Beschreibung:

PLUTARCH. Vitae illustrium virorum. Venice: Bartholomaeus de Zanis, 8 June 1496. Chancery folio, 299 x 210 mm. (11 13/16 x 8 5/16 in.), 19th-century vellum over pasteboard, upper inner hinge split, first leaf partly detached, repaired at lower inner margin, dampstained and frayed, some worming to lower and gutter margins catching an occasional letter, last 2 leaves with more severe marginal worming requiring repairs, dampstain to upper margins in quires q through F partly affecting text, bifolium c2.7 browned, inkstain on I7v-8r obscuring several letters, a few other small marginal stains . Collation: a-r 8 s 10 ; A-S 8 . 290 leaves, foliated. Type 2:80 R 2 . Six-line white-on-black woodcut capitals, half-page woodcut of Theseus fighting the Minotaur on a2r (first used in the Ragazzo--Giunta edition of 1491), text and woodcut within full white-on-black decorative woodcut border. HC 13130*; Oates 2083; BMC V, 432-3; CIBN P-492; IGI 7924; Essling 595; Sander 5782; Goff P-834. Provenance : "Doctoris D. Francisci[?] Malapestentis[?] Notarii & Gra[?]... professoris Jurium", contemporary inscription on title-page -- A few early marginalia -- Alexander Seritecolo, inkstamp on title and verso of last leaf -- Effaced later inscription and shelf-marks in ink and pencil on a2r -- Unidentified consignor (possibly from the inventory of Laurence Witten), sale, Swann Galleries, 17 October 1985, lot 370.