PONTANO, Giovanni Gioviano (1429-1503) - De Oboedientia. Naples: Mathias Moravus, 1490.   First and only incunabula edition of this ethical and political work written, printed, and bound in Naples. Giovanni Pontano, an Umbrian who settled in Naples and served as secretary, tutor, and diplomat to the Aragonese court, was the most important humanist of 15th-century Naples. Various chapters are of medical interest such as De temperantiae muneribus, Coercendas esse cupiditates, De continentia, Senectuti et egritudini obedientibus satisfaciendum, Conjugium a ratione initum fuisse, Conjugium certae prolis gratia fuisse institutum, Unius ne an multorum sit naturalior gubernatio. This fascinating copy with wide margins is in a contemporary Neapolitan binding by Girolamo d'Ambrosio, a binder at the Aragonese court (cf. Schunke, 'Über die Aragonesischen Buchbinder in Neapel', GbJb 1957, 320-323) and with illustrious modern provenance.   4to (229 x 164mm). Few contemporary and later manuscript guide-letters (few tiny small marginal wormholes, narrow faint dampstain at upper margins of first and final few leaves). Contemporary Neapolitan binding of dark brown blindstamped goatskin over wooden boards, one (of two) fore-edge clasps (rebacked in style, modern free endpapers, covers lightly wormed and rubbed with some loss of leather). Provenance: a few contemporary humanist annotations and others of the 19th-century – Baron Horace de Landau (1824-1903; French banker and keen bibliophile, representative of the Rothschild bank in Turin from 1862; bookplate). BMC VI 865; BSB-Ink P-693; Goff P-920.   The lot is accompanied by a export license.

Estimate € 2,000 - 3,000

Sold € 3,800