Dante, [Comedia, Venice, 1536], contemporary Venetian calf for Gabriel Franco, central gilt medallion of Hadrian

4to (208 x 155 mm). Italic type, 51 lines plus headline. collation: AA⁸ BB^4–5 A-Z⁸ &⁸ [2]AA-ZZ⁸ &&⁸ 2[cum]⁸ 2[R with cross stroke]⁸ [3]AA-EE⁸: 450 leaves (only, of 468; lacking all before AA1, BB1-3 BB6–8). Woodcut illustrations, one full-page, woodcut initials. (Wormed, soiled, lacking first quire (including title-page with portrait of Dante) and preliminary leaves BB1-3 and 6-8.)

binding: Contemporary Venetian calf binding (215 x 175 mm), lettered "DANTE" and "GABRIEL" in gilt on upper cover, and "ALIGHIERI" and "FRANCO" on lower cover, around central gilt medallion portrait stamp of the Emperor Hadrian, lettered IMP CAESAR TRAIA[N?] [H?]ADRIANUS AUG, stubs from 4 pairs of ties, edges gilt and gauffered. (Binding slightly rubbed and scraped, spine ends and corners repaired, lacking ties.)

provenance: Gabriel Franco, name on binding—Bernard Mould, probably (b. 1683), MA Wadham College, 1707 and some-time chaplain to the Levant company, inscription on half-title dated 1717—Howes Bookshop, Hastings—Henry Davis (1897–1977), his acquisition ledger p.25 P-912, as purchased from Howes Bookshop, 26 June 1948, for £3 10s—Sotheby’s, 31 March–1 April 1952, lot 270, £17—Sotheby’s, London, 4 December 2018, lot 116. acquisition: Purchased at the preceding sale. references: USTC 808785; Edit16 CNCE 1162