Plinius Secundus, Gaius (Pliny, the Elder): Historia naturalis.
Edited by Johannes Andreas de Bussis, bishop of Aleria.
Rome: Conradus Sweynheym and Arnoldus Pannartz, [between 8 Apr. and 30 Aug.] 1470.
Fol. [110 212 3-610 7-118 12-1710 18-208 21-2710 28-298 30-3710 38-398 4010]. [378] leaves (1, 377, 378 blank).
ISTC ip00787000; Goff P787; BMC IV 9; Bod-inc P-359.
| Shelf-mark: | Sp Coll Hunterian Cm.1.5 (see main library entry for this item) |
| Provenance: | Richard Blyke (d. 1775), antiquary: lot 3383 (in the Blyke section) in 'A catalogue of the very large and valuable library of Doctor John Campbell ... also the library and manuscripts of Richard Blyke...' [London: 1776]. William Hunter (1718-1783), physician and anatomist: purchased at the Campbell and Blyke sale according to the annotated BL copy of the sale catalogue - shelfmark S.C.S. 10(3) - no price given. University of Glasgow: Hunterian bequest 1807; Hunterian Museum bookplate and book label on front pastedown, with former shelfmark “Ab.4.11”. |
| Binding: | England, 18th-century half brown sheep, paste boards covered with sheets of printed blue/grey paper, with partially visible text on the rear board “PROPOSALS [...] NEW HISTORY [...] HOLY BIBLE”; spine heavily decayed. Size: 418 x 290 mm. |
| Leaf size: | 405 x 284 mm. |
| Annotations: | Single marginal annotation on 36/1r (f. 333r) in a 16th-century hand; frequent “nota” marks; 15th/16th-century signatures on first recto of each gathering. |
| Decoration: | A large initial at the beginning of each book is supplied in red on a square ground of blue pen-work with pen-work extensions into the margins, or with the colours reversed; similar smaller initials in the preliminary matter; paragraph marks throughout supplied in alternate red and blue; capitals frequently stroked in yellow; running book numbers in red and blue. From evidence of offsetting on 2/12v (f. 22v), the recto of the missing leaf 3/1 (f. 23) -i.e. the opening page of text of book 2 of the Historia naturalis - was decorated with an initial “M” and borders (of white-vine decoration?), with a laurel wreath for an owner’s arms included in the lower border. |
| Imperfections: | Wanting 3/1 (f. 23) and the first and final two blank leaves. |
