BALE, John (1495-1563) - photo 1
BALE, John (1495-1563) - photo 2
BALE, John (1495-1563) - photo 3

BALE, John (1495-1563)

Lot 81
13.07.2022 10:30UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 27 720
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 794444
Lot 81 | BALE, John (1495-1563)
Estimate value
£ 7 000 – 10 000
BALE, John (1495-1563)

Illustrium Maioris Britanniae scriptorum ... summarium. ‘Ipswich: John Overton’ [Wesel: Dierck van der Straten], 31 July 1548.

First edition of the first printed bibliography of British authors, the first complete national bibliography, and Bale's most important work. The compiler based his catalogue on a manuscript left by John Leland and expanded it while in religious exile in Germany. Bale was one of the most steadfast and outspoken of scholarly English reformers. He began his bibliographical project to record the manuscript holdings threatened by Cromwell’s dissolution of the monasteries. His autograph notebook is preserved in the Selden collection of the Bodleian, Oxford. It contains the material collected for his published catalogues arranged alphabetically and includes the sources of his information. This is the variant issue with two different dates on the title page and ascribed to different printers on the title and colophon. The final quires Rrr and Sss contain a supplement not always present. The volume's earliest owner William Murray could well be Sir William Murray of Tullibardine (d. 1583), Comptroller of Scotland, and governor of the young King James. ESTC S100599; STC 1296; Besterman I 904-5: ‘this book was reissued with the additional imprint Wesaliae 1549, both imprints are fictitious’; Lowndes I 102: ‘Supposed to be the first book printed at Ipswich. This work may be considered as the foundation of English bibliography and as such, valuable.’



Quarto (195 x 148mm). Title-page woodcut of the author presenting his work to the King, 3 small woodcuts, including a portrait of John Wycliffe, woodcut historiated and ornamental initials (title dusty with fore-edge strengthened on verso, a few minor ink splashes, some dampstaining, a little heavier in final gatherings, last leaf frayed at corners). 18th-century speckled calf, arms of Duke of Sutherland blind stamped on upper side, spine gilt (small repairs to head of spine and corners, joints a little rubbed). Provenance: William Murray (d. 1583; contemporary autograph on title) — John, Earl Gower (1694-1754; engraved armorial bookplate) — George Granville, Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland (1758-1833; binding) — Allan Heywood Bright (1862–1941; bookplate).





Special notice


No VAT on hammer price or buyer's premium.
Place of origin:Northern Europe, Europe, United Kingdom
Auction house category:Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
13.07.2022 – 13.07.2022
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.
?>