Among earlier printed works offered in Königstein-im-Taunus, Germany, was one of perhaps half-a-dozen 15th century editions of a famous work on witchcraft by Ulricus Molitoris, De lamis et phitonicis mulieribus.
Bearing the 1489, Köln imprint of a Dutch printer, Kornelius of Zierikzee, but probably printed c.1497-99 said the saleroom, and illustrated with seven coloured woodcuts, it made a much higher than expected €38,000 (£34,545).
Only an ex-Huth Library copy of what may have have been the first edition, printed in Reutlingen in 1489, has made more. When last seen at auction, at Christie’s New York in 2013, as part of the Vershbow collections, it made $85,000 (then £55,550).
Illustrated top is the Molitoris work and three other very different lots from that monster sale on October 27-30 are shown below.
