PUFENDORF'S HISTORY OF SWEDEN'S KING CHARLES XI, 1696, LAVISHLY ILLUSTRATED WITH ALMOST 130 ENGRAVINGS, ONE ALMOST FIFTEEN FEET LONG
PUFENDORF, Samuel. De rebus a Carolo Gustavo Sveciae rege gestis commentariorum libri septem. Norimbergae: Christophori Riegelii, 1696. Large, thick folio, contemporary full blindstamped white pigskin, raised bands, boards with metal central armorial devices, metal clasps. $15,000.
First edition of this history of the reign of Sweden's King Charles XI, providing a detailed account of the Swedish wars with Poland and Denmark in the 17th century, lavishly illustrated with 12 engraved portraits and 115 large engraved maps and views, all at least double-page in size and including the exceptional panorama of Stockholm depicting the funeral procession of Charles X measuring almost 15 feet in length. In a striking binding with armorial devices in metal of Leopold 1st, Holy Roman Emperor, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria (1640 - 1705) on the front board and those of the Archduchy of Austria Above the Enns on the rear board.
Samuel Pufendorf, best known as a political and legal philosopher and the author of On the Law of Nature and Nations (1672), was appointed the official court historian of Sweden in 1677 by Charles XI; he spent 10 years working on a 33-volume history of Sweden. De rebus a Carolo Gustavo Sveciae rege gestis commentariorum gives a detailed account of his reign and in particular of Sweden's wars with Poland and Denmark in the 1650s; the extensive and sumptuous illustrations by Erik Dahlberg provide an extensive visual record of the Baltic region in the 17th century, with views of Bremen, Christianstad, Danzig, Frederiksborg, Königsberg, Copenhagen, Krakow, Malmö and Warsaw among other places. The plate of the naval and land procession at the funeral of Charles X presents a stunning visual panorama of Stockholm almost 15 feet in length. Text in Latin. Shelf label.
Plates beautiful and fine, faint offsetting from text to portrait of Pufendorf; a bit of marginal wormholing to first and last few leaves, not touching text; some text embrowned. In a beautiful contemporary pigskin binding with title on the spine in contemporary ink, boards with metal armorial double-eagle centerpieces, and metal clasps.