(1548). CATULLE - TIBULLE - PROPERCE. HIS ACCESSERUNT CORN. - Lot 229

(1548). CATULLE - TIBULLE - PROPERCE. HIS ACCESSERUNT CORN. GALLI FRAGMENTA. Lyon, Sébastien Gryphe, 1548. In-16, 336 pages, boards entirely covered with white, blue, lemon and red wax listels forming compartments with geometric decorations on a background of gilded dotted lines, with coats of arms also mosaicked in the center of the boards, smooth mosaic spine interspersed with dotted lines, gilded and chased edges (antique binding with later decoration). Fine Lyon italic printing, ruled with abundant contemporary handwritten annotations in the first part. The copy is entirely ruled in red. An astonishing and rare binding, whose rich wax decoration can with certainty be attributed to THEODORE HAGUE (1823-1891), a forger who specialized in this field. He fooled a large number of connoisseurs, including the wealthy American John Blacker, who unknowingly purchased many of these faked bindings! A large part of his library was dispersed in London in 1897 by his son. Fine condition (Baudrier VIII, 220) (USTC, 149939).