AUTHOR: DIOSCORIDES PEDANIUS

LANGUAGE: SPANISH

DATE: 1555

PAGE #: 663

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.25 X 8.75 IN

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HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: THIS BOOK EXEMPLIFIES THE TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE ACROSS THE CENTURIES. DURING THE FIRST CENTURY, THE GREEK DOCTOR AND APOTHECARY DIOSCORIDES, WHO IS CONSIDERED THE FATHER OF PHARMACOLOGY, WROTE A VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT ON BOTANY AND PHARMACEUTICALS. IN THE TENTH CENTURY, DURING THE TIMES OF ‘ABD AL-RAHMAN III (891-961), CALIPH OF CORDOVA, THE WORK WAS TRANSLATED INTO ARABIC. IN 1518 AT THE ESCUELA DE TRADUCTORES DE TOLEDO (THE SCHOOL OF TRANSLATORS OF TOLEDO), ANTONIO DE NEBRIJA MADE THE FIRST TRANSLATION OF THE WORK IN SPAIN INTO LATIN. IN 1555 IN THE CITY OF ANTWERP (PRESENT-DAY BELGIUM, THEN RULED BY SPAIN), THE PUBLISHER JUAN LACIO, 1524-1566, PUBLISHED A SPANISH TRANSLATION FROM LATIN, WHICH WAS DONE BY ANDRES LAGUNA, THE DOCTOR OF THE POPE JULIUS III. ON HIS FREQUENT TRIPS TO ROME, LAGUNA CONSULTED A VARIETY OF CODICES AS WELL AS THE BOOKS ON MEDICINAL PLANTS PRODUCED IN VENICE BY THE HERBALIST PIETRO ANDREA MATTHIOLI. THIS VERSION OF THE BOOK CONTINUED TO BE EDITED AND PERFECTED UNTIL MID EIGHTEENTH CENTURY, AND IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY A FACSIMILE COPY WAS PRODUCED. IN THE EDITION PRESENTED HERE, LAGUNA INCLUDED HIS OWN ILLUSTRATIONS, ENGRAVINGS MADE ON WOOD FIBER PANELS. THE BOOK CONTAINS A TOTAL OF 600 IMAGES DEPICTING PLANTS AND ANIMALS, AND THE NAMES OF ALL THE SPECIES SHOWN APPEAR ON THE PAGE IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES. PRECISE DETAILS ABOUT THE ENGRAVER ARE UNKNOWN, BUT AS THE EDITION WAS PRINTED IN BELGIUM, IT IT THOUGHT BY MANY THAT THEY WERE CREATED BY A FLEMISH ARTIST AT THE TIME. OTHERS BELIEVE THAT THE ENGRAVER WAS ITALIAN, BECAUSE OF THE STRONG RESEMBLANCE THAT THESE ILLUSTRATIONS BORE TO THOSE IN THE MATTHIOLI EDITION. THESE AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THAT THE PLATES WERE MADE IN ITALY, BROUGHT TO ANTWERP BY LAGUNA, AND ULTIMATELY SENT TO SPAIN IN ORDER TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THE WORK. THIS VALUABLE EDITION WAS PRINTED ON VELLUM AND WAS ILLUMINATED IN ORDER TO BE PRESENTED AS A GIFT TO THE FUTURE KING PHILIP II, WHO WAS THEN STILL A PRINCE.

REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

NOTE: ALL OF OUR FACSIMILES ARE MADE TO ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR NOTIFICATION OF SHIPMENT.