Alessandro SARDI
De Moribus ac ritibus gentium libri III. Nunc primum in lucem editi. Quod opus quanta rerum varietate refertum, quamq ; omnibus ingeniis utile ac necessarium sit, sequens elenchus, & auctoris proœmium indicabunt.[Of the Manners and Rites of Nations, Book III. First edition. The following index and the author's preface will demonstrate the great variety of subjects contained in this work, as well as its usefulness and necessity for all minds.]
Ex officina Stellæ Iordani Zilleti|Venetiis 1557|10.8 x 15.1 cm|Relié
First edition by a forgotten Ferrarese polygraph and historian, which nevertheless enjoyed considerable success upon publication and was followed by two subsequent editions in 1577 and 1599. According to Marc Adam Kolakowski, Alessandro Sardi, together with Johannes Boemus, pioneered the use of "antiquarian and ethnographic perspectives" in the study of ancient religions.
Fine historiated initials depicting various Greco-Roman deities.
€600