FARGHANI, Ahmad Ibn Muhammad al- (c.800-870) [ALFRAGANUS] - photo 1
FARGHANI, Ahmad Ibn Muhammad al- (c.800-870) [ALFRAGANUS] - photo 2
FARGHANI, Ahmad Ibn Muhammad al- (c.800-870) [ALFRAGANUS] - photo 3

FARGHANI, Ahmad Ibn Muhammad al- (c.800-870) [ALFRAGANUS]

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£ 23 940
Auction dateClassic
14.12.2022 10:30UTC +01:00
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CHRISTIE'S
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United Kingdom, London
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ID 870818
Lot 118 | FARGHANI, Ahmad Ibn Muhammad al- (c.800-870) [ALFRAGANUS]
FARGHANI, Ahmad Ibn Muhammad al- (c.800-870) [ALFRAGANUS]

Rudimenta astronomica. Nuremberg: Johann Petreius, 1537.

Rare first edition of a work combining two major Arabic texts on planetary astronomy: al-Farghani’s Rudimenta astronomica [Elements of Astronomy], here in its second printed edition but the first with the additions and geometrical proofs of Regiomontanus; and al-Battani’s De motu stellarum [The Motions of the Stars], printed here for the first time.



Al-Farghani's work was enormously influential and largely responsible for spreading knowledge of Ptolemaic astronomy throughout medieval Europe. It had far reaching influence, being the main source of astronomical knowledge for Dante's cosmology in Il convivio and the Divina Commedia and even Columbus used Alfraganus' value of the measurement of the earth. De motu stellarum, here printed for the first time, was al-Battani’s principal astronomical work and ‘among the most excellent in Islamic astronomy’ (DSB): ‘The indebtedness of Copernicus to al-Battani is well known. He quotes him fairly often, especially — as does Peurbach — in the chapters dealing with the problems of solar motion and of precession. Much more frequent references to him are found in Tycho Brahe’s writings and in G. B. Riccioli's New Almagest; in addition, Kepler and — only in his earliest writings — Galileo evidence their interest in al-Battani’s observations’ (DSB). ABPC/RBH record only a single complete copy at Sotheby’s in 1934. Adams A-740; Houzeau & Lancaster 764 (‘fort rare’).



Two parts in one, quarto (200 x 142mm). Woodcut initials and several woodcut diagrams in the text (tear into text in 2f1, some light marginal stains). Contemporary blind-tooled calf (leather mostly worn away, old paper to spine chipped, upper board split at corner). Provenance: erased inscriptions on title – early inscriptions on front pastedown – 16th-century Hebrew inscription on rear endpaper apparently relating to a work printed by Robert Estienne with commentary by Rabbi David Kimchi (1160-1235) – trace of removed label on front pastedown.



[Bound with:] RICCI, Agostino (fl. 16th century). De motu octavae sphaerae. Paris: Simon de Colines, 1521. (A few leaves just starting.)





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