GEMMAE ANTIQUITUS SCULPTAE A PETRO STEPHANONIO VICENTINO COLLECTAE ET DECLARATIONIBUS ILLUSTRATAE

Romae: np, 1627. Green vellum, rebacked in green leather with gilt stamped title, and the last coat of arms of J.A. de Thou (7 quarterings), bearing the motto "Mane Nobiscum Domine," on the front and rear boards. 22 cm. Engraved title page and 45 engraved plates, printed on rectos only. Old catalogue description tipped in to front endpaper, all page edges marbled. According to the German bibliographer J.G.T. Graesse the plates were engraved by Valeriano Regnart. Family crest of Jacques-Auguste de Thou (1553-1617), a French historian, author of a multi-volume history of his times, and a major book collector. De Thou left instructions in his will that his library of some 6600 volumes was not to be sold, but put in trust for his young sons. His administrator Pierre Dupuy continued to add to the collection until de Thou's eldest François-Auguste inherited it. Francois-Auguste was also a collector, primarily of manuscripts. He ran afoul of Count Richelieu and was executed in 1642. Thereafter the youngest son, Jacques-Auguste de Thou decided to sell the library in 1680 and some 12,000 volumes were catalogued and dispersed. This particular volume came from the private library of S.L. Sherer of St. Louis, sold at auction in 1920.

OCLC lists 8 copies in European libraries, and one at Harvard in the U.S., with varying plate counts.