Very antique German book published in 1689. Bound in leather and in good condition.

Exceptional antique German book published in 1689. This book is more than three hundred years old and has reached our times in good condition. Though it shows the logical signs of the trace of time it keeps all its pages, all of them fully legible, and the original binding. The book is bound in dark reddish brown leather, in quite good condition though there are some small parts missing at the top and the bottom of the spine. Originally there were two shutting hooks designed to keep the book closed but there is only one left, the top one. Inside the book is well preserved and shows only the occasional woodworm hole, having been conveniently treated. Nevertheless, the vast majority of the pages are in perfect condition, with perfectly legible texts and the soft ochre tone typical of antique publications.The title of the book is Argonautica Spiritu Moralis (Spirit and Moral of Navegation) and is fully written in Latin, something usual in those times treatises. It s a German edition and in one of the first pages we can see the year of publication: 1689. In the first printed page there is a beautiful illustration, the only one of the book, which depicts an antique sailing ship that carries a lot of figures. The leader has a halo around his head. There are also angels around and an image of Virgin Mary as a star illuminating the ships path. At the bottom we can see a series of mythological characters and beasts: the god Neptune, sirens and sea horses. It is a charming illustration with a high attention to detail.The first written page, to the right of the illustration, is printed in black and red lettering. The rest of the pages are printed in black, written in a beautiful and elegant gothic letter. The smart and profusely decorated capital letters which head the texts are quite remarkable, as well as the decorative motives that embellish some pages. Curiously enough there is also a dry flower between two pages, a delicate detail that speaks about the life and history of this amazing volume. The books is in quite good condition considering the hundreds of years that have passed through it, and is undoubtedly a unique piece worthy of inclusion in a museum or a library with the best antique publications.This book is fit to belong to a real lover of antique publications who can best appreciate its historical value and striking beauty as they deserve.Measurements: Width: 210 mm. Height: 170 mm.