New Termis Buch, Von allerley grossen vierfüssigen Thieren zugerichtet... Mit beygefügter Thieren Contrarieteten, sampt etlicher massen Beschreibungen,... (Strassburg ?) 1604. Small-Fol. With an engraved title-page border around the red and black printed title, 39 engraved plates and 16 woodcuts. 32 unnumbered leaves [ ):(4, A-D6, E4]. Contemporary, German half vellum over green boards, fabric ties.

First German edition of this very rare and extremely interesting Baroque ornament and model book. BL, German, 1785. Graesse I, 473. Berlin Katalog 3923 (now destroyed, lacked two leaves). J. Betz, Bibl. Bibliogr. Aureliana no. 92 (notes only one copy, in the British Library). Cf. Harvard French Cat. 108. Brunet I 1064 and Suppl. I, 147. Robert-Dumnesil VI, pp. 72-87 (first French edition, Langres 1592). The illustrations of fantasy columns, executed in either woodcut or copper-engraving, creatively use animals and beasts, which are factual, mythological, and/or allegorical, to provide models for artists, sculptors, carpenters, glass painters, goldsmiths, cabinet-makers, craftsmen, and "lovers of art". This strange and lovely book can also be viewed as a bestiary of sorts. The illustrations provide fascinating archetypes from the world of real and imaginary beasts via images of bears, red deer, lions, leopards, wild boars, wolves, camels, unicorns, horses, bulls, elephants, rhinos, rams, dall sheep, hunting dogs, porcupines, monkeys, donkeys, goats, tigers, antelopes, etc., which are incorporated into busts, statues and plinths. The present edition must be seen to be fully appreciated: it is superior to the author's "Nouveux Pourtraitz et figures de termes pour user en l'architecture" (Langres, 1592) in that here the dramatic mis-en-page emphasizes the verticality of the columns, with each page featuring an engraved Baroque column beside one column of Fraktur text, as does the opposing page; therefore two engraved columns and two text columns appear on one page-opening. The work consists of 39 signed etchings and 16 woodcuts by Boillot.

Joseph Boillot was an engineer and an artist. He engraved on both wood and copper for illustrations for his own books, including the present work and the famous "Instruments de Guerre", published at Chaumont-en-Bassigny in 1598. Boillot served as "controleur pour le Roi" for Henri IV's military administration at Langres, France.

In very fine, original condition; the early inscription (dated March 1st, 1675, recording the purchase by Abraham Durtz [or Duntz ?] from Iscambri Bredigkant) on first blank, which is conjugate with the front pastedown, proves the binding's early date.

Extremely rare: Besides a handful of copies in institutions there have been only two on market in recent years.