The 1491 incunabulum of Euclid’s Elements
The University of Macau Library (UM Library) held the opening ceremony of the exhibition ‘Timeless Masterpiece: The 1491 Incunabulum of Euclid’s Elements’ and a book presentation ceremony to mark the acquisition of the rare book. The rare book acquired by the UM Library is one of the most precious items among its more than 20,000 rare books, and is also the only incunabulum of Elements that can be found in China. The book is currently on display in the Manuscript Corner on the first floor of the UM Library. All are welcome to visit the exhibition.
The edition of Euclid’s Elements (full title: Preclarissimus liber elementorum Euclidis perspicacissimi: in artem geometrie incipit quam foelicissime) acquired by the UM Library is a revised version based on earlier Latin translations and new translations of various Arabic sources. It is a reprint edition printed in 1491 by the publisher Leonardus de Basilea and Gulielmus de Papia in Vicenza, Italy. Compared to the first edition, the statement ‘dedicated to the Doge of Venice’ was omitted in the reprint version. The decorative border on the first page was changed from the Arabic motifs of the first edition to Cupid, plants and animals, and the typeface was changed from Gothic, as in the first edition, to Roman, a more legible one. Jeremy Norman, an expert on rare books and the history of science, even wrote an appraisal letter for this acquisition. Only 84 libraries in the world have acquired the 1491 edition.
The ceremony was hosted by Rui Martins, vice rector of UM. Several UM representatives also attended the event: Chris Leung, secretary-general of the University Council; Wu Jianzhong, university librarian; Antony Si Tou, director of the Information and Communication Technology Office; and Cindy Lam, director of the Alumni and Development Office.
