Jacobus de Voragine.

part one (of two) only, Chancery folio (266 x 204mm.), 247 leaves (of 252), double column, 43 lines plus headline, Gothic letter, 3- to 5-line initial spaces with printed guides, woodcut border on [a]2, woodcut initials and illustrations (some repeated) with contemporary hand-colouring, blind-printing at foot of [a]1, early manuscript annotations (some providing the date of each saint's feast), late sixteenth-century German blind-stamped calf over bevelled wooden boards, paper spine label, two clasps, without part two, lacking [l]1_8 (fos 71 & 78), [m]1 (fol. 79), [s]5 (fol. 125) and final blank, [a]1 slightly soiled and repaired, marginal paper repair to [l]3, [u]6 and [N]6 torn and repaired (affecting text but without loss), [N]7 soiled and repaired, final quire [N] repaired in gutter, some show-through from colouring, binding repaired at corners and foot of spine, small section of upper cover replaced, upper cover scraped

early manuscript coat-of-arms with motto in Dutch on first title-page

C 6507; BMC i 266; Goff J171; Schreiber 4321. ISTC lists 27 copies, 16 of which are incomplete or contain one part only.

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

a rare example of a hand-coloured golden legend. Illustrated editions of the Golden Legend are some of the most attractive and sought-after incunables, and are particularly uncommon with hand-colouring. We have been unable to trace another copy of this edition offered at auction in recent years.

The Golden Legend was the most popular and influential compilation of saints' lives of the medieval period. It was first published in Latin in Strassburg in 1472, and the first translation into Low German was published in Lübeck, c. 1480, also with woodcuts. It proved very popular in print - ISTC lists 179 editions by Jacobus de Voragine (in Latin and various vernaculars); William Caxton's English translation was published three times between 1483 and 1499, all with woodcut illustrations.

Renchen published Latin and Low German editions simultaneously; however, the Latin version (BMC i 267) was without woodcuts. The woodcuts for Renchen's Low German edition were for the most part based on those in the Augsburg editions by Sorg and Bämler, although a few came from Knoblochtzer's Strassburg workshop (according to Schreiber).