[Sca-cooks] Apicius: De Re Culinaria, Platina: De Honesta Voluptate

[Johnna Holloway]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Apicius-Re-Culinaria-Platina-Honesta-Voluptate-/160535703943?pt=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item2560ac7187

Seb. Gryphium, Lyon, 1541. . Binding: Hardcover (Vellum). Book  
Condition: Very Good. Size: Octavo (8vo). Text is clean and unmarked.  
Previous owner's book-plate laid in. Early vellum worn and a bit  
soiled but largely intact - a few chips and a small hole to spine.  
Early morocco spine label. Some age toning to page edges, scattered  
foxing, a small dampstain to the corner of the first few pages.  
Generally a nice clean copy.

One of the first editions of Apicius, the 5th century collection of  
Roman recipes along with an early edition of Platina's enormously  
influential work, De Honesta Voluptate et Valutudine, here with the  
incorrect title given it by Torinus (who had published a Quarto  
edition the same year in Basel - from which this was likely pirated).  
Also appearing is Aegineta's 7th century work on digestion.

Apicius is pages 1-105; Aegineta 106-124 and Platina's ten books  
125-314 followed by an index and the Griffin on the rear free  
endpaper. An enormously important work that contains both the most  
important book on ancient cookery as well as the most important  
Renaissance work - even if Platina did crib most of his book from the  
great chef Maestro Martino di Como. Apicius first appeared in an  
undated edition ca. 1483, Platina in 1474.


Now why it's on eBay and not someplace else...

Johnnae