LUDOLPHUS DE SAXONIA (c.1300-1377/78). Vita Christi. Nuremberg: Anton Koberger, 14 August 1495.

The third Koberger edition of one the most popular mystical works of the late Middle Ages. The Vita Christi is a meditation on the life of Christ incorporating prayers and doctrinal and spiritual instruction, and it was read across Europe. It survives in thirty-five 15th-century editions, including translations into Dutch, French, Portuguese, and Catalan. Although this Koberger edition is described in the standard bibliographies as a folio, this copy is a quarto, printed on the largest sheets – imperial – divided in half. HC 10296*; BMC II 440; BSB-Ink. L-265; Goff L-346; ISTC il00346000.

Imperial quarto (320 x 230mm). 312 leaves. Initials alternating in red or blue (a little marginal staining from turn-ins on first and last few leaves, some mottled browning, occasional small stain). Contemporary Italian, probably Verona [see De Marinis 2538bis] russet calf lightly dyed red over wooden boards, with inner bevel, sides elaborately tooled in blind, circle and semi-circles in central panel, knots, fleur-de-lis, palmette and other tools, diapered spine, evidence of 4 clasps, sewing bands and clasp leather of red-dyed pigskin, a pair of original endleaves at each end (a little worn, some loss of leather at spine, some worming). Provenance: a few early annotations.

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