VITRVVII VIRI SVAE PROFESSIONIS PERITISSIMI, DE ARCHITECTVRA LIBRI

VITRUVIUS POLLIO, Marcus.  M. VITRVVII VIRI SVAE PROFESSIONIS PERITISSIMI, DE ARCHITECTVRA LIBRI.

Argentorati (Strassbourg:) Knobloch for Georgium Machaeropiceum, 1543. Small 4to. Contemporary  sheep. (52), 96; 99-262, (52) pages, with 91 woodcut illustrations. First edition printed in Germany. [BAL, 3495; Fowler, 401].

The first German printing of Vitruvius was edited by Walter Hermann Ryff, a Strassbourg physician, mineralogist and mathematician.  The majority of the ninety-one woodcut illustrations are based on Cesariano's Como edition of 1521.  A few others are copied from Giocondo's edition as well as the fourth book of Serlio.  Ryff later translated Vitruvius into German.  Neatly rebacked, some light waterstaining to the area around the lower tip of some pages; edges and tips of boards chipped, still a very good copy of an important early edition of Vitruvius. 

$4,500.00