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THOMAS AQUINAS (Saint, ca 1225-1274). Summa theologica, secunda pars, secundus liber. Mainz: Peter Schoeffer, 6th March 1467.
Royal 2o (407 x 297 mm). Collation: [1-510 612; 7-1010 11-138; 14-1910 206; 21-2610; 276]. 258 leaves. 59 lines, double column. Gothic type 3:91. Eleven-line initial (fo. 1r) rubricated, with elaborate purple penwork infills and extensions; four- to six-line initials in red, with purple penwork infills and extensions; two-line section initials rubricated; paragraph marks in red; three-line heading in red on fo. 1r; headlines in red with Quaestio numbers. Red capital strokes in quire 27, the Ordo questionum. (Hole at gutter margins from adhesion on 24/10 and 25/1-3 with slight loss to a few letters.)
Binding: contemporary South-German (probably Aspach, Afrokloster binding) blind-tooled calf over unbevelled wooden boards, covers panelled with double fillets, large central panel tooled with intersecting fillets forming an all-over saltire pattern, each compartment decorated with a repeated built-up ornament consisting of a central triangular stamp with a palmette stamp (Schwenke-Sammlung Palmette 26) at each corner and connected to three fleur-de-lys tools, vellum title label mounted on front cover, quire liner from a 13th-century manuscript on vellum (rebacked, repairs to corners, lacking clasps); quarter morocco folding case.
Provenance: Aspach, Benedictine Monastery ("Monasterii Aspacensis" early inscription at head of text on fo. 1r; binding) -- early shelfmark inc. Typ. num. 4 on pastedown -- Munich, Royal Library (stamps on lower margin of fo. 1r and fo. 258v, one marked Duplum) -- Ambroise Firmin-Didot (bookplate; Drouot-Delestre, G.P. Pawloski and A. Labitte experts, 27th May 1879, lot 164 ["Très bel exemplaire"]) -- rampant fox? below stars on shield-shaped bookplate -- George Dunn of Woolley Hall (Kelmscott Press bookplate, his sale, part III, Sotheby's 29 November 1917, lot 3807 to Ellis for #238) -- Estelle Doheny (bookplate; purchased from A.S.W. Rosenbach 1 September 1942) -- donated to SMS September 1942.
Second edition of Aquinas's Summa, secunda secundae, preceded by the Mentelin's edition of 1463. All the many writings of St. Thomas are preparatory to the great Summa Theologiae, which was begun in 1265, and aimed at being the sum of all knowledge. Its second half ('Secunda secundae') deals with morality, including the theological and cardinal virues, and the contemplative life. It ranks among the most important philosophical works of the medieval Church and one of the most important philosophical works ever written.
This edition is the first dated edition of Aquinas's important work, and the first book printed by Peter Schoeffer following the death of his partner, Johann Fust. Three variant settings of the colophon have been recorded; this copy corresponds to Hain and BMC. The Doheny vellum copy (see part I, Christie's 22 October 1987, lot 7) had fos. 3, 7 and 9 in quire 18 inserted on stubs, with different settings from the corresponding leaves of the PML paper copy, without cancels (as the present copy). Unlike the Doheny vellum copy, this copy is without the Fust-Schoeffer device on fo. 252v. A VERY FINE TALL, CRISP COPY IN CONTEMPORARY ASPACH BINDING with many deckle edges and original pin-holes preserved.
BMC I, 24 (IC.122); H *1459; IBP 5310; IDL 4402; IGI 9588; Pr 83*; Oates 30; Pell 1049; Goff T-209.
Royal 2o (407 x 297 mm). Collation: [1-510 612; 7-1010 11-138; 14-1910 206; 21-2610; 276]. 258 leaves. 59 lines, double column. Gothic type 3:91. Eleven-line initial (fo. 1r) rubricated, with elaborate purple penwork infills and extensions; four- to six-line initials in red, with purple penwork infills and extensions; two-line section initials rubricated; paragraph marks in red; three-line heading in red on fo. 1r; headlines in red with Quaestio numbers. Red capital strokes in quire 27, the Ordo questionum. (Hole at gutter margins from adhesion on 24/10 and 25/1-3 with slight loss to a few letters.)
Binding: contemporary South-German (probably Aspach, Afrokloster binding) blind-tooled calf over unbevelled wooden boards, covers panelled with double fillets, large central panel tooled with intersecting fillets forming an all-over saltire pattern, each compartment decorated with a repeated built-up ornament consisting of a central triangular stamp with a palmette stamp (Schwenke-Sammlung Palmette 26) at each corner and connected to three fleur-de-lys tools, vellum title label mounted on front cover, quire liner from a 13th-century manuscript on vellum (rebacked, repairs to corners, lacking clasps); quarter morocco folding case.
Provenance: Aspach, Benedictine Monastery ("Monasterii Aspacensis" early inscription at head of text on fo. 1r; binding) -- early shelfmark inc. Typ. num. 4 on pastedown -- Munich, Royal Library (stamps on lower margin of fo. 1r and fo. 258v, one marked Duplum) -- Ambroise Firmin-Didot (bookplate; Drouot-Delestre, G.P. Pawloski and A. Labitte experts, 27th May 1879, lot 164 ["Très bel exemplaire"]) -- rampant fox? below stars on shield-shaped bookplate -- George Dunn of Woolley Hall (Kelmscott Press bookplate, his sale, part III, Sotheby's 29 November 1917, lot 3807 to Ellis for #238) -- Estelle Doheny (bookplate; purchased from A.S.W. Rosenbach 1 September 1942) -- donated to SMS September 1942.
Second edition of Aquinas's Summa, secunda secundae, preceded by the Mentelin's edition of 1463. All the many writings of St. Thomas are preparatory to the great Summa Theologiae, which was begun in 1265, and aimed at being the sum of all knowledge. Its second half ('Secunda secundae') deals with morality, including the theological and cardinal virues, and the contemplative life. It ranks among the most important philosophical works of the medieval Church and one of the most important philosophical works ever written.
This edition is the first dated edition of Aquinas's important work, and the first book printed by Peter Schoeffer following the death of his partner, Johann Fust. Three variant settings of the colophon have been recorded; this copy corresponds to Hain and BMC. The Doheny vellum copy (see part I, Christie's 22 October 1987, lot 7) had fos. 3, 7 and 9 in quire 18 inserted on stubs, with different settings from the corresponding leaves of the PML paper copy, without cancels (as the present copy). Unlike the Doheny vellum copy, this copy is without the Fust-Schoeffer device on fo. 252v. A VERY FINE TALL, CRISP COPY IN CONTEMPORARY ASPACH BINDING with many deckle edges and original pin-holes preserved.
BMC I, 24 (IC.122); H *1459; IBP 5310; IDL 4402; IGI 9588; Pr 83*; Oates 30; Pell 1049; Goff T-209.