ID 1129646
Lot 28 | 14 woodblocks from Athanasius Kircher's Prodromus Coptus
Estimate value
$ 10 000 – 20 000
A remarkable set of printing blocks from the Propaganda Fide Press, used in Kircher's Coptic grammar. Kircher's book explored the relationship between Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs—still at the time undeciphered—and other world languages, and argued for a connection between Coptic and Ancient Egyptian. The blocks cut to illustrate this work perfectly reflect the scope of both Kircher's polymathic mind and the ambition of the Congregation of the Propaganda Fide, whose press was devoted to helping missionaries study the languages necessary to disseminate Catholicism around the world. They represent Egyptian glyphs, Chinese and Coptic writing, and other Christian and esoteric imagery. See Merrill 3.
14 wooden blocks, largest being 148 x 81mm and the smallest 25 x 20mm). Each wrapped in paper printed with an image from the block (about 6 blocks with a few wormholes, only in 2 cases affecting the printing surface).
| Address of auction |
CHRISTIE'S 20 Rockefeller Plaza 10020 New York USA | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preview |
| ||||||||||||||
| Phone | +1 212 636 2000 | ||||||||||||||
| Fax | +1 212 636 4930 | ||||||||||||||
| Conditions of purchase | Conditions of purchase | ||||||||||||||
| Shipping |
Postal service Courier service pickup by yourself | ||||||||||||||
| Payment methods |
Wire Transfer | ||||||||||||||
| Business hours | Business hours
|



