Dibdin, Thomas Frognall. Holbein, Hans.

Icones Veteris Testamenti; Illustrations Of The Old Testament, Engraved On Wood, From Designs By Hans Holbein. [Publisher’s device after Aldus].

1830. London: William Pickering, 1830.

8vo, 188 leaves, [1-5] 6-14 (360) (=376 pp.). With 90 wood engravings after Holbein by John and Mary Byfield. Original red/pink silk very worn, section within foxed or stained, withal a decent copy of a great rarity. Enclosed in a red morocco pull-off box.

§ Large-paper copy of the first edition with an introduction by Dibdin. Tony Cox informs us that there were 25 copies thus of which Porter had 3. Jackson states 12 large-paper copies on india paper; published at one guinea. The Rylands copy is in calf-backed red silk. The Old Testament text accompanying each engraving is in five languages. The advertisement in vol.II of the Pickering Aldine Poets 1830, includes the note, ‘Dr. Dibdin has given five specimens of the wood cuts in his Bibliographical Decameron, vol. i. 174-180, where will be found a copious account of this work.’ Windle and Pippin A54a. Jackson 73. The Robert Pirie copy with his bookplate and a note at the front that this and a copy on vellum were both lost after he purchased them in 1966 (along with Dibdin's own copy of the Lincoln Nosegay) -- the vellum copy (one of six) has never been found but may be the copy recently (2022) offered by Pirages Rare Books which can be purchased with this copy courtesy of Pirages. Item #107176

Price: $6,500.00