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KEPLER, Johannes (1571-1630). De stella nova in pede serpentarii, et qui sub eius exortum de novo iniit, Trigono Igneo. Prague: Paulus Sessius, 1606. 2 parts. — De stella tertii honoris in cygno, quae us que ad annum M.DC. fuit incognita. Prague: Paulus Sessius, 1606. — De Jesu Christi servatoris nostri vero anno natalitio. Frankfurt: Wolfgang Richter, 1606.
4 parts in one volume, 4° (197 x 160mm). 3 part-titles, woodcut printer's device on general title, one double-page engraved plate, woodcut diagrams in text, final blank leaf. (Small marginal chip to leaf )?(2 due to paper flaw, browned throughout as usual.) Near contemporary mottled calf gilt (rebacked, preserving original spine, extremities rubbed). Provenance: Jean-Baptiste Colbert (gilt arms on covers [Olivier 1296 (fer 1)], and inscribed 'Bibliothecae Colbertinae' at head of title; no. 10317 in the Catalogue of the Bibliotheca Colbertina, Paris, 1728; sold at Sotheby's 1 September, 1984, lot 651).
FIRST EDITION of Kepler's detailed description of the nova of October 1604, commissioned by Emperor Rudolph II, observing the nova's colour, brightness, its distance to the earth and other phenomena. His 'extensive collection of observations and opinions appeared in a longer work... A subtitle announced it as: "a book full of astronomical, physical, metaphysical, meteorological and astrological discussions, glorious and unusual." That it was. Early chapters described the nova's appearance, astrological significance, and possible origin' (DSB). The nova was subsequently named Kepler's Nova or Kepler's Star. Two variants of the title-page are recorded, the above with the imprint: Typis Pauli Sessii, impensis Autoris. No definitive priority has been established but correspondence by Kepler (quoted by Caspar) suggests that the present title-page is the second corrected version, which was Kepler's preferred issue, and is much scarcer. Caspar 27; Cinti 17; Houzeau & Lancaster 2843; Zinner 4097.
4 parts in one volume, 4° (197 x 160mm). 3 part-titles, woodcut printer's device on general title, one double-page engraved plate, woodcut diagrams in text, final blank leaf. (Small marginal chip to leaf )?(2 due to paper flaw, browned throughout as usual.) Near contemporary mottled calf gilt (rebacked, preserving original spine, extremities rubbed). Provenance: Jean-Baptiste Colbert (gilt arms on covers [Olivier 1296 (fer 1)], and inscribed 'Bibliothecae Colbertinae' at head of title; no. 10317 in the Catalogue of the Bibliotheca Colbertina, Paris, 1728; sold at Sotheby's 1 September, 1984, lot 651).
FIRST EDITION of Kepler's detailed description of the nova of October 1604, commissioned by Emperor Rudolph II, observing the nova's colour, brightness, its distance to the earth and other phenomena. His 'extensive collection of observations and opinions appeared in a longer work... A subtitle announced it as: "a book full of astronomical, physical, metaphysical, meteorological and astrological discussions, glorious and unusual." That it was. Early chapters described the nova's appearance, astrological significance, and possible origin' (DSB). The nova was subsequently named Kepler's Nova or Kepler's Star. Two variants of the title-page are recorded, the above with the imprint: Typis Pauli Sessii, impensis Autoris. No definitive priority has been established but correspondence by Kepler (quoted by Caspar) suggests that the present title-page is the second corrected version, which was Kepler's preferred issue, and is much scarcer. Caspar 27; Cinti 17; Houzeau & Lancaster 2843; Zinner 4097.
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