Fully gilt renaissance book binding, with special provenance

Rich blindstamped pigskin binding, front board with centered stamp with image of Justitia above a three-line text, monogrammed "G.K.", above this stamp the shortened book title "Illust. Poe." and below the stamp initials "M.B.", back board with central image of Lucretia above a three-line text, both stamps surrounded by roll stamps with the figures of Justitia and Lucretia, monogrammed "M.I." and dated 1553, the binding ENTIRELY GILT, 16.7 x 11 cm.

Gilding on spine worn, a few small wormholes near the hinge of the back board and some traces of use, yet a very well-preserved copy. A beautiful example of a mid 16th-century renaissance book binding, very rare in this lavishly gilt form. Content: Carmina quinque illustrium poetarum (...). Venice, H. Lilius & Socii, 1558, 183,(1) p., with woodcut printer's mark on the title. Here and there (water)stained, esp. at the end, paging in places erroneous/skipping. with old owner's name on the title and aphorism on the free endpaper by Georgius Sabinus (1508-Dec. 1560), dated 1560: "stat sua cuique dies, breve & irreparabile tempus " (a line by Virgil in his Aeneid, Jupiter speaking to Hercules) "Georgius Sabinus sua manu scribebat anno M.D.LX." On this Sabinus, poet, diplomat, scientist and son-in-law of Melanchton, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Sabinus. Edition in which 5 works have been combined, by Pietro Bembo, Andrea Novageri, Baldassare Castiglione, Giovanni Cotta and Marcantonio Flaminio. Of these, Sabinus at least knew Pietro Bembo personally.