ONE OF THE EARLIEST ILLUSTRATIONS OF A SURGICAL PROCEDURE. BARTHOLOMAEUS ANGLICUS. Van den pro...

ONE OF THE EARLIEST ILLUSTRATIONS OF A SURGICAL PROCEDURE. BARTHOLOMAEUS ANGLICUS. Van den proprieteyten der dinghen [De proprietatibus rerum]. Haarlem: Jakob Bellaert, 24 December 1485. Folio (260 x 190 mm). 460 (of 466 leaves, without 3 blanks and leaves S7 woodcut, e6 text and ee7 printer's device). 40 lines, double columns. Gothic type, large initials supplied in red, blue and green, with penwork, numerous two line initials supplied in red. 11 full-page hand-colored woodcuts (of 12) of anatomical man, ages of man, occupations of the months, birds, trees, plants, fish, serpents, animals and reptiles. Later vellum, yapp edges. First and last leaves stained, a few leaves with marginal repaired tears some affecting text, portions of margins renewed at 5 leaves, scattered light staining and minor worming. Provenance: Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773-1843, bookplate) his sale (Evans part VI, 11 August 1845, lot 187); John Duncanson (bookplate); Edmund McClure (bookplate); Eric Saxton (his sale, Christie's New York, 8 April 1981, lot 75). FIRST EDITION WITH THESE ILLUSTRATIONS, THE FIRST DUTCH EDITION OF DE PROPRIETATIBUS RERUM, AND ONE OF THE EARLIEST PRINTED ILLUSTRATION OF A SURGICAL PROCEDURE. De proprietatibus rerum [English, 'On the Properties of Things'] was 'the first important encyclopedia of the Middle Ages and the first in which the works of Greek, Arabian, and Jewish naturalists and medical writers, which had been translated into Latin shortly before, were laid under contribution' (Catholic Encyclopedia). It enjoyed immense popularity as witnessed by the proliferation of both contemporary manuscripts and vernacular translations. This Dutch edition printed by Bellaert in 1485 was the second vernacular edition and added the fine woodcuts which were never subsequently republished, although they were used as the basis for the woodcuts in Wynken de Worde's 1495 English edition. The woodcuts contain some of the earliest medical images, including, one of the first publications of an illustration of a surgical procedure. Complete copies are rare in the market and institutionally. Copies are held at the Morgan, the Library of Congress (Rosenwald Collection), and the Otto Schafer copy (sold Sothebys, 1996, with four leaves supplied, for $46,000) are noted. An important and rare work both in the history of medicine and illustration. See Bogaart, 'Van den Proprieteyten der Dinghen in Perspectief,' Hilversum, 2004. See Hellinga, 'Wynkyn de Worde's Native Land,' in New science out of old books, 1995. BSB-Ink B-100; BMC IX 102; Goff B-142; GW 3423; HC 2522. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing