Incunabula

Nuremberg: Anton Koberger, 30 July, 1477. Very Early Printing of the Bible and only the second Latin Bible printed by Koberger, 51 lines and headline, double column, canon marginalia in the Gospels. With manuscript headlines in red, a beautiful opening initial of 10 lines with elaborate flourishes that flow from the very top to very bottom of the page in red, blue and green, numerous 6 line initials in red and blue, some with much longer extensions or flourishes, a profusion of 3 line initials in red or blue, red paragraph marks and additional rubricating throughout primarily in red. Royal folio (375 x 265mm approx), in contemporary German blind-stamped pigskin over thick wood boards, (probably a Nuremberg binding), the boards center-paneled and decorated in blind with a central tool within multiple borders, remnants of brass catches on the fore-edge. Manuscript lettering to the spine with wide tall bands. 468 leaves, complete. An unusually fine copy, especially well preserved and very handsome… Read More

[Venice: Aldus Manutius, 1495. First Aldine edition, and the first complete edition of Theocritus (printing 12 of the 30 Idylls here for the first time); the first edition of HESIOD'S THEOGONY; second edition of his WORKS AND DAYS; and first editions of most of the other minor works (enumerated below); and first setting of quires £I °E F and £K °E G.. Title in Greek and Roman, introduction by Aldus in Latin;, text entirely in Greek. Woodcut decorated initials and floral or strapwork headpieces, ILLUMINATED THROUGHOUT IN COLORS AND GOLD IN A CONTEMPORARY HAND. [140] leaves. 1 vols. Folio, (315 x 210 mm.). Bound in early 18th-century mottled calf, spine in 7 compartments with citron morocco lettering piece in one and ornamental tooling in the rest; title soiled and shaved along fore-edge, extensive neatly penned marginalia in Greek and Latin, in two different hands; gilt edges, gauffered to all-over pattern of intersecting diagonal fillets and fleurons. Bookplate of St. Benedict's Abbey, Fort… Read More

Cairo: Bolacco (Bulak), 1822 Book. Very Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. EXTREEMLY RARE, ARABIC ITALIAN DICTIONARY, VOCABULARY AND TERMS, PAGINATED IN ARABIC AND LATIN, TITLE PAGE IN ARABIC, CONTAINS PRINTING DATE 1238 AND PLACE (TAMMA AL TAB'U FI BULAK BI MATBA'AAT SAHIB AL SA'AADAH), AND PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR IN ARABIC, SUBTITLE, 266 PP IN TOW COLUMNS, ARABIC AND ITALIAN, 4 PP ERRATA IN ITALIAN, 2 PP ERRATA IN ARABIC, AND ONE TITLE PAGE IN ITALIAN CONTAINS PRINTING DETAILS: BOLACCO DALLA STAMPERIA REALE 1822. 4TO. THE FIRST AND ONLY BOOK TO BE PRINTED IN BULAQ AND IN A NATIONAL PRINTING OFFICE IN EGYPT AFTER THE FRANCH EXPEDITION. THE BOOK CONSISTS OF TOW PARTS: (Part I): del dizionario disposto come il solito nell'ordine alfabetico. (Part II): Che contiene una breve raccolta di nomi e di verbi li piu necessari, e piu utili allo studio delle due lingue. THE AUTHOR WAS AN EGYPTIAN BORN FROM ALEPPO AND A CATHOLIC MONK. HE ACCOMANIED THE FRENCH EXPEDITION DURING IT'S DEPARTURE… Read More

Istanbul: Ibrahim Muteferrika, 1733 Book. Very Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. the 12th book to be printed by Ibrahim Muteferrika in 1146 (1733). 6, 3, 247 p. in Modern fine Ottoman style binding ornamented in gilt. .

Venice: Gabriel Giolito de Ferrari, 1557. First Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/No Jacket. 8vo. Vellum. Title in gilt on green calf label on spine. [32] 740 p.p. Slightly bumped spine and edges. Some soiling to boards and extremities. Light foxing, some yellow staining to pages. Ex Libris Neathman Mill Library stamp on rear fly leaf. Tight boards, pages otherwise clean and crisp with decorated black and white initials. A near fine copy. A Dominican friar and writer, Remigio Nannini produced religious as well as secular works, and poetry. Nannini published "two collections of orations drawn by historians (the first, Military Orations collected by all the ancient and modern historians, Venice, 1557)" [Cantimori, Delio. Italian Encyclopedia, 1934]. Nannini also went on to publish the works of St. Thomas Aquinas (1570) at the request of Pope Pius the V.

Rome: [Andreas Freitag],15 October 1492, 1492. Later black roan & gray boards, spine letters gilt.Binding slightly worn, first leaf lightly soiled. Ex-libris Walter Goldwater. Oration such as this are usually rare and short this one is both it is a tribute from the City of Lucca to the election of Pope Alexander VI. This is one of three almost simultaneously published prints of this on October 25, 1492 before the newly elected Borgia Pope Alexander VI. held this speech. - "This was the typical 'Oratio' - in the style of the times, both florid and unctous - which extolled the virtues of the Pope, traits which subsequent events failed to confirm!" (Bühler) According to Bühler's study, The Freitag printing was preceded by the editions of Stephan Planck (in Roman type) , whose corrections Freitag employed in his edition." CF Bühler, The Earliest Editions of the "Oratio" (1492) by Nicolaus Tygrinus (in: Gutenberg JB 1975, pp. 97-99)" Goff T563; HC 15751*; Pell Ms 10972; CIBN T-51; Nice 209; IGI… Read More

Augsburg: Hagenau(Augsburg): Heinrich Gran, for Johannes Rynman, 30 September, 1501. [imp[re]ssi ... p[er] industriu[m] Henricu[m] Gran i[, 1501. Folio π6 [chi]6 a-b8 c6 d-e8 f6 g-h8 i6 k-l8 m6 n-o8 p6 q-s8 t6 v-x8 y6 z8 A8 B6 C-D8 E6 F-G8H6 I-K8 L6 M-N8 O6 P-Q8 R6 S-T8 U6 X-Y8 Z6 [&]8 l[eaves 12 and 358 blank ]. ( 13, 357 ff. ). This copy is bound contemporary blind-stamped leather over wooden boards from an Augsburg workshop operating between 1482 and 15. ISTC ip00252500, citing holdings at 15 locations globally with none in the US or UK; ISTC No.ip00252500; Hain 12557*; VD16 P1165; Sajó-Soltész p. 767; Günt(L) p.65; Wilhelmi 479a; GW M30525. Hagenau(Augsburg): Heinrich Gran, for Johannes Rynman, 30 September, 1501. [imp[re]ssi ... p[er] industriu[m] Henricu[m] Gran i[n] imp[eri]ali oppido Hagenaw: expe[n]sis ac su[m]ptib[us] p[ro]uidi Joha[n]nis Rynman Finiu[n]t feliciter: Anno ... millesimoq[ui]nge[n]tesimoprimo. vltimo die Septe[m]bris] , (1430-1504). ¶ There is Early monastic ink title… Read More

Treviso: Gerardus de Lisa, de Flandria, 13 Oct. 1492. FIRST EDITION. 215 x 150 mm. (7 7/8 x 5 7/8"). Textually Complete. 6 p.l., 97 leaves (without final blank). Single column, 25 lines, roman type. New unlettered limp vellum in the style of the period. Front pastedown with bookplate of José Lorenzo Cossío. With numerous marginal annotations in two different early hands. Goff H-2; BMC VI, 885; ISTC ih00002000; V. Schulderer, "A Fleming in Venice," in "Fifty Essays", pp. 113-126. ◆Intermittent dampstains to edges, intruding into tail margin of first quire (but well away from text), occasional minor foxing, thumbing, or small stains to margins, but an excellent copy internally, generally clean, fresh, and rather bright with generous margins, and in a perfectly suitable retrospective binding. Written as advice for the author's nephew, a college student, this philosophical treatise on the types of love is particularly concerned with the dangers of erotic passion. It takes the form of a lively… Read More

Augsburg, 1470-1523. All leaves in archival mats, housed in a (slightly scuffed) linen clamshell box measuring 520 x 365 mm. (20 3/8 x 14 1/2"). 13 LEAVES WITH WOODCUTS, THE MAJORITY OF THESE COLORED BY A CONTEMPORARY HAND. ◆A couple of leaves a little browned, two others trimmed a bit close, one with loss of headline, trivial marginal stains or smudges, but the leaves generally fine and fresh. The collection includes: DURANTI, GUILLELMUS. RATIONALE DIVINORUM OFFICIORUM. (Augsburg: Günther Zainer, 22 January 1470) 395 x 290 mm. (15 1/2 x 11 1/2"). Rubricated in red, two two-line initials in red. Goff D-404; BMC II, 315; ISTC id00404000. JACOBUS DE VORAGINE. LEGENDA AUREA: LEBEN DER HEILIGEN. (Augsburg: Günther Zainer, 1471-72) 325 x 240 mm. (12 7/8 x 9 1/2"). First Edition in German. Goff J-156; BMC II, 317; ISTC ij00156000. NIDER, JOHANNES. DIE VIERUNDZWANZIG GOLDENEN HARFEN. (Augsburg: Johannes Bämler, 18 December 1472) 265 x 185 mm. (10 1/2 x 7 14"). Goff N-223; BMC II, 331; ISTC… Read More

Strasbourg: Argentinae: Ex officina Martini Flach junioris, 1501. Half leather. Fine. Folio, printed in Strassburg by Martin Flach, 7 February 1501; 161 unnumbered leaves. BINDING: new Gothic hand-sewn oak binding by Arthur Green of Malvern; tawed quarter leather over quarter-sawn oak boards, quires hand-sewn on four double-cords creating four raised spine bands, board leather blind-tooled with period style rosettes and fleurs-de-lys within panel of diagonal blind triple fillets, hand-sewn Gothic double headbands of alternate hand-dyed indigo and undyed linen thread, hand-made brass hasps and clasps ornamented in period style; an exceptionally attractive recreation of a Gothic hand-sewn binding employing medieval techniques contemporaneous with the date the book was printed. COLLATION: [pi]6, a2-8, b-y6, z8, zeta6, antisigma8; leaf a1 excised and subsequent first few lines of a2[recto] redacted in black ink in the sixteenth century by the inquisitor for its heretical content (see below). TEXT: Double… Read More

Paris: Jacobeo, sub signo Pellicani ab Engleberto Marnefio, 1522. Second edition. Signatures: a-g8, h6(h5-6 both blank, half of h5 missing and lacking h6) LXII f. Bound in original vellum limp binding with hand lettering on spine "Cleree sermones/aVerdu DNI/1522": name on first page "Thomas Stevenson/Edinburgh/183. very good copy of a rare sermon. John Clérée dominican friar, preacher of the Late Middle Ages, is a little and unjustly forgotten nowadays. He was however very well known in the time of the kings Charles VIII and Louis XII, whose he has been the confessor. This study is based on the Quadragesimale said of Valenciennes. Clérée, using always of the rules of the scolastic Ars Praedicamdi, is nevertheless able to innovate by introducing in his sermons some dramatic dialogues. He is an accurate witness of the difficulties and problems of the french society about 1500 : the increasing inegalities between rich and poor ; the heaviness of the royal fiscality and of all kinds of taxes ; the… Read More

Cologne: Quentell, 1492. This copy has rubrication on the first few pages with a very nice Lombard initial at the beginning of the text. Quarto. 19 X 14 cm Signatures: a-g⁶ [Lacks leaves g 3.4; GW notes: "In einem Teil der Aufl. fehlt das Doppelbl. g3.4, dessen Ausfall keine merkliche Störung des Textes bedeutet."] {"In part of the edition the double sheet g3.4 is missing, the failure of which does not mean any noticeable disturbance of the text.}. Accipies Woodcut" used by Quentell; depicting St Gregory instructs two scholars, this was used from 1491 to 1495, This is designated as 'A i' or the first woodblock of this he used. cf. Proctor. Bibliographical Essays, pages 1-12.. The large woodcut on the title page has the famous inscription "Accipies tanti doctoris dogmata sancta"- ( ("You will receive the sacred tenets of a great doctor")) This is the first of several woodcuts known as the "Accipies Woodcut" used by Quentell; depicting St Gregory instructs two scholars, this was used from 1491 to… Read More

Strasbourg : Johann Mentelin, 1469 - (not after 1470).
Folio [312 x 214 mm] with (4) bl. ll., 160 leaves [a-q10] the last blank. 2a : 34 lines. Type : 112b. Marginal worming at end; 1st leaf soiled & with patch in upper margin; superior corner folded. Contemp Ms table of topics on 3 blank leaves bound in at the beginning of the volume. Back of the last leaf is covered with contemporary manuscript annotations. Large capitals in red, small capitals, initial-strokes, paragraph-marks, and underlines in red.
A copy described by Panzer has a manuscript colophon : Presens Valerii Maximi opus pre-clarissimum, in nobili urbe Argentina Reni terminatum, anno m.cccc.lxx, xvii kalendis Julii, per virum quendam egregium, impressorie artis maiistrum, foeliciter est consummatum.
Full ivory vellum from the 18th century.
Exceedingly rare complete and precious editio princeps of Valerius Maximus, printed in 1469 (Brunet), on the press of Johannes Mentelin in Strasbourg. Not after 1470, mention Goff, V22 and BMC I 27.… Read More

[Auguste Vindelicorum, Ant. Sorg], 1475.
Gothic folio [301 x 212 mm] of (1) bl. l., 484 leaves with 40 lines per page, thus complete, handwritten inscription at the bottom of the title, a few minor waterstains, annotations in the margins, contemporary bookmarks. Monastic binding in blind-stamped brown calf on wooden boards, rebound, richly ornamented covers, corner spandrels and central metal cabochon, title of the work handwritten in monastic hand on the upper cover. Binding made around 1475.
Rare princeps edition printed by Anton Sorg in November 1475.
ISTC ic00292000; BMC II 342; BSB-Ink D-189; Goff C292; GW 6277; HC 4711; IGI 2601.
"Rare edition described by Panzer, vol. 1. p. 106, and by Hain; it was sold for 9 pounds 19 sh. 6 d. Alchorne Library, in 1813; 20 and 48 flor. Butsch"
(Brunet I-1666).
This princeps edition reached considerable prices reported by Brunet: 9 pounds 19 sh or 200 F gold in 1813, a higher price than the first edition of Les Précieuses ridicules.
"First edition, very rare;… Read More

Venice, Aldus Manutius, July 15th 1498.
Folio [317 x 210 mm] of (347) ll. Many comments from 41 to 42 lines a page, on the borders of the text. Bound in limp vellum, flat spine with the title handwritten in ink, blue edges. Binding from the end of the 16th century.
Editio princeps of Aristophanes' Comedies.
HC 1656; BMC, V, 559; GW 2333; Goff A 958; Essling 1163; Renouard, Alde, 16; Brunet, I, 451; Picot, Catalogue Rothschild, n°1061.
"First edition, fine and rare." (Brunet)
In this first edition, Aldus Manutius presents to the educated audience of the Italian Renaissance 9 of the 11 complete comedies of Aristophanes of which manuscripts reached us: Ploutos, les Nuées, les Grenouilles, les Cavaliers, les Acharniens, les Guêpes, les Oiseaux, la Paix and l'Assemblée des femmes.
Aldus had the intention to include in this editio princeps a tenth play, Lysistrata,
but he did not manage to find a manuscript containing the full text of this comedy.
In his Latin letter of dedication to Daniele Clario, a… Read More