Epitome Thesauri Antiquitatum, hoc est Impp. Rom. Orientalium & Occidentalium Iconum, ex antiquis Numismatibus quam fidelissime delinatarum. Lyon, apud Iacobum de Strada et Thomam Guerinum, (excudebat Ioannes Tornaesius),
STRADA, (Jacobus de)
Title with large printer's woodcut device, verso title a full-page woodcut of the arms of Johann Jacob Fugger (dedicatee). 390 splendid portrait medallion woodcuts representing coins and medals and 97 additional medallion woodcuts without the portraits filled in. Three large woodcut initials on criblé ground.
4to. [44]ff. 339pp. [1]f. Contemporary green stained vellum over paste boards, remains of silk ties, r.e. (joints and headcaps restored). 1553
First edition of this erudite work which is one of the most important of all medal-books. The list of hitherto unpublished coins occupies eight pages. The first French edition was published only a month later by the same printer. The work contains an interesting introduction on Strada's travels and studies with extensive reference to Jean Grolier's library and coin collection, the latter still extant.
In the 16th century two trends in the reproduction of Roman coins were gradually established, firstly archaeological medal books started by Fulvio and Mazochius in 1517 and secondly the pattern book for other artists, such as the Huttich-Weiditz series of 1525 and 1534. It is Strada's achievement that he alone has led both fields. Bernard Salomon has long been regarded as the artist of the woodcuts (white design on black ground), recent scholarship however has questioned this attribution but has failed to come forward with any other suggestions as to the authorship of the cuts. However, it is undisputed that the artist of these splendid cuts commanded such delicate embellishing which make the Weiditz cuts in the same manner (Huttich, 1525) seem rather crude by comparision.
Lightly browned in places.
Provenance. Armorial booklate of Bibliotheca Trautner-Falkiana, i.e. the library of the Augsburg bibliophile Hans-Joachim Trautner (1916-2001).
Mortimer Harvard, French II, no.503. Cicognara 3018. Adams S1916.
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