Münster, Sebastian
Institutiones Grammaticae in Hebraeam linguam
£580
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs
Auction: 21 June 2023 at 11:00 BST
Description
[Hebrew title at head: Melekheth ha-Diqduq]. [Basel]: Froben, 1524. First edition, [288 pp.], printer's woodcut device to title and final page, text in Hebrew, Latin (roman types) and Greek, musical notation in text, title-page dust-soiled and with early ownership inscription, old staining to a8 v. and b1 r., final page stained and with early ink annotations, a few marks and early ink annotations elsewhere [Adams M1932; VD16 M 6685].
[Bound with 2 other works:]
Ceporinus, Jakob. Compendium grammaticae graecae, iam de integro ab ipso authore et castigatum et locupletatum. Hesiodi georgicon ... Epigrammata. Basel: Valentin Curio, 1522. First edition, 175 [1] pp, allegorical woodcut border to title-page, printer's woodcut device to verso of colophon leaf, text in Greek and Latin (Latin in italic types), early ink annotations including ownership inscription 'George Hudson is the right owner of this book', title-page dust-soiled and with shallow chipping to foot, variable tide-mark to foot of gutter, [VD16 ZV 15528; not in Adams, the earliest edition there listed being Zurich, 1539];
Luscinius, Ottmar. Progymnasmata graecae literaturae. Strassburg: Johannes Knobloch, 1523. [28] 87 [30] pp., woodcut border to title-page, printer's woodcut device to final page, ownership inscription 'Ego libro Joannis Harryse Scoti 12th Octobrii anno 1561' to verso of title-page, occasional early annotations and underlining, title-page dust-soiling, a few stains elsewhere [Adams L1731; VD16 N 32].
3 works in 1 volume, 8vo (15.9 x 10.5cm), 19th-century half calf, rebacked with most of original spine laid down, contents toned
Footnote
Note: First and only edition of an early work by Sebastian Münster, the preeminent Hebraist of 16th-century Europe, rare in commerce; his earliest verified publication is his Epitome Hebraicae grammaticae, printed in 1520, also by Froben. This appears to be the first edition of Ceporinus's work; the first part (Compendium) was also published separately by Curio in the same year. The design of the title-page has been attributed to Hans Holbein the Younger. Luscinius's work first appeared in 1517.