OVIDIUS NASO, Publius (43 B.C.-17 A.D.). Opera. Edited by Johannes Calphurnius (d.1503). [Venice:] Jacobus Rubeus, [before December] 1474.
Two volumes, median 2° (vol.I: 330 x 225mm; vol.II: 329 x 186mm). Collation: [1-510 68 7-1210 13-1412 15-1610 17-188 1910 2010 218 226 23-2510 2612 27-3110 328 336 34-3510 3612 3710 38-4110 4210] (1/1 blank, 1/2r-14/12 Metamorphoses, 15/1r-22/6 Heroides, Ars amandi, 23/1r-26/12 Amores Remedia amoris, Medicamino faciei femineae, Nux, 27/1r-33/6 Fasti, Epistola consolatoria ad Liviam de morte Drusi, 34/1r-37/10 Tristia, 38/1r-41/10 Epistolae ex Ponto, Pulex, Philomena, 42/1r-10r Ibis, life of Ovid, colophon, 42/10r table, verses by Calphurnius to the reader, 42/10v blank). 411 leaves (of 412, without first blank). 43 lines. Type: 1:113R. Each volume independently decorated; 2- to 7-line initials in red or blue, the first in gold on contrasting ground, paragraph marks in red or blue, contemporary catchwords in a few quires of vol. II, pin-holes visible at outer margin. (Occasional light spotting, vol. I with small marginal wormhole in first few leaves, vol. II lightly wormed at beginning and end, ink stains on two leaves, occasional short marginal tear.) Vol. I: early 19th-century red straight-grained morocco tooled in blind, gilt edges (lightly scuffed); vol. II: 19th-century calf preserving part of Venetian gold-tooled goatskin sides with cut-leather leafy spray within shaped ropework border, early vellum front flyleaf (rebacked, rubbed). Provenance: Edward Vernon Utterson (1776?-1856, sale Sotheby's, 19 April 1852; bookplate) -- Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792-1872, Middle Hill catalogue pencil annotation) -- sold Sotheby's 4 November 1958, lot 288, £200.
THIRD EDITION. The set appears to have been brought together by Payne & Foss in 1825, from whom Utterson presumably acquired it. The edition follows editions printed in 1471, one at Rome and one at Bologna. BMC V, 214 (IB. 20069); CIBN O-80; HC(+Add) 12138; IGI 7043; Goff O-128. (2)