Ficino's Plato

A handsome Renaissance edition of Ficino's Latin Plato, the translation through which the Platonic corpus became accessible to the learned world of the Renaissance and early modern period. First published in Florence in 1484, Ficino's version exercised an influence on European intellectual life difficult to overstate, shaping the thought of philosophers, theologians, artists, and humanists from the fifteenth century through the Enlightenment.

The present edition advertises a revised text established through comparison with Greek manuscripts (adhibita Graeci codicis collatione), and incorporates dialogues translated by Sebastiano Conrado that had not previously been included in the collected works. Issued by the distinguished Lyon printer Antoine Vincent, it belongs to the great tradition of sixteenth-century Lyonnais humanist printing.

Contemporary or near-contemporary calf over wooden boards, covers ruled in blind with multiple fillet borders and small fleuron corner tools, large gilt oval arabesque centrepiece to each board, spine with raised bands and manuscript title-piece. Binding worn, joints partially cracked, losses at head and foot of spine, corners rubbed, but entirely unrestored and retaining considerable period character. Contemporary annotations and early ownership inscriptions throughout.

An attractive scholarly copy in an early decorated continental binding.