Bible, with illumination

Lot 5
25.04.2022 10:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 27 720
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
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ID 743654
Lot 5 | Bible, with illumination
Estimate value
$ 6 000 – 9 000
BIBLE, in Latin. Nuremberg: Anton Koberger, [1486-]1487.  The complete second Koberger Bible, in near-contemporary uniform binding and with illuminated initials and other charming decoration. Nicolaus de Lyra's vast commentary was the definitive biblical commentary from the late Middle Ages until the Reformation, and was frequently reprinted throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. De Lyra was not without his critics, however; the famous forger Annius of Viterbo referred to him as “Nicolaus Delirans” (Crazy Nicholas). The woodcuts in this edition are reduced copies of the cuts in Koberger's 1481 edition of the complete commentary (Goff N-135). This volume includes the famous illustrations of the vision of Ezechiel, and plans of the temple and Jerusalem. In this copy, an early reader marked their progress through the Hebrew Bible by noting down start and finish dates of each book; it also features a bas-de-page drawing of a stag below the text of Psalm 41, “just as the stag desires the fountain…” BSB-Ink. B-459; Goff B-614; HC 3167*; Schreiber 3473.  Four volumes, chancery folio (305 x 204mm). I: 467 leaves [of 468, without initial blank]; II: 370 leaves; III: 348 leaves; IV: 383 [of 384, without initial blank]. Three large illuminated initials on gauffered gold grounds with flourished partial borders, larger and smaller red ink initials throughout, red paragraph marks, capital strokes, and underlining; a bas-de-page painting of a stag looking towards a hill and historiated initial in ink of a monk; woodcuts, some full-page (first four leaves of vol. 1 with outer margin strengthened at early period and first 9 leaves strengthened at later date; top and bottom margins of first few leaves of vol 4 repaired occasionally affecting headlines; some marginal dampstaining, fingersoiling, some leaves toned or spotted, some small marginal repairs throughout, a little worming occasionally in text, some repaired; a few headlines in vol 4 just shaved). 16th-century stamped calf, edges blue, catchplates, many leather index tabs surviving, some of which gilt, paper and vellum labels on spines of vols 2-4, foreedge title on vol 3 "Prophetae" (rebacked, with vol. 1 endpapers renewed preserving older pastedowns and flyleaves; boards abraded with restoration, lacking straps). Provenance: considerable marginalia in several early hands, the earliest slightly cropped and the most copious one dated 1567 – "Ex Bibliotheca Salzerorum" and Johannes Hupferus, Rector of the schola Weissenbergensis (gift/bequest inscription dated 1630) – Godefroy de Dampierre and his wife Marie-Noémie de Rigny (1826-1892 and 1833-1887; armorial bookplate from his library at Château Saint-Philippe "Bibliotheque de St Philippe").
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11.04.2022 – 25.04.2022
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