Potter & Potter Auctions
Live Auction

Houdiniana & Magic Memorabilia

Sat, May 21, 2022 12:00PM EDT
Lot 215

DELLA PORTA, Giambattista (1535-1615). Magiae Naturalis Siv...

Estimate: $400 - $600

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$30 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $200
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
DELLA PORTA, Giambattista (1535-1615). Magiae Naturalis Sive de Miraculis. Antwerp: Joannis Steelfij, 1562. 8vo. Illustration on title page, illustrated, woodcut initials. Later vellum with yapped edges and manuscript titles on spine (notations, darkening to spine, dust stains, frontispiece woodcut trimmed, armorial bookplate of William Chadwell Mylne). Giambattista della Porta was an Italian polymath and scholar who was often referred to as the ?professor of secrets.? Magiae Naturalis remains the best known of his printed works, with the author making a point of drawing distinctions between bad and good magic; the first deals with evil spirits while the other, according to della Porta, is wholly natural and thus ?good.?