Bible, Greek, Venice, Aldus, 1518, contemporary Venetian alla greca binding

Bible. Greek

Παντα τα κατ'εξοχην καλουμενα Βιβλια θειας δηλαδη γραφης παλαιας τε, και νεας. Sacrae Scripturae veteris, novaeque omnia. (Venice): Aldus (in the house of Aldus and Andrea Torresano, February 1518)

Super-Chancery folio (332 x 210mm.), title-page and headings printed in red, 3-line initial spaces with printed guides, woodcut Aldine device on title-page (in red) and final verso (otherwise blank), woodcut initials and headpieces, nearly all printed in red (except for the Epistles), with blank leaves aaαα4, ddδδ10 and hhhθθθ9, CONTEMPORARY VENETIAN ALLA GRECA BINDING, blind-tooled morocco with arabesque decoration over wooden boards with later metal bosses, some staining and worming throughout (mostly in the gutter), title-page torn and somewhat stained, cγ1, cγ8 and Pο1 detached, ttττ4 frayed, candle wax drops (and stains) in the Gospels, burn hole in zzψψ8 with loss of a few words, binding somewhat worn and slightly defective, lacking all four clasps

A TALL AND UNSOPHISTICATED COPY OF THE FIRST GREEK BIBLE IN A CONTEMPORARY ALLA GRECA BINDING.

The binding tools are found on other strictly contemporary Venetian bindings; one arabesque tool also appears on Davis Gift 271 (Venice, c. 1521), the outer border tool on Davis Gift 272 (a dogale dated c. 1521, connected with the Mendoza Binder) and De Marinis 1616 (dogale, dated 1489), the inner corner stamps on Davis Gift 276 (Venice, c. 1525) and another small arabesquse stamp on De Marinis 1631 and 1644. 

This copy shows use in a Greek Orthodox liturgical context, with candle wax stains in the Gospels but not elsewhere.

LITERATURE

Darlow & Moule 4594; Edit16 61055; Renouard 1518/8; Texas 156; UCLA 142

PROVENANCE

Giovanni Antonio Palavicino of Milan, inscription on inside lower cover; inscription in Greek on inside lower cover dated 1714