavo (158x92 mm), contemporary vellum.Folding emblematic frontispiece, 15 woodcut plates ( on 11 leaves, bound slightly out of order) plus two large folding celestial charts. Two small astrological woodcuts, and several cuts of Hebrew characters within the text. All plates present and complete, text complete. Pagination: (Folding engraved frontis) + (title leaf) + pp(10) pp1-65, pp62-290 (error in pagination only, text is continuous) .Mild browning to text block, a few tiny edge tears to the plates, a near fine copy, vellum binding tidy and clean. Ownership signature "Tobias Hollanderi 1676" on title leaf. Tobiae Hollanderi a Berau who in 1699 published a work concerning astronomical problems "Amalthum Astronomicum".This, the first Latin edition of a work originally issued in French, Paris 1629. The book was published in English in 1650 under the title "Unheard of curiosities concerning the Talismanical Sculpture of the Persians , the Horoscope of the Patriarkes and the Reading of the Stars". An important and influential work on Oriental Talismans Hebrew,Egyptian and Arabic Astrology, the Cabala and Star-writing-the theory that the starts are arranged in the form of Hebrew letters, which can be read by those with the specific knowledge.The two folding celestial charts reflect this theory. The curious plates depict mermaids,monsters, mythological creatures and gods.Gaffarel was Cardinal Richelieu's librarian, and he travelled to Italy,Greece and Asia retrieving rare books for him. A NICE ASSOCIATION COPY.

keywords: Babylon, Cabala, Moloch, Benoth, Horoscope, Talisman, DagonSuccoth, Cherbim, Isis, Apis,

condition: Very Good +

jacket: None Issued

binding: Vellum