TABERNAEMONTANUS, JACOBUS THEODOUS. Neuw Kreuterbuch, Mit schönedn, künstlichen und leblichen Figuren unnd Conterfeyten, aller Gewächss der Kreuter... Frankfurt: (for Nicolaus Basseus) 1588-1591. 2 vols. in one, folio, 368 x 2490 mm., contemporary blind-stamped pigskin, rebacked, original backstrip presevered, original metal catches, lacking clasps, endpapers renewed, some soiling, staining, and browning, repairs to lower margins of last few leaves covering a few words of index, Register leaf torn affecting 3 words, a few other mostly marginal tears or repairs. FIRST EDITION, vol. 1 title printed in red and black within woodcut title with allegorical figures and inset pastoral and garden scenes at top and bottom, partially colored in an early hand, gothic type, double column, numerous woodcuts of plants (558 in vol. 1 by Nissen's count), woodcut initials. Adams T-540; Nissen BBI 1930; Pritzel 9093.

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TABERNAEMONTANUS, JACOBUS THEODOUS. Neuw Kreuterbuch, Mit schönedn, künstlichen und leblichen Figuren unnd Conterfeyten, aller Gewächss der Kreuter... Frankfurt: (for Nicolaus Basseus) 1588-1591. 2 vols. in one, folio, 368 x 2490 mm., contemporary blind-stamped pigskin, rebacked, original backstrip presevered, original metal catches, lacking clasps, endpapers renewed, some soiling, staining, and browning, repairs to lower margins of last few leaves covering a few words of index, Register leaf torn affecting 3 words, a few other mostly marginal tears or repairs. FIRST EDITION, vol. 1 title printed in red and black within woodcut title with allegorical figures and inset pastoral and garden scenes at top and bottom, partially colored in an early hand, gothic type, double column, numerous woodcuts of plants (558 in vol. 1 by Nissen's count), woodcut initials. Adams T-540; Nissen BBI 1930; Pritzel 9093.

Tabernaemontanus was a physician and student of Bock and Brunfels. His encyclopaedic Kreuterbuch, an attempt at a universal overview of the known European flora, was one of the most widely disseminated of the German herbals; it is now, however, quite rare. Although the woodcuts, by an unknown artist and engraver, derive from the cuts of his teachers as well as Mattioli, Dodoens, Clusius and Lobel, Nissen (I, p. 64) praises their execution as having been carried out with great understanding and states that some cuts improve on their models. The stock was later acquired by the printer John Norton who used them to illustrated the first edition of Gerard's herbal.

Provenance: Robert de Belder.

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