![FERNANDEZ DE PIEDRAHITA, Lucas (fl. late 17th Century). Historia General de las Conquistas del Nuevo Reyno de Granada. [Antwerp?]: Juan Baptista Verdussen, [1688].](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2012/NYR/2012_NYR_02622_0044_000(fernandez_de_piedrahita_lucas_historia_general_de_las_conquistas_del_n082831).jpg?w=1)
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FERNANDEZ DE PIEDRAHITA, Lucas (fl. late 17th Century). Historia General de las Conquistas del Nuevo Reyno de Granada. [Antwerp?]: Juan Baptista Verdussen, [1688].
2o (290 x 202 mm). Three engraved title-pages incorporating medallion portraits of the Spanish conquerors, the leading Indians and battle-scenes (the second with fore-margin border shaved). (A few ink stains on C1, small hole on Bb4 touching a few letters, Gggg1 coming loose, some occasional pale browning and spotting, but generally clean and crisp). 19th-century quarter sheep, mottled boards (some rubbing).
FIRST EDITION: "A WORK OF THE HIGHEST IMPORTANCE FOR THE EARLY HISTORY OF NEW GRANADA" (Sabin). Peeters-Fontains notes that it was possibly printed at Seville by Tomás López de Haro, though the letter-press title states that Verdussen was the printer. Piedrahita, born in Bogata, was related to the Inca royal family through his mother. The engraved title-pages contain 32 portraits of Indian chiefs and conquistadores, and 4 views of the principal battles. "Book I. is almost entirely devoted to a description of the peculiar rites and ceremonies of the Indians in New Grenada. The remainder of the work is largely occupied with the narration of battles with the natives, their work in the mines, their revolts, subjugation, and their conversion. The work was composed during the residence of the author at Madrid, from the MSS. of Gonzalez Ximenez de Quesada, the conqueror of the country, and the first European to penetrate its interior. This first volume is the only one ever printed, which is the more to be regretted, as it relates to a portion of America of which we possess the fewest documents. The work in any condition is very rare" (Field). According to American Book Prices Current, only five copies have sold at auction in at least the last thirty years, and no copy has sold at auction since 1994. Field 1215; JCB (II) 1364 (2 engraved title-pages only); Leclerc 1168; Medina, BHA 1816; Palau 89568; Peeters-Fontains 455; Sabin 62704.
2o (290 x 202 mm). Three engraved title-pages incorporating medallion portraits of the Spanish conquerors, the leading Indians and battle-scenes (the second with fore-margin border shaved). (A few ink stains on C1, small hole on Bb4 touching a few letters, Gggg1 coming loose, some occasional pale browning and spotting, but generally clean and crisp). 19th-century quarter sheep, mottled boards (some rubbing).
FIRST EDITION: "A WORK OF THE HIGHEST IMPORTANCE FOR THE EARLY HISTORY OF NEW GRANADA" (Sabin). Peeters-Fontains notes that it was possibly printed at Seville by Tomás López de Haro, though the letter-press title states that Verdussen was the printer. Piedrahita, born in Bogata, was related to the Inca royal family through his mother. The engraved title-pages contain 32 portraits of Indian chiefs and conquistadores, and 4 views of the principal battles. "Book I. is almost entirely devoted to a description of the peculiar rites and ceremonies of the Indians in New Grenada. The remainder of the work is largely occupied with the narration of battles with the natives, their work in the mines, their revolts, subjugation, and their conversion. The work was composed during the residence of the author at Madrid, from the MSS. of Gonzalez Ximenez de Quesada, the conqueror of the country, and the first European to penetrate its interior. This first volume is the only one ever printed, which is the more to be regretted, as it relates to a portion of America of which we possess the fewest documents. The work in any condition is very rare" (Field). According to American Book Prices Current, only five copies have sold at auction in at least the last thirty years, and no copy has sold at auction since 1994. Field 1215; JCB (II) 1364 (2 engraved title-pages only); Leclerc 1168; Medina, BHA 1816; Palau 89568; Peeters-Fontains 455; Sabin 62704.