JACOBUS DE VORAGINE (c.1230–1298). Legenda aurea sanctorum, sive Lombardica historia. [Basel: Michael Wenssler, not after 1472].

First Basel edition (fourth overall) of the hugely popular and influential Golden Legend, with contemporary signed German covers. A tall copy. Jacopo de Voragine’s collection of legendary lives of saints was first printed at Strasbourg by Heinrich Eggestein, c.1472–74. This edition is one of the three first texts that Wenssler printed when he began his first shop at Basel in 1472. The present copy is one of three in the US. C 6399; CIBN J-62; BSB-Ink I-65; Bod-inc J-027; BMC III 720; GW 13974; Goff J-82; ISTC ij00082000.

Royal folio (390 × 286mm). 245 leaves (of 246, without blank). Capitals in red and blue, pagination in red, rubrication throughout (some edges repaired or extended, foredge repairs from removed tabs, repaired tears affecting text in e5 and s5, occasional small marginal tears, few words faint at bottom of h7 column b and overwritten in manuscript). Modern brown morocco by Blunson, inlaid with original contemporary blindtooled German pigskin covers signed by Johannes Ivi [EBDB w002395], semé of rosettes [s016192] with four-fillet central panels filled by “ihesus” [s016190], “maria” [s016191] and “ioh[ann]es.ivi” [s016187] scrolls, evidence of two fore-edge claps, edges gilt (rubbed at extremities and joints). Provenance: few early Latin annotations – Roderick Terry (1849–1933; bookplate; his sale, Anderson, New York, 8 Nov. 1934, lot 339) – Howard Lehman Goodhart (1884–1952; label; gifted to his daughter:) – Phyllis Goodhart Gordan (1913–1994; leather label); by descent.