Jean de LA TAILLE. Le Blason des pierres precieuses contenant leurs vertuz & proprietez. Small booklet in-4, black half-basin, spine with 4 ornate nerves (19th century binding). Brunet, III-869 // Cioranescu, 12701. 18 f.-(2 f.) / A-E4 / 130 x 188 mm. First edition. Born in Bondaroy around 1540, Jean de La Taille was destined to become a magistrate before becoming enthusiastic about poetry after reading Ronsard and Du Bellay. He died around 1608, leaving behind various works of poetry, drama and history. The work consists of a first part in prose, printed in round type, in which the author describes all the precious stones (colour, appearance, hardness, etc.), as well as their supposed virtues.This first part is followed by poems on the same theme and various epigrams, printed in italics. Le Blason des pierres précieuses was published twice by Lucas Breyer in 1574, once following La Géomance abrégée with its own title, and again in this separate edition. This edition is illustrated with two woodcuts in fine, one representing the author and the other his coat of arms: a lion with his motto In utrun[m]que paratus. Crack at foot of one spine. Title 3 mm shorter in lateral margin. Provenance: Anatole Basseville (bookplate).