Album amicorum style entries (paintings, heraldry, etc) in a 1584 Emblemata by Andrea Alciato. Printed by Plantin in Antwerp

A fascinating 16th century Emblemata that might have served as something of an album amicorum (friendship album). In addition to the friendship-like entries, there are a number of colored leaves that appear to be "in an old hand".

If you're unfamiliar with Alciati's Emblemata, they're a collection of poems with accompanying illustrations that Alciati described as "learned recreation". Alciati's work became incredibly popular, going through many printings, and being imitated by many other authors. "Emblem books were an integral part of European culture for two centuries" - Wikipedia.

Regarding the Embellishments-

The first entry is the simplest dated 1589 and stating "Tempera Tempora Tempore" by an Oyenbrugghe, with an added inscription, in a different hand, below (I can't read this second inscription).

The verso of the same leaf has a painting with birds feeding a nest, overlooking a valley, with an inscription on a ribbon below, translated as, "Just as shining gold is tested by fire, A sure friend is discerned in an uncertain time. Thus, faith must be observed in harsh times." This specifically references friendship. The "amicus certus in re incerta cernitur" is attributed to Ennius, and was preserved by Cicero.

The following page has a coat-of-arms, appears to be attributed to a "Schone-beck" and the motto Scutum Pudici par Satanae, roughly translated "The Shield of the Virtuous is matched against Satan". It looks to be dated "1587" (somewhat appears like 1583).

Then, throughout the work, a "Jo. Th. Ragatschin" wrote pithy statements following the emblems. For example, on page 221, following an emblemata with Bacchus, he wrote in French (roughly translated), "Red Liquor, oh, how your goodness awakens me! Oh, how this delicious juice charms my ears and enraptures my eyes!".

In addition to these embellishments, there is further coloring of the illustrations, some with simple red being added, and a handful more fully colored.

Provenance -

I can't piece together how the names written in this book came together, and/or who exactly owned the book. This might be an excellent opportunity for scholarly study.

Bibliographic Details -

Universal Short Title Catalogue (USTC) number 406653, 17 copies recorded in the world's libraries such as Cambridge, Corpus Christi Cambridge, British Library, Houghton Harvard, Newberry Library and Duke University.

Worldcat OCLC catalogue number 15467031

Pettegree, Walsby - 479

Leon Voet, A bibliography of the works printed... by Christopher Plantin... reference 32b

Physical Attributes -

Measures approx. 11.5 x 8 x 2 cm. Hardcover binding with corners and spine of pigskin, and marbled paper covering pasteboard boards. Gatherings of eight (octavo). Illustrated, with some hand-coloring.

Pages – two manuscript leaves, 3-471, [9]. Missing six leaves (title page, 241/242, 255/256, 339/340, 349/350, and a blank).

Collation – Missing leaves A1, Q1, Q8, Y2, Y7 and e8. Collates A2-Z8 (bearing in mind missing) and a-d8, e7 (no e8, a blank, present), f-g8.

Worldcat states that e8 was a blank (no loss of text there). I've placed a simple facsimile (not intended as a replica) printed on acid-free wove paper at A1 so you'll have the context of the title page.

Condition -

See pictures. Binding with some rubbing to boards. Top edge lightly darkened. Some bookseller notes on front binder’s endpaper. (Frontis and title page?) replaced by heraldic ex-libris. A little separation (at the gutter) between landscape painting and leaf with coat-of-arms. Thumb on recto of leaf A2.

Stain from bottom edge throughout text block, and occasional thumb, toning, stray ink mark and rust spot. Textblock trimmed tight at top-edge, sometimes clipping header. Many leaves with some red highlighting of objects within the picture (manuscript). Chip to fore-edge margin of leaves B7 and 8. Latin saying and name on 118 and 126 in an old hand.

A note on 128, 160, 194, 202, 237, 238, 244, 262, 344, 411, 418, 434, 437, 439.

M2 woodcut with two colors added. Smudges on M7 recto, with notes to verso. Many colors to woodcut on N7r (205) and O2r (211). Annotations on 221 and 223. Epitaph of Nostradamus on 229. Coloring on 232 woodcut. Missing leaves Q1 and Q8 (241/242, 255/256). Coloring 297 woodcut. Y2 (339/340) and Y7 (349/350) missing. 379 woodcut richly colored. 404 woodcut with some light coloring. 408 woodcut with a colored dress. 412 woodcut richly colored. d2 leaf with corner chip. 422 woodcut richly colored. Leaf e8 (447/448) missing, a blank. Name on leaf f1 recto. Graphite notes on rear blank binder’s endpapers.