UNCOMMON ESTIENNE IMPRINT OF THIS BOOK FOR YOUNG PEOPLE DEALING WITH ANCIENT ROMAN DRESS, WRITTEN BY LAZARE DE BAIF

Baif, Lazare. De re vestiaria libellus, ex Bayfio excerptus: addita vulgaris linguae interpretatione, in adolescentulorum gratiam atque utilitatem. Secunda edition. Parisiis: ex officina Roberti Stephani typographi regii, 1541 (Parisiis: excudebat Rob. Stephanus Hebraicarum et Latinarum literarum typographus regius, 1541 Id. April.).

8vo (170x108 mm), modern printed paper binding; pp. 68, [12]. Woodcut mark on t.-p.

The treatise deals with ancient Roman dress (from hats to shoes, incl. carpets, etc).
It was edited by Charles Estienne (whose name is in the preface); at that time, he was tutor of J.A. de Baif, Lazare's son.

Lazare de Baïf (1496–1547) was a French diplomat and humanist. His natural son, Jean-Antoine de Baïf, was born in Venice, while Lazare was French ambassador there. He published a translation of the Electra of Sophocles in 1537, and afterwards a version of the Hecuba. He was an elegant writer of Latin verse, and is commended by Joachim du Bellay as having introduced certain valuable words into the French language.

Charles Estienne (1504–1564) was an early exponent of the science of anatomy in France. Charles was a younger brother of Robert Estienne I, the famous printer, and son to Henri, who Latinized the family name as Stephanus. He married Geneviève de Berly. After the usual humanistic training he studied medicine, and took his doctor's degree at Paris. He was for a time tutor to Jean-Antoine de Baïf, the future poet.

References: IT\ICCU\BVEE\013094. OCLC, 13027853 (2 copies in France, 2 copies in USA, 1 copy in UK and 1 copy in Canada) and 22013234 (4 copies in USA and 3 copies in UK). Renouard 52:14. Pettegree FB 2532. Adams B-45. Not in Schreiber, Machiels, STCFrench (BL).

Light browning at the margins of title-page. A very good copy.