HERMES TRISMEGISTUS - photo 1
HERMES TRISMEGISTUS - photo 2

HERMES TRISMEGISTUS

Lot 202
13.07.2022 10:30UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 5 670
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
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ID 794469
Lot 202 | HERMES TRISMEGISTUS
Estimate value
£ 3 000 – 5 000
HERMES TRISMEGISTUS

The Divine Pymander… in XVII Books. London : printed by Robert White, for Tho. Brewster, and Greg. Moule, 1650 [i.e. 1649].

Rare first edition of the English translation of one of the great esoteric works. It comprises the first 17 books of the Corpus Hermeticum by Hermes Trismegistus, one of the core texts of the ancient Egyptian gnosis. It was considered by scholars of the Renaissance to have been one of the oldest texts in the world, although they are now thought to have been created around the first century CE. Lost for more than a thousand years, these texts were eagerly sought by the Renaissance court of Cosimo de Medici; and via their translation into Latin by Cosimo’s chief scholar, Marsilio Ficino, the Corpus Hermeticum formed the basis of the Renaissance interest in alchemy, astrology and magic. Ferguson, Bibliotheca Chemica, vol I, p.389.



Octavo (140 x 92mm). Title with decorative woodcut borders, engraved initials, head- and tailpieces (very small marginal chip to C3 just affecting two numerals and one letter of catchword, H2 trimmed close at foot almost touching catchword, I1 with frayed fore-edge at margin with tiny hole and very short tear just into one word, occasional insignificant light spotting). Contemporary sheep (lightly rubbed, more heavily along joints and head- and tailcaps).





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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
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13.07.2022 – 13.07.2022
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
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