Poetae Christiani veteres, Venice, Aldo Manuzio, January 1501, German brown calf (possibly Heidelberg), ca. 1515

Poetae Christiani veteres. Prudentii poetae Opera. Virtutum cum uitiis pugna, heroico carmine. Hymni diurnarum rerum, ad Gallicantum. Ad matutinum. Ante cibum. Post cibum. Ad lucernae accensionem. Ante somnum … Venice: Aldo Manuzio, January 1501

Another copy.

4to (213 x 155 mm). Roman and Greek type, 37 lines plus headline. collation: π⁸ ff-gg⁸ hh¹⁰ ii-xx⁸ yy^{10 2}hh-ii^{8 2}kk⁶ aı10.8 2b^8.8 c3^10.8 4d^6.6 (²kk6 a blank): 234 leaves. Contemporary marginalia. (Scattered foxing and staining, minor toning.)

binding: German brown calf, possibly Heidelberg, over thin wooden boards (220 x 163 mm), ca. 1515, covers tooled in blind with rosettes, scrolls, and arabesques, compartments ruled in blind (see: Kyriss, Verzierte gotische Einbände, Vol. III, pp. 285-6), title on upper cover, traces of two pairs of ties, manuscript title to fore-edge. (Rebacked to style, some staining, extremities rubbed, corner repaired, endleaves renewed)

provenance: Inscriptions "alpha-chi rho-omega" and "M.D.X.V. Haidelberg" in red ink to title — Johannes Marquard (fl. 1519- 1531), inscription "Est liber Joannis Marquardi" and interlaced monogram to title — Georgius Sigmarus, inscription to title — Dominican convent, Freiburg im Breisgau, inscription "Convent. Frieburg Ord. Pred." to title — Benedictine convent, Karlsruhe, circular inkstamp and release stamp to title — Laurence Witten, Southport; his sale, Swann Galleries New York, 7 October 1985, lot 18 — Martin Breslauer Inc., New York. acquisition: Purchased from Martin Breslauer Inc., New York, 1994. references: UCLA 38; Renouard 24/1; Edit16 36115; USTC 851458