The book De humani corporis fabrica libri septem, by Fleming Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564) first published in 1543, revolutionised anatomy and established the foundations and standards for anatomical research for the next several hundred years. A copy of the second edition with the description 'Mod. vellum. - Lacking the pp. 669-672 and the whole index … lightly soiled, here and there contemp. marginalia and underlinings' was acquired for €13,200 at the auction Keterrer by Gerard Vogrincic, a Canadian doctor. He noticed  that the notes were very unusual, like an attempt to improve the text, to rewrite it. 

When the handwriting was examined and his hypothesis that the notes belonged to the hand of the author, Andreas Vesalius, was confirmed, the book was auctioned at Christie's in January 2024 and, breaking many records, realised $2,228,000, making it one of the ten most expensive scientific publications ever sold. The buyer was the Department of Culture of the Flemish Community in partnership with KU Leuven, the oldest university in the Netherlands, where Andries van Wesel, whose name in Latin is Andreas Vesalius, began his studies.

Continue to read: The Ugly Duckling or a Wonderful Transformation 

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"Bookfind of the century" sells for $2.23 million

Lot description by Ketterer

Lot Assay by Christie's