KIRCHER (Athanasius). - Lot 71

KIRCHER (Athanasius). Mundus subterraneus in XII libros digestus. Amsterdam, Jan Jansson a Waesberge & fils, 1678. 2 volumes in an in-folio volume, stiff ivory vellum, framed with cold fillets crossing at the corners, small fleuron at the corners and large Arabic cartouche in the center, ribbed spine, red title page, red edges (Dutch binding of the period). An extraordinary work, one of Kircher's most famous. Almost three centuries ahead of Jules Verne, Kircher plunges us into an astonishing journey to the center of the Earth. He recounts his stay in Sicily in 1637-1638, gives his impressions of the eruptions of Mount Etna and Mount Stromboli, events of which he was an eyewitness, and indulges in fabulous observations on the bowels of the Earth, which he says are inhabited by monsters of all kinds, as well as fantastic speculations on its subterranean geology (hidden lakes, rivers of lava, etc.). The original edition appeared in Amsterdam in 1664-1665. Spectacular copper-engraved illustration, including 2 frontispieces, one engraved by Theodore Matham after J. Paul Schor, the other by Siourtsma after Crispin de Passe, 21 out-of-text plates (including 2 plates of volvelles), mostly double-page, 5 tables and a large number of figures in the text. (Caillet, II, n°5783; Dorbon, n°2387; Ferguson, I, 467; Merrill, n°17.) Some quires more or less foxed, small marginal wetness on a few leaves. Title page slightly missing. A portrait sometimes mentioned in the work, apparently erroneously, is not present here.