Roman binding.- Pindar. Olympia, Pythia, Nemea, Isthmia, translated by Johannes Lonicer, collation: ?⁶ A-Z a-z Aa-Mm⁴ Nn⁶, woodcut device on title, woodcut initials, short repaired tear to Nn2, tiny marginal worm-holes to last few leaves, some light foxing and toning, endpapers lightly wormed, contemporary Roman binding (c.1545-47), by Niccolò Franzese for G.B. Grimaldi, gold- and blind-tooled dark brown morocco over pasteboards, covers panelled in gilt with interlocking central lozenge containing a horizontal medallion of Apollo and Pegasus stamped in blind and with remains of gold and green paint highlights, Greek motto lettered around medallion edge, 'Pin Darus Poeta' at head of inner panel, solid arabesque, bird and fleur-de-lys tools, spine in compartments and with a single fleuron tool in each compartment, headbands renewed, expert restorations at spine ends, joints and corners, g.e., housed in a modern fleece-lined cloth drop-back box, 4to (text block 214 x 135mm., binding 220 x 145mm.), Basel, Andreas Cratander, 1535.

⁂ Second Latin edition of the complete works of the Greek lyric poet in a stunning contemporary Roman binding. In forming the library on behalf of Grimaldi, Tolomei balanced modern literature with ancient, but provided the works of Greek authors in Latin translation, since Grimaldi did not know Greek.

Niccolò Franzese (Niccolò Fery of Rheims), one of three binders working on behalf of Tolomei for Grimaldi (c.1524-c.1612), was a Frenchman active at Rome, whose work there played a role in popularising Parisian design. He was binding books for the Pope's private library by 1542, worked for the Vatican from 1549, and in 1556 was appointed by Pope Paul IV to the Vatican staff as its first staff binder, a post he held until his death in 1570-71 (see Hobson, pp. 76ff.). 'Niccolò was the most successful Roman binder of the mid-sixteenth century, to judge from the number of survivors from his shop' (Hobson, p.77).

Provenance: Giovanni Battista Grimaldi (binding); Libreria Ulisse Franchi (sale Florence, 8 April 1902, lot 450); M. Zubaloff ; L.-A. Barbet (title signature; sale Paris, 13 June 1932, lot 127); Federico Gentili de Giuseppe; Madame R. Salem, Paris (monogram booklabel); sale Sotheby's, 31 October 1977, lot 52, £1,000 to H.D. Lyon; The Michel Wittock Collection, Part I : Important Renaissance Bookbindings, 2004.

Literature: Fumagalli, 44; De Marinis 763; G.D. Hobson, Maioli, no. CII; A.R.A. Hobson, Apollo and Pegasus, no. 97; Cinq siècles d'ornements, no.1; Hobson/Culot 2 5; Musea Nostra, p. 24; F. & L. Macchi, Dizionario illustrato della legatura, Milan, 2002, pl. XII.; VD 16 P 2798.