Early Printing & Manuscripts / Religion & Devotion

NAZIANZENUS, Gregorius and Gregorius NYSSENUS. Orationes novem elegantissimae. Gregorii Nuysseni liber de homine, quae omnia nunc primum, emendatissima, in lucem prodeunt.
[Venice, heirs of Aldus Manuzius and heirs of Andrea Torresano], 1536. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. With the Aldine woodcut device on the title page and repeated on the verso of the otherwise blank final leaf. 19th-century elaborately gold-tooled black morocco, with the author, title, publisher, and year lettered in gold on the spine, gold-tooled board edges and turn-ins, gilt edges, gold-tooled tan morocco doublures, pink silk ribbon marker. Bound by François Bozerian (known as Bozerian le Jeune (the Younger), 1765-1826, fl. 1801-1818) and signed in gold lettering by the binder at the foot of the spine: "Rel. P. Bozerian Jeune". 148, "68" [= 76], [4] ll. Full description

NIDER, Johannes. Preceptorium divine legis [preceded by] Prologus in expositionem decalogi [= Praeceptorium divinae legis, sive expositio decalogi].
[Colophon:] Ulm, Johann Zainer the elder, [1478/79]. Chancery (Foolscap) folio. Set in a rotunda gothic type, the preliminaries in two columns, with spaces for manuscript paragraph marks and initials, filled in in red ink, the initials Lombardic, one with interior decoration. Contemporary richly blind-tooled calf over square-edged wooden boards (from an Augsburg bindery active 1473-1494: Eindbanddatenbank workshop w002141). Further with a brass catchplate on the front board and a brass anchor plate on the back board. [246] ll. Full description

OSIANDER, Andreas. Harmoniae Evangelicae libri quatuor, in quibus Evangelica historia ex quatuor Evangelistis ita in unu[m] est contexta, ut nullius verbum ullum omissum, nihil alienum immixtum, nullius ordo turbatus, nihil non suo loco positum. ... Elenchus harmoniae, ...
(Colophon: Antwerp, Matthias Crom, 1540). 8vo. With a woodcut vignette at the foot of the title-page and the head of the first page of the main text (illustrating Luke 11), 1 full-page and 97 half-page woodcut illustrations by Levinus de Witte (including a few repeats). 17th-century limp sheepskin parchment. [164] ll. Full description

OTTO VAN PASSAU. Boeck des gulden throene of der xxiiij ouden.
Utrecht, [printer with monogram "tC"], [30 March] 1480. Folio. With 24 illustrations in text (ca. 9 x 6.2 cm), printed from 1 complete woodcut (plus 4 repeats) and 15 components assembled in different combinations, all rubricated and with architectural frames. The book has no printed initials, but spaces for manuscript initials, which have been filled with letters in the uncial style. Each of the 24 chapters begins with a large manuscript initial (the first 5-line with a penwork face in profile and further 4-line), 11 with two or more colours (mostly with penwork decoration extending into the margin), and others with interior white decoration. A smaller (2-line) initial with penwork extending into the margin opens the book's first page and there are numerous further 1-line and 2-line initials. Set in a textura type with capitals rubricated throughout. Woodcut printer's device at the end: a date palm tree with monogram "tC" (6.5 x 5.5 cm), the "t" perhaps also (or instead) representing a cross. Contemporary (Utrecht?) blind-tooled calf over wooden boards, each board in a panel design with the central part ruled in a lozenge pattern with about 200 impressions of 4 small separate stamps; re-backed, with modern morocco title label. [4], 197 ll. Full description

[PAMPHLET - REFORMATION] Supplicatie aen sijn hoocheyt ende heeren des Raets van State, overgegeven door de inwoonders deser Nederlanden welcke protesteren dat sy begeren te leven nae de Reformatie des Evangeliums. Den xxii dach junii, 1578.
[Antwerp, Christopher Plantin?, 1578]. 4to. With a vignette built up from typographical ornaments on the title page, and a decorated woodcut initial. 18th-century gold- and blind-tooled mottled and polished calf, sewn on 5 supports with the corresponding raised bands on the spine, a red morocco title label lettered in gold in the second compartment, the date of publication lettered in gold in the third compartment, fleurons in the other compartments, a blind-tooled border on both boards, gold-tooled board edges, red edges, marbled end papers. [2], XXII pp. Full description

[PARADIN, Claude & Bernard SALOMON]. Quadrins Historiques de la bible. Reveus, & augmentés dun grand nombre de figures.
Lyon, Jean de Tournes, 1583.
With:
(2) [FONTAINE, Charles & Bernard SALOMON]. Figures du nouveau testament.
Lyon, Jean de Tournes, 1579. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. Ad 1: with the title in an ornamental woodcut border with the printers device including two vipers, 233 half-page woodcut illustrations, and 2 woodcut vignettes. Ad 2: with the title in a historiated woodcut border (Cartier "Nains") with the same woodcut printers device (Cartier, Vipères I,1) and 96 half-page woodcut illustrations, including one repetition, arabesque headpieces, and a large woodcut on the last page (Cartier, "Lac damour). 18th- or 19th-century elaborately gold-tooled pebble-grained dark greenish-blue sheepskin, with the titles and place and year of publication for both titles lettered in gold on the spine, gold-tooled board edges and turn ins, gilt edges, marbled endpapers. [131]; [52] ll. Full description

PETRUS DE NATALIBUS. Catalogus sanctorum & gestorum eorum ex diversis voluminibus collectus: ...
(Colophon: Strasbourg, printed by Martin Flach, 1513). Folio (22.2 x 32 cm). Title-page with a woodcut decorated initial and a 4-piece woodcut border by Hans Wechtlin, 1 full-page woodcut by Urs Graf, hundreds of woodcut decorated uncial initials. Set mostly in rotunda gothic types. Contemporary blind-tooled pigskin over wooden boards, in a panel design, with 2 brass clasps on leather straps with brass catchplates and anchorplates. [4], 253 ll. Full description

PIGHIUS, Albertus. Controversiarum praecipuarum in comitiis ratisponensibus tractatarum, & quibus nunc potissimum exagitatur christi fides & religio, diligens, & luculenta explicatio.
Paris, Jacques Gazeau, 1542. 8vo (16.9 x 10.7 cm). With several large decorated metalcut initials. 19th century gold-tooled half calf. [8], 292 ll. Full description

PIO, Alberto. Alberti pii carporum comitis illustrissimi ad Erasmi Roterodami expostulationem resposio accurata & parenetica, Martini Lutheri & asseclarumeius he resim uesana magnis argumetis & iustis rationibus consutans.
[Paris? Pierre Vidoué?, 1526].
With: (2) ERASMUS, Desiderus. Responsio ad epistolam paraneticam Albert Pii Carporum principis.
[Paris, Pierre Vidoué], April 1529. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. Ad 1 with a woodcut armorial frame on the title page and 2 woodcut decorated initials. Ad 2 with a woodcut architectural frame on the title page and 2 woodcut decorated initials. Later (18th-century?) gold-tooled calf with a red morocco title lable lettered in gold on the spine, gold-tooled board edges, red edges, marbled endpapers. [152]; [56] ll. Full description

PIRSTINGER, Berthold. Tewtsche Theologey.
(Colophon:) München, Hans Schobser, 31 August 1528. Small folio (19.6 x 28.5 cm). With the title printed in red and set inside a woodcut frame, depicting God the Father, the Virgin and Child, SS. Peter and Paul, and the four evangelists. Near-contemporary (ca. 1586?) panel-stamped calf, sewn on 4 supports with the corresponding raised bands on the spine, and with remnants of 2 pairs of closing ties. [251], [1 blank] ll. Full description