La historia del mondo nuovo - photo 1
La historia del mondo nuovo - photo 2
La historia del mondo nuovo - photo 3
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La historia del mondo nuovo

Lot 148
28.01.2025 10:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 15 120
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1360864
Lot 148 | La historia del mondo nuovo
Estimate value
$ 8 000 – 12 000
BENZONI, Girolamo. La historia del mondo nuovo. Venice: Francesco Rampazetto, 1565.

First edition of this rare, illustrated history of early colonial Spanish America. In the 1550s and 1560s Benzoni spent fourteen years traveling throughout Haiti, Cuba, Panama, Colombia and Peru. His first-hand account of the customs and religions of the Native Americans of these regions and of the history of the Spanish settlements there provided scathing evidence of the abuses of European rule, as summarized in the title of this edition: "... the history, deeds, and strict and severe regime of the Spanish against the Indians, [whose] unbelievably huge wealth of gold, silver, diamonds, pearls, emeralds and other riches was stolen by the Spanish..." This work (which was soon translated into French, German and Dutch) was hugely influential on contemporary views of 16th-century Spanish America. The woodcuts, which in their first edition are among the very earliest to offer first-hand depictions of Native Americans illustrate aspects of culture. These include weighted earrings, canoeing, hammocks, shelters, a punishment of molten gold in the mouth of a conquistador, caring for the sick, breadmaking, winemaking, fruit trees, harvesting nuts, a chief's house, musical instruments and dance, and smelting of gold and silver. Rare: we trace only three copies at auction in the past century (RBH). Sabin 4790.

Octavo (146 x 90mm). Title-page with woodcut author portrait, 17 woodcuts in text, woodcut initials (foxing and some soiling, repair to title-page, first and last gatherings a little clumsily rehinged, small stains, wear to outer margin of first three leaves). Later vellum, spine titled in manuscript (mild soiling); modern clamshell box. Provenance: contemporary Italian ownership inscription to title and some pen trials and calculations in blank area at end of book 1 – Dr. Luis R. Oramas, of Caracas (bookplate to box).
Place of origin:Italy, South America
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