16th century
Kreuterbuch
The Kreuterbuch of Adam Lonicer (1528-1586), first published in 1557, is an early example of a bestseller—the book remained in print in various forms through 1783, which is a testament to its popular appeal. Although the name Kreuterbuch literally translates to “herb book,” and most of it is indeed about plants, a great deal of the book is devoted to describing the natures and uses of animals, metals, and gemstones.
Masterpieces of Japanese Screen Painting
The late-16th century was the golden age of Japanese screen painting, both literally and figuratively. The Momoyama period (1573-1615) was also an age of monumental architecture, with feudal lords building forts and castles of a size unprecedented in Japan. The great masters of the art of screen painting who were called upon to decorate the interiors of these large buildings filled them with screens of bold and innovative aesthetics, some with gold leaf covering their entire surfaces. Japan had a well-established tradition of incorporating gold leaf into art and decorative work.
Magiae naturalis
Opuscula Iuventutis Mathematica Curiosa...
The first part of this work describes a newly invented instrument of the era: a planisphere illustrated with a plate. A planisphere is a star chart analog computing instrument in the form of two adjustable disks that rotate on a common pivot. It can be adjusted to display the visible stars for any time and date. It is an instrument to assist in learning how to recognize stars and constellations. The astrolabe, an instrument that has its origins in the Hellenistic civilization, is a predecessor of the modern planisphere.
Algorithmus Linealis Numeratione[m]
One of the earliest treatises on calculation by the aid of counters on an abacus. In the dedication, Heinrich Stromer von Auerbach (1482-1542) refers to Aristotle and Boethius. There is a brief introduction on the use of counters or projectiles, then the work covers addition, subtraction, duplication, mediation, multiplication, division, progression, and the rule of three.
A Large Dictionary English and Dutch
The Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Library of Natural History has been building a collection of foreign language dictionaries from the same time periods as the books in our rare collections (16th through 19th centuries) so that researchers can consult contemporary sources when reading and translating the books. Latin, Dutch, German, French, and Spanish have been the top priorities, with Swedish, Portuguese, and Italian as a second-tier. For 18th century Dutch, we recently bought the 4th edition of Sewel's English-Dutch dictionary, first published in 1691.
Georgii Trapezuntii In Claudii Ptolemaei Centum Aphorismos Commentarius
A collection of notable works relating to astrology dealing with body condition, the soul, luck and accidents, and various medical topics all dealt with in terms of their relationship to the stars. The commentator, George Trebizond, a celebrated scholar, became professor of Greek at Venice around 1430 and was later appointed secretary to Pope Eugenius. He wrote numerouos commentaries and translated many Greek books into Latin.
Initia Doctrinae Physicae
Early edition (first 1549) of this influential physics text by the German humanist and reformer, Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560). Melanchthon's importance as a religious reformer has tended to overshadow his achievements as a writer of science and medicine. His natural history course, which he held at the University of Wittenberg, mentioned Copernicus, but he did not accept his theory.
