{"product_id":"boissieres-nobilissimus-1556-proto-chess-game-pythagoras-lothar-schmids-copy","title":"Boissiere's Nobilissimus 1556 Proto-Chess Game, Pythagoras; Lothar Schmid's Copy","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eNobilissimus et Antiquissimus Iudus Pythagoreus\u003c\/b\u003e (qui Rythmomachia nominatur) in utilitatem et relaxationem studiosorum comparatus ad veram et facilem proprietatem et rationem numerorum assequendam, nunc tadem per Claudium Buxerium Delphinatem illustratus. Lutetiate: [Benoit Prevost] Apud Gulielmum Cavellat, \u003cb\u003e1556\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e-------------------\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTHE CHESS GRANDMASTER LOTHAR SCHMID'S COPY\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e of this rare work by Claude de Boissière on \"the most noble and most ancient Pythagorean game called Rithmomachia,\" a game of \"numerical combat\" (from its Latin name, numerorum conflictus), a very interesting proto-chess game developed in the medieval period as a contest between two mathematically trained masters which draws on the harmonic theories of Boethius and Nichomachus of Geras' Arithmetic. It was popular in medieval England, France and the Holy Roman Empire, particularly in Cathedral schools where it was used pedagogically to teach arithmetic, proportion, and music theory.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eThis is the chess grandmaster Lothar Schmid's copy, a notable bibliophile and renowned collector of books related to chess and its antecedents, as here. Indeed, the game is intrinsically linked to chess and is often described as an early form of it. On the title leaf of this work, the reader is directed to a Parisian seller of boards and playing pieces, Jean Gentil (\"abacus et calculi vaeneunt in Palatio, apud Ioannem Gentil\"). This is the second edition as it had been printed first in French two years prior, but is the first Latin edition (generally considered as the better of the two). This edition is abudnantly illustrated, including many full-page woodcuts, which, according to the title leaf, were all by the author, Claudius Buxerius (Claude de Boissière).\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eCuriously enough, Lothar Schmid owned another copy of this same edition, providing an almost exact comparable; it recently sold at Sotheby's 17 April 2026 lot 5 and realised £3,328 (GBP).\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e-------------------\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSize: 106 x 157 mm (approx.)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[A-F8, G4]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCollates as complete. Modern full red morocco, small tooled black label to foot of spine bearing the date between two raised bands. Binding secure, both boards securely attached, externally fine, well bound and not overly tight, certainly functional. Bookplate of Lothar Schmid to front pastedown, some pencil notes to front endpapers; one of the front blanks is modern and the other is early, plausibly contemporary. Text block mildly toned, a few spots, but generally very well preserved indeed, a few marginal pencil notes, probably in Lothar Schmid's hand. Text block trimmed, as often, occasionally catching the outer edge of some printed material. An excellent copy of this scarce work with distinguished provenance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e[USTC 152123; Adams B2346].\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WoodPaz Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56563462668612,"sku":"131BN","price":2475.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0783\/1725\/7028\/files\/s-l1600_f47a2946-963d-4a48-9f3b-a8a9049ef91f.jpg?v=1778502491","url":"https:\/\/woodpaz.com\/products\/boissieres-nobilissimus-1556-proto-chess-game-pythagoras-lothar-schmids-copy","provider":"WoodPaz Books Ltd","version":"1.0","type":"link"}