Symbolicarum quaestionum de universo genere quas serio ludebat libri quinque.Bologna, Nova Academica Bocchiana,

FIRST EDITION OF BOCCHI'S EMBLEMS

Large woodcut of a bull's skull, engraved portrait of the author and 151 large engraved emblems numbered III-LXIII, LXII-XCIX, CII-CIV, CIIII-CLI.

4to. [26] (of 30), 347 ff. numbered I-CCCXLVII. Antique-style blind tooled brown morocco by Bernard Middleton, red edges.

First edition of this famous emblem book which was privately printed at Bocchi's own press. "This is an important early emblem book. The engravings are particularly fine, and work with symbolism in new and exciting ways, as the emblems go beyond merely illustrating the mottoes and ideas in the verses, but have an integrity of their own" (Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica: Silent Language Exhibition, no. 9).

The striking illustrations were engraved by Giulio Bonasone after designs of Prospero Fontana and some of Parmigiano. The iconography of Fontana's illustrations are often obscure and their sources have not been fully identified. Some of the illustrations are shown to be after designs of Raphael and Giulio Romano. The quality of the impressions varies considerably although they are generally very good in this copy, and this led to the commissioning of Caracci to touch up the plates for the second edition of 1574. Although the popularity of the work waned after the end of the 16th century, two centuries later the influence of the emblems is evident in the works of Samuel Palmer and William Blake.

As with all copies of the first edition the composition of the preliminary leaves is complex (see Mortimer). Although our copy has both dedications to popes Julius III and Paul IV, and all the illustrations, it does not have the four preliminary leaves which hold the poem of Albericus Longus, the two leaves of Greek verses, and the poem of Janus Vitalis. 

Praz 276. Mortimer 76. CNCE 6484.

Stock Code: 250150