A sumptuous copy in luxuriant original colour

Thomas, Corbinian. Mercurii Philosophici Firmamentum Firmianum. Descriptionem et usum globi artificialis coelestis.

€ 9,500.00

First edition. A sumptuous copy in luxuriant and meticulous original colour, in nuanced hues with all the stars splendidly gilt. The plates show astronomical instruments, diagrams of cosmological theories, armillary spheres, celestial and terrestrial globes, a compass rose, a sundial, two maps of the moon, a map of Salzburg, and (in 54 engravings) the constellations of both hemispheres, including the zodiac. The plates are engraved by A. C. Fleischmann, J. C. Bernd, and J. Hering. Their Baroque iconography, mirroring the splendour of the absolutist prince in that of the celestial orb, places the work in the tradition of earlier astronomers such as Johannes Hevelius: Thomas situates a pair of stag's antlers, the armorial crest of the dedicatee, the prince-archbishop Leopold von Firmian, in the constellation of the Corona Borealis (Northern Garland), rechristening it "Corona Firmiana" in his honour. The frontispiece (fol. 2) shows Firmian's portrait.

The Benedictine monk Thomas (1694-1767) was an astronomer and mathematician, professor (in 1721), later librarian and vice-rector of the University of Salzburg. He taught Exegesis, Biblical Hermeneutics, rhetoric as well as Hebrew.

Covers rubbed; corners and spine professionally repaired using most of the original material, resewn. Endpapers somewhat soiled; handwritten ownership of Alfons Olsson (dated 7 March 1909) to front pastedown. Occasional fingerstaining to margins and a few small edge flaws; repaired tears to the folding "Tabula synoptica" and to the Virgo plate; a corner repair to fol. 12. Altogether very appealingly preserved.