Crastonus, Lexicon Graeco-latinum, [Milan], 1478, modern half vellum

Johannes Crastonus

Lexicon Graeco-latinum. [Milan]: Bonus Accursius, [not after 28 March 1478]

Chancery folio (313 x 224mm.), 365 leaves (of 368), A-O⁸ P¹⁰ Q-Z⁸ &⁸ [con]⁸ [rum]⁸²[rum]⁸²[con]⁸²&⁸ zz⁸ AA-PP⁸ qq⁶ (quires B and C transposed), double column, 35 lines, roman type, modern half vellum, pricking marks visible from the imposition of the paper on the forme, lacking initial ?blank leaf (see footnote) and 2 text leaves Y2_Y7 (replaced with a duplicate of Y4_5), occasional light soiling (particularly on last leaf)

A TALL COPY OF THE FIRST PRINTED GREEK-LATIN DICTIONARY. While the entries are mostly brief with only the occasional reference to sources, this work was the springboard for the monumental sixteenth-century scholarly productions of Guillaume Budé and Henri Estienne. It was later printed by Aldus in 1497 as part of his publication of Greek texts and textbooks.

GW notes that the first leaf is either blank or contains a preface by Crastonus. This leaf is not present in this copy.

Please note that this lot has already been granted an export licence by the Italian authorities.

LITERATURE:

ISTC ic00958000

PROVENANCE:

Michael Fouquet, priest of Bayence(?), received it from a person in Tours from Bartholus of Angers, inscription at end dated 13 March 1550[?]; Jehan le Marchant, heir of Gilles le Marchant, inscription at end dated December 1570, and a following inscription dated 14 January 1573; Dr Georg Kloss, bookplate, sale, Sotheby's, 7 May 1835, lot 1251 ("a remarkably fine and large copy of this very rare edition")