Lancelot du Lac, La premiere (-tierce) partie de Lancelot, Paris, 1494 [1502], modern calf

Lancelot du Lac

All three parts of Vérard's second edition in one volume, comprising:

La première partie de Lancelot; La seconde partie de Lancelot. Paris: Antoine Vérard, 1 July 1494 [after 18 August 1502], 250 leaves, a⁶ b-z A-G⁸ H-I⁶; 192 leaves, a⁴ bb-zz [et et]⁸ [con con]⁴

Le tiers volume de Lancelot. Paris: Antoine Vérard, 30 April 1494 [after 18 August 1502], 239 leaves (of 240, without final blank), A⁶ aaa-zzz AAA-DDD⁸ EEE-GGG⁶

2 works in one volume, Royal folio, (380 x 276mm.), double column, 47 lines, gothic type, woodcut title-page with xylographic initial with calligraphic flourishes and grotesque faces, woodcut illustrations, numerous small white-on black, black lombard, and other woodcut initials with calligraphic flourishes and grotesque faces, modern blind-ruled calf over wooden boards, two clasps, medieval liturgical manuscript leaves added as endleaves, some paper repairs throughout, occasional light staining, small wormhole in Z5 with loss of a few letters, MM4v-5r slightly soiled, f4 with paper repair to lower corner, repaired tear to ooo7, end of part 3 (from zzz1 onwards) water-damaged with some loss of text and with some paper repairs

A RARE COMPLETE SET of Vérard's second monumental edition of the chivalric tales of Lancelot. The editio princeps of 1488, printed by Le Bourgeois in Rouen and Jean du Pré in Paris, may well have been commissioned by Vérard as well. Vérard's 1494 first edition survives in just a handful of copies, most of which are not complete. This second edition retains the original date of printing but the address in the colophon of volume 3 gives the address of Vérard's new workshop, which was active from 18 August 1502 until September 1504.

Vérard specialised in fine illustrated printings, aimed at wealthier readers who enjoyed vernacular romances and stories, also publishing the tales of Tristan, Ovid's Metamorphoses and Josephus with similar large woodcuts. 

PLEASE NOTE:

The Italian Soprintendenza considers this lot to be a work of national importance and requires it to remain in Italy, it cannot therefore be exported from Italy.

This work was declared of important interest by the Soprintendenza Archivistica e Bibliografica of Tuscany through the renewal of the provision on 21/7/2022 following renewal no. 7220 /1999 issued by the Region of Tuscany on 30/11/1999.

Opera dichiarata di importante interesse dalla Soprintendenza Archivistica e Bibliografica della Toscana mediante il rinnovo del provvedimento in data 21/7/2022 successivo al rinnovo n. 7220 /1999 emesso dalla Regione Toscana in data 30/11/1999.

Il lotto non può essere esportato e deve rimanere in Italia.

LITERATURE:

ISTC il00033700 & il00033600; GW 12622 (all three parts); Bechtel, Gothiques françaises L-39; Macfarlane, Vérard 166