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GOORLE, ABRAHAM VAN.
Antverpiani Dactyliotheca seu Annulorum sigillarium quorum apud priscos tam Graecos quam Romanos usus e ferro, aere, argento & auro promptuarium.
(Delft, 1600). 4to. In contemporary half vellum with title in contemporary hand to spine. Annotations in ink to verso of front board. Previous owner's names in contemporary hand to title-page. Bookblock split between quire A and B, quire B partly detached. A few barely visible dampstains, internally generally nice and clean. (34), 16, (4), 174 pp. + 137 engraved plates (with illustrations numbered 1 - 196). Wanting the engraved frontispiece.
Reference : 63225
First edition of the first extensive repertory of Greco-Roman intaglio gems and rings and ring designs and symbols. A braham van Goorle (Abraham Gorlaeus), 1549 – 1608, was a Dutch antiquary of Flemish origin. Gorlaeus was born in Antwerp but fled as a teenager with his brother David to the Dutch Republic. Goorle amassed one of the finest collection of rings which in 1609 was bought by Henry, Prince of Wales. The present work was republished by Jakob Gronovius in 1695 as part of his “Thesaurus Graecarum antiquitatum” Brunet II, 1671. Brunet II, 1671 Graesse III,
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Herman H. J. Lynge & Son
William Schneider
Silkegade 11
1113 Copenhagen
Denmark
+45 33 155 335
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2 book(s) with the same title
Abrahami Gorlaei Antverpiani Dactyliotheca seu annulorum sigillarium quorum apud Priscos tam Graecos quam romanos usus. A Ferro aere argento & auro promptuarium. Accesserunt variarum gemmarum quibus antiquitas in sigillando uti solita sculturae.
" S.d. (Antwerpen), s.d. (after 1600,) in-4°, 222 x 170 mm, engraved title page + engraved author's portrait + (32) nn pp + 16 pp + (4)nn pp (privileges) + 137 full page engravings (98 leaves with each two numbered and illustrated rings with seals - nr. 1 -196). +(2)nn pp (blank) + 37 plates each with 4 seals (numbered 1-148). (complete with a total of 137 plates). Bound in contemporary full vellum with overlapping edges. Later 19th c. leather label on decorated smooth spine.With the printed ex-libris of ''Gaddesden Library'' tipped on to the first paste down. With the manuscript ex-libris of the Danish collector Peder Jonas Charisius elegantly written on the title page: ''Petrus Ionae Charisius Hafniae MSCXXVI''. The book is dedicated to Ernest of Bavaria, Prince-elector archbishop of Cologne, bischop of Liège, an ardent supporter of the Counter-Reformation. Gorlaeus had fled his native Antwerp as a teenager, most probably for religeous reasons. He lived in Delft where he held important political fuctions e.g. for Adolf van Nieuwenaar, stadtholder. It is inconceivable that the book would be published in the Northern Netherlands with a dedication to a staunch catholic. The printing was made after October 1601. [1] The portrait contains the year 1601. [2] The dedication is dated Oct. 1601. [3] The letter of Everhardus Vorstius is dated April 1599. [4] The pivilege of the Holy Roman Empire is dated 5 july 1601. [5] The French privilege is dated 26 june 1598 (or 1602 ?) [6] The Northern Netherlands privilege , issued at the Hague is dated 20 sept. 1600. The book contains no fewer then 6 neo-latin eulogies of the leading Dutch humanists in the Leiden University circle: Everardus Vorstius , Joseph Scaliger, Janus Dousa, Balduin Berlicomus, Aernout van Buchel, Hugo Grotius (and also a caption on the portrait), Daniel Heinsius. The author can be considered as the founder of the dactilyology; a branch of archaeology which studies rings and gems. This is the first major publication, north of the Alps , on this subject . Provenance: Peter Charisius (1608 - 1685) was in diplomatic service at the Copenhagen court. His intrests in art collectiing are known. His father Jonas was also related to the court and served as foreign secretary to the Danish. king Christian IV. Very well preserved copy in a nice contemporary binding of an important early study on ancient (classical) rings and gems; emanating from the florishing humanist circle in the nascent Dutch Republic. Justus Lipsius , once a prominent member of this circle, is absent in the eulogies; a strong proof of his complete rupture with his Leiden past and his keeping away of anything which comes from the North."
Abrahami Gorlaei Antverpiani Dactyliotheca seu annulorum sigillarium quorum apud Priscos tam Graecos quam romanos usus. A Ferro aere argento & auro promptuarium. Accesserunt variarum gemmarum quibus antiquitas in sigillando uti solita sculturae.
" S.d. (Antwerpen), s.d. (after 1600,) in-4°, 195 x 153 mm, engraved title page +16 pp + 137 full page engravings (98 leaves with each two numbered and illustrated rings with seals - nr. 1 -196).; 37 leaves each with 4 seals (numbered 1-148). (total of 137 plates). Bound in 19th c.half leather, with marbled end papers. Weak joint, (upper joint broken). Title page with a horizontal tear repaired ( no loss of paper). Some pages with the usual stains...All copies are rare of this early publication on a humanistic collection of classical Roman rings. As far a we know the publisher has not been identified but the book was printed in Antwerp. Our copy lacks, in comparison with another copy we handled: the portrait, the dedication to Ernest of Bavaria, all the laudatory (from personalities of the Northern Netherlands) poems and privileges. The book was dedicated to Ernest of Bavaria, Prince-elector archbishop of Cologne, bischop of Liège, an ardent supporter of the Counter-Reformation. Gorlaeus had fled his native Antwerp as a teenager, most probably for religeous reasons. He lived in Delft where he held important political fuctions e.g. for Adolf van Nieuwenaar, stadtholder. It is conceivable that this copy, which contains the complete text by Goorle on his collection, and all the engraved plates illustrating the rings was purposely bound without the dedication and the privileges . These items would divulge the ambiguous nature of the publication (catholic & protestant). Some customers probably could not take that. From the start this was an equivocal publication, published with no date, nor a place of imprint nor a publisher's name."
