Johannes Balbus
Catholicon. Venice: Joannes Hamman for Petrus Liechtenstein, 28 February 1497/98
Median folio (324 x 216mm.), 312 leaves, a-x8 y6 A-I L-P8 Q-S6 T8, double column, 69 lines plus headline, woodcut initials, woodcut printer's device at end, first initial in blue with red penwork decoration, other initials supplied in red, sixteenth-century blind-stamped pigskin over wooden boards, later metal cornerpieces, two clasps, vellum endleaves, spine with later decoration tooled in black, red edges, numerous index tabs, first leaf laid down, a few marginal tears from index tabs, final leaf lightly soiled, lacking one strap, binding slightly soiled
An attractive copy of Balbus's Latin dictionary and grammar, arranged in alphabetical order and providing detailed and technical entries rather than a simple word list. It was the first dictionary to be printed and this is at least the twentieth edition.
LITERATURE:ISTC ib00034000
PROVENANCE:Extract from a sale catalogue of W. & G. Foyle Ltd pasted to inside front cover; Clifford Baylis, calligraphic presentation certificate from the Worcester and District Master Printers' Association dated November 1961; by family descent
Johannes Balbus
Catholicon. Venice: Joannes Hamman for Petrus Liechtenstein, 28 February 1497/98
Median folio (324 x 216mm.), 312 leaves, a-x8 y6 A-I L-P8 Q-S6 T8, double column, 69 lines plus headline, woodcut initials, woodcut printer's device at end, first initial in blue with red penwork decoration, other initials supplied in red, sixteenth-century blind-stamped pigskin over wooden boards, later metal cornerpieces, two clasps, vellum endleaves, spine with later decoration tooled in black, red edges, numerous index tabs, first leaf laid down, a few marginal tears from index tabs, final leaf lightly soiled, lacking one strap, binding slightly soiled
An attractive copy of Balbus's Latin dictionary and grammar, arranged in alphabetical order and providing detailed and technical entries rather than a simple word list. It was the first dictionary to be printed and this is at least the twentieth edition.
LITERATURE:ISTC ib00034000
PROVENANCE:Extract from a sale catalogue of W. & G. Foyle Ltd pasted to inside front cover; Clifford Baylis, calligraphic presentation certificate from the Worcester and District Master Printers' Association dated November 1961; by family descent
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