The Giunta or Junta family, members of which were printing at Florence
and Venice from 1480 to 1598, may be conveniently referred to here. One
of the earliest books in which the founder of the family, Filippo, used
a Mark, is “Apuleii Metamorphoseos,” Florence, 1512; our example, which
is identical with that in Apuleius, is taken from Ὀππιανου Ἁλιευτικων
(Oppiani de natura seu venatione piscium), Florence, 1515, which was
edited by Musurus. From a typographical and artistic point of view the
books of Lucantonio Junta (or Zonta) are infinitely superior to those of
Filippo. He was both printer and engraver, and many of the illustrations
which appear in the books he printed were executed by him. His Mark
appeared as early as 1495 in red at the end of an edition of Livy which
he appears to have executed for Philippus Pincius, Venice, and again in
red, this time on the title-page, in another edition of the same author,
done for Bartholomeus de Zanis de Portesio, Venice, 1511. Each of these
productions contained a large number of beautiful woodcuts. Early in the
sixteenth century those “vero honesti viri” (as they modestly described
themselves), Jacobi and Francisci, were printing at Florence (“et
sociorum eius”), the accompanying mark being taken from a commentary
on Thomas Aquinas, 1531. It will be noticed that in the three marks of
different members of the family the _fleur-de-lys_ appears. Among the
Venetian printers of the beginning of the sixteenth century Johannes de
Sabio et Fratres may be mentioned, if only on account of their Mark
which is given herewith. Its explanation is certainly not obvious; and
Bigmore and Wyman’s suggestion that it is a punning device is not a
correct one, whilst the statement that the cabbage is of the “Savoy”
variety is also erroneous, for this variety has scarcely any stalks;
for “Brasica” we should read “Brassica.” In 1534, “M. Iwan Antonio de
Nicolini de Sabio” printed “Alas espesas de M. Zuan Batista Pedreçan,”
a rare and beautiful edition with woodcuts, and, in small folio, of
“Primaleon” in Spanish; and in 1535 Stephano da Sabio issued a
translation of “La Conquesta del Peru,” etc., of Francesco de Xeres.
[Illustration: THE ALDINE ANCHOR, 1575-81.]
[Illustration: P. GIUNTA.]
[Illustration: L. GIUNTA.