Fine Books & Manuscripts, including The Ronald K. Siegel Collection
Thu, Jun 1, 2023 12:00PM EDT
Live Auction
Lot 510
WITHER, George (1588–1667). A Collection of Emblemes, Ancie...
Estimate: $1,000 - $1,500
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 |
WITHER, George (1588?1667). A Collection of Emblemes, Ancient and Moderne. London: A[gustine] M[atthews] for Richard Royston, 1635. FIRST EDITION, VARIANT GENERAL TITLE. An important emblem book by the English poet and author that is of ?particular interest because it contains a pair of volvelles in its final pages? These simple moving parts could thereby be used as rudimentary calculators and memory aids? Wither included his volvelles for a quite different purpose. Blindly turning these two dials allowed a reader to select an emblem upon which to concentrate his or her attention. He intended for the ?Lottery?, to be an entertainment, something he referred to as a ?Moral Pastime?. As Rosemary Freeman observes in her English Emblem Books, ?it obviously had the same appeal as a Fortune?teller at a party?? (Belongea, ?Wither?s Volvelles?, The Newberry Library). ESTC S118586; STC 25900c; Wither to Prior 1038; Not in Pforzheimer.
