Biblia latina Lot n° 48

cum glossa Wafridi Strabonis et interlin. Anselmi Landuniensis. Volumes 1 and 2 (of 4; in 2 vols. Strasbourg, Adolf Rusch von Ingweiler for Anton Koberger in Nuremberg, not after 1480]. Imp. fol. Gothic type, text and commentary printed in two columns; 64 lines. 254 resp. 326 unnum. (quire count: a10, 9 x b8, 5 x d8, d6, d10 (the last white), a8, 9 x d8, 3 x b8, 2 x b6; a8, 14 x c8, c10, 3 x h8, c6, h6, h8,2 x h6, h8, c8, 2 x c6, c8, c6, 10 x e8, e9). Rubricated in red throughout and with painted red and blue initials, 20 of which are two-tone initials with decorative decoration; in the first volume at the beginning of Genesis an excellent gilt miniature with the creation of Eve and at the beginning of the chapter Exodus a gilt initial with beautiful decorative decoration. With numerous, partly illuminated initials. ╔Chain bindings of the period╗ on five bindings with black leather cover, spine with bar decoration, covers with bar decoration and various stamps, each volume with eight brass edge fittings, the covers each with five brass buttons, 1 [of 4] brass clasps. (Rubbed, leather cover partially removed; some wormholes, joints chipped). ISTC ib00607000. GKW 4282. BMC I 92 (IC 813 and 814). Goff B-607. Despite the damage listed below, a splendid copy of the first two volumes of this monumental Bible edition in their first bindings with heavy iron chains. This is the first edition ever to contain the broad Glossa ordinaria by Walafrid Strabo and the interlinear gloss by Anselm of Laon; complete in itself, with the blank leaf in the first volume. That the present edition was printed by Rusch - the son-in-law of Mentelin, the first printer of Strasbourg - for Koberger is clear from a few laudatory verses addressed to Rusch by the Münster humanist Rudolf von Langen (see Schmidt, Zur Geschichte der ältesten Bibliotheken zu Strassburg, 1882, pp. 160ff.); this is confirmed by a letter from Rusch to Johann Amerbach from 1478 (see also Schmidt, p. 155). Of the four types used in the present work, three were also used by Amerbach in Basel between 1478 and 1481, which is why the Bible has already been identified as an Amerbach print. It is not known whether Rusch borrowed the types from Amerbach or purchased them. ISTC lists more than 400 copies, of which a good third are either single volumes or incomplete. This edition is therefore frequently found in libraries, but rarely appears in the trade. Very wide-margined copy, printed on wonderfully strong paper. Traces of moisture - mostly in the margins - through both volumes, mostly only slightly disturbing. Spore stains and dust stains in some leaves, only occasional finger stains - possibly caused by the printer's assistants! Some quires browned.