Aquatic pageantry in one of the Venetian ceremonial plates from Habiti d’huomeni et donne venetiane…, sold at £38,000.
Running to 31 engraved plates and formerly in the library of the celebrated bibliographer of hunting and hawking, CFGR Schwerdt, a copy sold in 1939 for £7.10s made £38,000 when it found its way back to Sotheby’s (25/20/12.9%) on December 4.
Another bibliographer once suggested that this copy might be a later edition, but the selling price more than doubled that previously seen at auction for any edition.
