SACRO BOSCO, Johannes de (fl. c.1230). Sphaera mundi. – PURBACHIUS, Georgius (1423–1461). Theoricae novae planetarum. – REGIOMONTANUS (1436–1476). Disputationes contra Cremonensia deliramenta. Venice: Erhard Ratdolt, 6 July 1482.

First edition from Ratdolt’s press (sixth overall); first appearance of Ratdolt’s astronomical diagrams with contemporary hand-coloring. The fundamental astronomical textbook of the later Middle Ages, Sphaera mundi is an introductory guide to the geocentric universe, composed for use at the nascent University of Paris and based on the newly available works of Ptolemy and his Arabic commentators. “Sacrobosco’s fame rests firmly on his De sphaera […] It was quite generally adopted as the fundamental astronomy text, for often it was so clear that it needed little or no explanation” (DSB). Similarly, Ratdolt’s addition of detailed astronomical diagrams to this edition, mostly likely crafted by Johannes Lucilius Santritter, was essential for illuminating Puerbach’s work; “The diagrams are of considerable importance, since parts of Peurbach’s text would be unintelligible without them” (DSB).

Ratdolt is credited with achieving the earliest multi-color woodcut illustrations in his 9 August 1482 edition of Regiomontanus’ Kalendarium (ISTC ir00094000) (Savage, p. 29). The present copy features contemporary hand-coloring in red, orange, yellow and green, presaging the implementation of Ratdolt's bi-color woodcut printing by a few months. E. Savage, “Colour Printing in Relief before c.1700”, in Printing Colour, 1400–1700 (2015). HC *14110 = H 14102; BMC V 286; BSB-Ink I-502; Bod-inc J-181; CIBN J-270; Essling 258; GW M14652; Goff J-405; Klebs 874.9; ISTC ij00405000.

Chancery quarto (180 × 130mm). 60 leaves. 40 woodcut illustrations including full-page armillary sphere and 8 woodcuts in black with contemporary red, orange, yellow and green hand-coloring (6 bicolor and 2 tricolor), large woodcut initials (small hole in a7’s margin, occasional soiling mostly on preliminaries). Later limp vellum, edges rubricated (rejointed, few small stains). Provenance: contemporary marginalia as well as titling on first leaf and title-page (latter trimmed and faded) – contemporary title on first leaf – “D.R.” monogramed red morocco label – E. Liechtenstein (stamp) – Owen Gingerich (bookplate).