Selectiores Aesopi Fabulae. Accessit interpretatio, et vocum omnium explicatio. In osum studiosae Innentutis. Paris: Claudium Morelium, 1625. [Together with] Primigeniae Voces sev Radices Linguae Graecae. [...]. Paris: Claudium Morelium, 1619.
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A lovely early copy of Aesop's Fables, here also bound with another linguistic work focussing on the Greek language. This copy of Aesop is very interesting, especially from a typographical perspective, with Greek and Latin text placed together.
These books are housed in a very interesting full vellum binding with a circular carving to the front board, quite possibly apotropaic in nature (ritual protection from demons/evil spirits/witches etc), something which was practiced on vellum bindings all the way through to the 19th century, but rare.
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Size: 115 x 180 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[t.p., 159pp, t.p., 94pp, 48pp]
Contemporary full vellum binding, manuscript ink to head of spine, seemingly reading '4 (omega)' (?), perhaps a shelf reference for an early collection, probably institutional & continental. Concentric circle design carved in to front board overlaid with some other marks, quite possibly apotropaic in nature, and certainly intentional, appears to have been done using a compass tool. Binding worn and discoloured, as often, with backstrip largely separated from page block. Ink ownership inscription to head of first page of text dated 1745 and a further undated to front pastedown reading 'William S'. Lacks blanks. Some dampstaining/toning through the text, but with the text legible. A few leaves a little ragged at edges. A nice copy of these two early 17th century works presented in a very interesting contemporary binding.
