Early French Herbal by Platearius

Le grant herbier en francoys: contenant les qualitez: vertus, & proprietez des herbes, arbres, gommes, semences. HERBAL. PLATEARIUS, Matthaeus (12th-century) - JANOT, Jean (fl. 1510-1522). Paris: Jehan Janot, xlc [ca. 1520]. HERBAL. PLATEARIUS, Matthaeus (12th-century) - JANOT, Jean (fl. 1510-1522). Paris: Jehan Janot, xlc [ca. 1520].
Small 4to., (7 x 5 inches). Gothic type, double column. FF [22 (8 portion of top margin renewed not affecting text)]-CLXXVI, sig. AA8 BB-CC4 DD6 a8 b-e4 g4 h8 i8 k4 l8 m-p4 q8 r-u4 x8 y-z4 94 A8 B-E4 F8 G-H4 I6. 3 large woodcut vignettes, one on the title-page and one at the end of "La Table", and Jean Janot's device at the end, 300 woodcut vignettes of plants and some animals, numerous woodcut initials throughout (H5-7 remargined in the lower edge, H8 remargined in the upper edge with the running title partially renewed in manuscript facsimile, washed). Modern full brown morocco, gilt, yapp fore-edges, by Lobstein-Laurenchet.
Provenance: from the library of Jean Bonna, with his discreet booklabel on the front paste-down, his sale Christie's 16th June 2015, lot 24
AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE, EARLY EDITION IN FRENCH, PRINTED IN GOTHIC TYPE, OF A CELEBRATED AND PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED HERBAL, ONLY ONE OTHER COPY WITH THIS IMPRINT FOUND, IN THE BNF, with a slightly different collation. Subsequently reprinted by Jean Janot's son Denys.
As traditionally most available drugs had been derived from plants, the earliest herbaria were not only botanical treatises but also pharmacopoeia. Doctor Mattheus Platearius's Circa Instans was one of the most famous works to come out of the Middle Ages. His text was reworked in the early 14th century in the Tractatus Herbis attributed to Barthomaeus Mino of Senis, which augmented the book with chapters from the Herbarius by the pseudo-Apuleius. From the 1480s, many herbals where published in various European countries under the title Herbarius and Ortus Sanitatis in Latin, Gart der Gesundheit in German and Arbolayre or Grand herbarium in French. All are derived from ancient texts composed by Platearius and Mino of Senis. In all of these treatises, the illustrations play an important role, as each plant is represented: the present Grand herbarium is profusely illustrated with 300 woodcuts in the text, some representing animals.
The printer Jean (or Jehan) Hanot (fl. 1508–1522) and his sons Symon and Denys had a flourishing business in the 1510s-1540s in Paris. Jean's wife, Macée Trepperel, was also from a family of printers and booksellers. Together they printed books in the vernacular which appealed to a wide and growing audience. FRBNF34803665; Nissen 2333; Pritzel 10762; L. Choulant, "Graphische Incunabeln für Naturgeschichte", p. 75, n° 6 ; G. Nissen, "Die botanische Buchillustration", 2332. - Marque de Jean Janot (Renouard, n° 474) ; daté d'après l'adresse de J. Janot au titre et au colophon et le matériel. - 304 gr. sur bois. Car. goth. - Armes gr. découpées au contreplat supérieur. - Rel. ancienne, parchemin rigide. - Libr. P. Jammes, cat. 247, " La Nature ", n° 422. Guidance: Christie’s, 2008 - $11,250