[De Eruditione Christifidelium]

A very scarce incunable, from a little known printing house. 179 ff (of 216) Missing the index, as well as the first 8 text leaves at the beginning, the 20th text leaf, along with some leaves at the end. Printed headlines, no pagination, signatures or catch words, but collated to the Koln copy at ISTC No. Ih00093000. Small folio, not quite 12" (30 cm) tall. Gothic letter, lovely initials in the guide spaces in red throughout, rubricated, some side-notes in red, occasional marginalia in black and occasional underlining in either black or red, one fore-edge margin defective, a few margin tears and the occasional wormhole, some occasional stains but in general the paper is clean and strong with lovely big margins. Modern vellum done very handsomely in old style. A rare incunable, the ISTC lists only 4 copies in North America, including the Harry A. Walton, Jr. , copy, which this is. The printer of the book, Jacob Eber, printed only 5 titles as far as is known. According to Maggs: "All Jacob Eber's books were printed in the same type, and his headings, on that account were set in capitals. This type, which is very different from the usual Strassburg type, appears to be partly cut from a manuscript model and partly after types of other printers. For that reason it cannot be called an archtype, and neither can it be connected with other presses. The "n" is Eggestein's, the "a" Koberger's, the "m" Pruss's, etc. , a certain number of foreign double forms are found amongst the majuscules, so that the type looks a little uneven. Eber followed the artistic tradition in book printing, and despite defects of type, his books were set so as to give a pleasing effect. Eber printed a woodcut illustration with Gobius, Scala Coeli, 1483, but his other known productions are without illustration. His books are typographically interesting because they were printed in an individual style, at a time when Strassburg printers already had acquired " local " modes of book production, and styles of types with general characteristics of local and foreign origin. No printer's device was used by Eber. " There may also be some connection between Eber and the mysterious printer working in Strassburg at the same time known as "Printer of the 1481 Legenda Aurea." Eber's printed works are quite scarce. Of the five titles attributed to him in the ISTC, there are only 8 examples in North America, including this one. Herolt (c1386-1468) was widely popular as a preacher in the late Medieval period, and "the most prolific, skillful and honored writer of sermon books in 15th century Europe." He was considered the most outstanding sermon writer of his day in Germany and a teacher of the best model of preaching. Said a contemporary of Herolts, "No one should be surprised that this man is lauded, that praises are heaped on him, that he is acclaimed, since he is most certainly held in common esteem as pre-eminent among modern sermonists." A scarce and bibliographically and typographically important incunabular edition of one of the most prominent Dominicans of the late medieval period. ; Folio 13" - 23" tall

Product Info

Publisher: Jacob Eber

Year: [c1483]

Type: Used

Binding: Softcover

Seller Info

RSPetrasLeafandStoneBooks

Address: 69 Harris Ave. Toronto, Ontario

Website: https://www.leafandstonebooks.com

Country: Canada