2 800 €

Réf : 87728

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Anselme-Boece de BOODT (ou BOOT) & (Jean-Baptiste COLBERT)

[EXEMPLAIRE DE COLBERT] Gemmarum et Lapidum historia

Ex officina Joannis Maire, Lugduni Batavorum (Lyon) 1636, in-8 (11,5x18,2cm), [4] ff., 576 p., [12] ff. (dernier vierge) ; ill., 2 pl. dépliantes, relié.

| Colbert's copy |

[The History of Gems and Stones]
Ex officina Joannis Maire ◇ Lugduni Batavorum (Lyon) 1636 ◇ marbled calf

Second edition of the Gemmarum et Lapidarum Historia by Flemish doctor and naturalist Anselm de Boodt, with commentary by Adrian Toll in first edi­tion. Illustrated with 45 woodcuts in text and two folding plates.
Contemporary marbled calf, spine four raised bands decorated in gilt, red mo­rocco title-label, boards twice framed in gilt, speckled edges. Restorations to the upper joint.
A major work of gemology and min­eralogy from the library a highly es­teemed bibliophile and major French political figure: Jean-Baptiste Colbert, famous for purchasing the “Bleu de France” diamond, one of the world's most beautiful gemstones.
Protégée of Jules Mazarin, Colbert was most certainly introduced to gemology by the Cardinal who was a great col­lector of gems and had also passed on this taste to the Sun King. As Superin­tendent of Finances, Colbert purchased for the crown “moghul roses, pendants, 'lasque' diamonds and crystals in their natural state for a sum nearing 900,000 livres tournois, the equivalent of over six hundred kilograms of pure gold. Among these gems, the first was a rare diamond weighing over 115 modern metric carats, of great clarity and a color never seen before: a vivid, deep blue” (François Farges, Pierres précieuses: lu­mière, couleurs et pouvoir). He is even said to have coined the gem's name of “Bleu de France”. According to Germain Bapst, Colbert was asked to present the Crown Jewels to famous Italian sculptor Bernini during his visit in Paris. He also took advantage of the symbolic power of precious stones and used them as spectacular diplomatic gifts – notably a 120 diamond-covered miniature portrait box of Louis XIV offered to the ambas­sadors of the English crown in 1672.
The 1728 sale catalog of the famous “Bibliothèque Colbertine” shows Col­bert had assembled one of the largest and finest private libraries of his age, including a comprehensive collection of books on stone classification, carv­ing and valuation. Among them are two copies of this important work by Anselm de Boodt: the first edition as well as this copy of the second edi­tion expanded with comments by Ley­den physician Adrian Toll. De Boodt's original manuscript was found in Toll's cabinet and the latter's commentary was added to every subsequent Latin editions.
First published right at the beginning of the 17th century, de Boodt's study acts both as treatise and manual. It describes no fewer than 647 minerals and gems whilst developing a system of classifi­cation based on hardness, composition, color, and clarity. He relies not only on Classical sources (Pliny's Natural Histo­ry, the Materia Medica of Dioscorides, Galen's Simple Medicines and Alberto Magno's De Mineralibus), but also on the works of Renaissance scholars (by Césalpin, Gessner, Scaliger), and de­votes some lines explaining the magical or medicinal virtues of each stone. This remarkable work also holds practical in­formation on the size of stones and how to spot forgeries, a summary of miner­alogical knowledge at the time, and an inventory of various medicinal proper­ties attributed to mineral substances. In addition, there are useful tips for jewel­ers, naturalists and physicians. An index of all the stones mentioned is provided at the beginning of the work.
A precious copy testifying to the inter­est in mineralogy and precious gems shown by Colbert, passionate collec­tor and most famous minister of the Sun King.

Provenance: ownership inscription from Colbert's library (his sale, organized by Charles-Léonor Colbert, comte de Sei­gnelay: Bibliotheca Colbertina, III, no. 16469).

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