![PLAUTUS, Titus Maccius (c. 250-c. 184 BC.). Comoediae. Edited by Sebastian Ducius and Georgius Galbiatus. Commentary by Hermolaus Barbarus, Georgius Merula, Angelus Politianus, Philippus Beroaldus. [Milan: Uldericus Scinzenzeler, c. 1495].](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2006/CKS/2006_CKS_07275_0118_000(010412).jpg?w=1)
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PLAUTUS, Titus Maccius (c. 250-c. 184 BC.). Comoediae. Edited by Sebastian Ducius and Georgius Galbiatus. Commentary by Hermolaus Barbarus, Georgius Merula, Angelus Politianus, Philippus Beroaldus. [Milan: Uldericus Scinzenzeler, c. 1495].
Chancery 2° (282 x 205mm). Collation: a4 b-g6 h-i8 k-m6 n-r8 s6 t-y8 z6 &6 \\j8 \\a8 A6 B-E8 F-G6 H4 (a1 title, verso blank, a2r Merula on life of Plautus, a2v table of contents, a3v Plautus citations, a4v death notice of Plautus, b1 text with commentary, H3v description of cottabus, woodcut, H4r register, verso blank). 234 leaves; sheet G1.6 missigned F4[.5] and supplied in duplicate in quire F; a1-2 possibly supplied; bound after a1 is the first leaf of an edition of Nonius Marcellus (Parma: [Printer of Hieronymus 'Epistolae'], 1480, Goff N-267), partly defective. 45 lines of text, commentary surround or shoulder notes. 2- to 7-line initial spaces with guide-letter. The register ends "Facta" as in the British Library copy. (A few light stains at beginning, first quire rehinged, last leaf detached, occasional small wormhole.) Late 18th-century Italian speckled paper over pasteboard, backed and cornered in sheep, blue sprinkled edges (backstrip detached, boards almost detached, corners worn); modern cloth box. Provenance: Count Ercole Silva (1756-1840; armorial stamp on title; 1811 catalogue-- -- ?17th-century inscription removed from a2 -- Boston University, College of Liberal Arts Library (bookplate; deaccession letter provided).
First edition to contain a description of the ancient Greek drinking game, cottabus, and one of the earliest - if not the first - printed depiction of the apparatus used to play it. The game described here is a version wherby wine was thrown onto a pair of scales, which dipped down to touch figures below. This version of the game may be apocryphal, resulting from a later interpretation; cf. Sartori, Das Kottabos-Spiel 1893. The edition has not been dated with certainty. BMC dated it "for convenience" to c.1497, the last year its type was used, and Sheppard dated it to c.1495. H *13085; BMC VI, 773 (IB. 26760); Bod.-Inc. P-355; Sander 5746; Goff P-783.
Chancery 2° (282 x 205mm). Collation: a
First edition to contain a description of the ancient Greek drinking game, cottabus, and one of the earliest - if not the first - printed depiction of the apparatus used to play it. The game described here is a version wherby wine was thrown onto a pair of scales, which dipped down to touch figures below. This version of the game may be apocryphal, resulting from a later interpretation; cf. Sartori, Das Kottabos-Spiel 1893. The edition has not been dated with certainty. BMC dated it "for convenience" to c.1497, the last year its type was used, and Sheppard dated it to c.1495. H *13085; BMC VI, 773 (IB. 26760); Bod.-Inc. P-355; Sander 5746; Goff P-783.
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