Speculum humanae salvationis.

Accession number:

PML 20680

Uniform title:

Published:

[The Netherlands] : [Prototypography], [approximately 1474-1475]

Description:

[64] leaves : illustrations (woodcut) ; 28 cm (fol.)

Credit Line:

Purchased by J.P. Morgan, Jr., 1917. NNPM

Notes:

Title and imprint from ISTC.
PML Checklist identifies printer as "Printer of the Speculum" and dates as [1471].
Printed in Dutch Prototypography type 1:111G.
Date based on paper research A.H. Stevenson (BMC). P. Needham suggests that the paper-stocks could indicate printing in 1473 (in The Woodcut in Fifteenth-century Europe, ed. P. Parshall (New Haven, 2009) p.89 n.118).
Collation: [1⁶; 2-4¹⁴ 5¹⁶]: 64 leaves, leaf [1]/1 blank.
Paper format: Chancery folio.
The text is printed from movable type with the exception of 20 leaves: [2]/1-2.13-14 and 4-6.9-11; [3]/2-3.13-14 and 7.8; and [5]/4.13 (i.e. leaves 7, 8, 10-17, 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 28, 32, 33, 52, 61), on which the text is produced in woodcut copied from the type-printed text of the first Latin edition. Xylographic text printed on bifolia.
Printed on one side of the sheet only.
Typographic text printed in black in and xylographic text/images in brown. Ink seems to take on a greenish hue on the Y/cross of Lorraine paper.
Blind impressions of type and press furniture are frequenly visible on typographic leaves.
PML copy leaf dimensions: 27.4 x 20.5 cm. NNPM
PML copy leaf [2]/3.12 had incorrect woodcut printed with text, cut away (bottom border of woodcut still visible above text), and a new half-sheet with the woodcuts bound in. NNPM
PML copy missing 8 leaves: [1]/1-6, [2]/1, and [5]/16. Many leaves, particularly at beginning and end, repaired or reinforced at gutter. Leaves [2]/2r and [5]/15v are darkened/dirty. Facing blank leaves previously glued together. NNPM

Binding:

Modern conservation binding, laced limp vellum (28 x 21.5 cm), sewn on 4 supports by Deborah Evetts. Plain vellum pastedowns and plain paper endleaves; plain endbands. Endleaves from previous binding retained in dept. ChL file. NNPM

Inscriptions/Markings:

Hand decoration: Rubrication not required. Annotations: No marginal notations in text. Xylographic leaves numbered W1, W2, etc. Bibliographical notes by J.H. Hessels, Cambridge, 1907 (in department ChL file). NNPM
Watermark: fol. 14. Long anchor with cross. NNPM
Watermark: fol. 25. Gothic letter "Y" with heart at base of tail. Variant 1. NNPM
Watermark: fol. 36. Gothic letter "Y" with trefoil at bottom of tail, with cross of Lorraine surmount. Variant 2. NNPM
Watermark: fol. 45. Gothic letter "Y" with heart at base of tail. NNPM
Watermark: fol. 59. Gothic letter "Y" with curved tail and leaf, with cross surmount. Variant 3. NNPM

Provenance:

Thomas Herbert (1656-1733), Earl of Pembroke, bibliographic inscriptions: "The 4th Printed Book, vid The Reasons before the 1st Ars Moriendi" and "This comparative historicall Bible in monkish Latin rhyme printed from an old ms of the same age as the apocalypse of Junius [i.e. Francsicus Junius, copy now at Bodleian] which was re[??]ed the first printed book t[??]re being only single [??]sets printed before as this wit[hout] place or year as we[??] as not numbring [sic] the pages. The [??]tters are cut and printed as part of the wooden prints. The first of that kind [??]t this the first after the invention of setting letters." (modern endleaves, removed from previous binding, in dept. ChL file), Pembroke sale, Sotheby's, 25 June 1914, lot 183, to: Charles Fairfax Murray (1849-1919), his sale, Christie's, 10 Dec. 1917, lot 413, to Quaritch for: J.P. Morgan, Jr. (1867-1943), purchased Dec. 1917 (accessioned 1919). NNPM

Classification:

Incunable Collection

Catalog Link:

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Genres:

Vellum bindings (Binding)

Department:

Printed Books