Lot 206
Stigliani, Tomaso
Rare Books, Manuscripts & Photographs
Auction: 16 January 2008 at 11:00 GMT
Description
Del Mondo Nuovo. Piacenza: per Alessandro Bazarchi, 1617. First edition, 12mo., woodcut decorations and initials, title with engraved vignette map of the Americas, contemporary vellum boards, some general paper discolouration, a little foxing, a few small wormholes in blank spaces at very beginning, title-page loosening at tail, tears in A7 and last (without loss), some early sepia colour to title-page etching and first woodcut initial, outer edge cut close (removing no letters) in first few pages, contemporary ex libris on title, 19th century ms.note on blank of one leaf
Footnote
Note: BM STC 17th century Italian Books II p. 878; Alden 617/142; Sabin 91728; Graesse VI 497 (1628 edition only). Not in Brunet, Gamba or Fontanini.
In this heroic and fantastical poem, the bard sings "del trouator del Mondo Nouo" i.e. Christopher Columbus. Stigliani tells the story of Columbus' and companions' discovery of the Americas in an account full of factual errors, historical and geographical contradictions and sheer impossibilities. Subjects of particular interest include the Carib Indians.