ID 794570
Lot 91 | DURANDUS DE SAINT-POURÇAIN (c. 1275-1332)
Estimate value
£ 2 000 – 3 000
In quattuor Sententiarum libros. Edited by Jacques Merlin (c. 1480-1541) and Guillaume Petit (c. 1470-1536). Paris: Jodocus Badius Ascensius, for himself and Jacques Petit, 13 November 1508.
First edition of an important commentary on the Sentences of Lombard. A fine copy, edited by French humanists Jacques Merlin and Guillaume Petit and once owned by the 16th-century German theologian Hermann Heinrich Frey. Such was the fame of the French bishop and theologian Durandus of Saint-Pourçain in the Middle Ages that a Chair of Durandus rivalled that of Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus at some universities. His name was subsequently overshadowed, and until Merlin translated and edited Durandus’s In Quattuor Sententiarum Libros the work ‘lay hidden in dirty boxes or covetous libraries among writing half-consumed by decay’ and was ‘filled with errors that occurred during the passage of time because of copyists’ mistakes’ (Sandy). Frey, the early owner of this copy, was a preacher at Stuttgart before becoming Superintendent at Schweinfurt; among his publications was the popular Biblisch Thierbuch (Leipzig, 1594). The contemporary black and red underscoring and annotations on some pages, such as the note on a section about exorcism, are presumably in his hand. Renouard, Badius II, 410-411; Adam D-1178; G. Sandy, ‘Review of La France des Humanistes: Hellénistes I’, (2003).
Folio (303 x 204mm). With final blank, title in red and black, large woodcut of the Tree of Consanguinity and woodcut diagram of the Tree of Affinity, ornamental initials (very minor worming in preliminary quires, very occasional small stains, neat repair in one leaf not affecting text). Contemporary German half blindstamped pigskin over wooden boards, title and shelfmark written on upper cover and spine, two brass catches with one clasp and remains of another (lightly rubbed). Provenance: Hermann Heinrich Frey (1549-1599; his ownership stamp on title, underlining and occasional annotation).
Special notice
No VAT on hammer price or buyer's premium.
Place of origin: | Western Europe, France, Europe |
---|---|
Auction house category: | Printed books |
Place of origin: | Western Europe, France, Europe |
---|---|
Auction house category: | Printed books |
Address of auction |
CHRISTIE'S 8 King Street, St. James's SW1Y 6QT London United Kingdom | |
---|---|---|
Preview |
| |
Phone | +44 (0)20 7839 9060 | |
Buyer Premium | see on Website | |
Conditions of purchase | Conditions 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.