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The Bible 1495 Johannen Froben, Incunable Printing
The Bible 1495 Johannen Froben, Incunable Printing
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Biblia integra: summata distincta accuratius reemedata utriusa testamenti cocordantus illustrata. Finit y Johannem Froben de Namelburgh ciue Basilien Anno dni. MCCCCXCV [1495], sexto kalendas Novembres, Deo gratias.
A FANTASTIC AND VERY RARE INCUNABLE BIBLE PRINTED IN 1495 BY THE FAMED PRINTER JOHANN FROBEN. BEAUTIFULLY RUBRICATED THROUGHOUT AND WITH THE BIBLE COLLATED AS COMPLETE IN 508ff AND IN EXCELLENT CONDITION!
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One of the very first printings of the Bible in the octavo size and one of the earliest obtainable printings of the Bible for being an incunable edition. 15th century Bibles are rare to see the market and of course of the utmost desirability, being only one generation of printing away from Gutenburg himself. The desirability is emphasised by this example's excellent condition and such a great state of completeness.
Though of course an expensive book, the asking price here represents fantastic value, as a largely incomplete copy in rather rough condition with just 450 of the 508 called for leaves sold for $10,800 including premium at Addison & Sarova auctions, 24th March 2018 lot 39. The example here for sale is almost certainly the best example of this book one is ever likely to encounter.
This Bible was a typographical achievement by Froben. The printing required the creation and casting of new small characters, probably designed by Amerbach with whom he was known to have collaborated. This was incredibly revolutionary at the time, especially for being such a clear font - in today's nomenclature, a font size of 7. The octavo size conforms to that of the Bibles and Books of Hours written in Paris and northern France during the 13th century. Froben himself emphasised this feature as a selling point, suggesting that this octavo edition should be called a Biblioila, or mini-Bible.
Johann Froben was the most famous printer in Basel of the incunable and post incunable period. He was a revolutionary printer and his influence remains to this day. Some of the most important books he printed include the octavo Bible, and the first New Testament published in Greek (& Latin) in 1516, collaborating with Erasmus with whom he was a close friend. Erasmus entrusted the printing of all of his works to Froben, and the influence of these of course cannot be understated, with the various editions of his Greek and Latin New Testament printings laying the foundation for the translators of both the King James Bible and the Geneva Bible.
Froben's press began in 1491 and so this Bible is from the very early days of his printing, as by 1515 he controlled four presses, and by the end of his life he was in control of seven. Froben popularised Roman type and, along with Aldus Manutius, introduced the italic font. He employed famous artists as illustrators for some of his publications, most notably Hans Holbein with whom he was also a close friend. All of these various factors really do come together to emphasise both the importance of this edition of the Bible, and its historical context.
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Provenance:
Perhaps Dr Kloss' famous sale at Sotheby's in 1835 and thus belonging to Melancthon as a gift from Reuchlin. The quote from the sale catalogue is as follows: "No Protestant can behold this Volume without feelings of the highest veneration. It may be truly said to have sown the first seeds of the Protestant religion in the breast of this illustrious man, and of having been the instrument of that conduct he afterwards pursued in bringing about the reformation of the Church."
We also find the description of this book in Middleton's Biographia Evangelica, saying that "Melancthon always carried this bible about him, and chiefly when he went to church, where those who saw him hold it in his hands during divine service, believed he was reading quite another thing than what the time and place required of him, because it was much larger than a prayer book; and those that envied him took occasion from hence to make him odious with others."
The catalogue then went on to say that "We have no hesitation in stating, that this is the identical copy of this sacred Volume, which Reuchlin gave to his pupil, Melancthon. The earliness of the writing on the upper part of the title-page fully warrants this assertion. It also contains marginal notes."
It's worth mentioning that the visible parts of the handwriting present at the upper part of the title page does closely resemble the known handwriting of Reuchlin, especially an example held at the Baden-Wurttemberg State Archives in Germany - the handwriting, ink, pressure, age of the writing, etc, all seem to match well.
If that is true then that adds quite considerable interest as then this Bible would have been in the presence of, and perhaps held & read by, Martin Luther, Erasmus, and other notable figures. An early copy of this information is tipped in to the endpaper, certainly from the 19th century.
We also find ownership inscriptions of various people, including Geo Sheldon (c.18th century), C. Chamber (also c.18th century), f.n.f. (?) Hunter (1864), and the bookplate of W.A. Foyle, the notable book collector. This book sold at his sale at Christie's and includes the original Christie's sale bookmark.
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Provenance:
Perhaps Dr Kloss' famous sale at Sotheby's in 1835 and thus belonging to Melancthon as a gift from Reuchlin. The quote from the sale catalogue is as follows: "No Protestant can behold this Volume without feelings of the highest veneration. It may be truly said to have sown the first seeds of the Protestant religion in the breast of this illustrious man, and of having been the instrument of that conduct he afterwards pursued in bringing about the reformation of the Church."
We also find the description of this book in Middleton's Biographia Evangelica, saying that "Melancthon always carried this bible about him, and chiefly when he went to church, where those who saw him hold it in his hands during divine service, believed he was reading quite another thing than what the time and place required of him, because it was much larger than a prayer book; and those that envied him took occasion from hence to make him odious with others."
The catalogue then went on to say that "We have no hesitation in stating, that this is the identical copy of this sacred Volume, which Reuchlin gave to his pupil, Melancthon. The earliness of the writing on the upper part of the title-page fully warrants this assertion. It also contains marginal notes."
It's worth mentioning that the visible parts of the handwriting present at the upper part of the title page does closely resemble the known handwriting of Reuchlin, especially an example held at the Baden-Wurttemberg State Archives in Germany - the handwriting, ink, pressure, age of the writing, etc, all seem to match well.
If that is true then that adds quite considerable interest as then this Bible would have been in the presence of, and perhaps held & read by, Martin Luther, Erasmus, and other notable figures. An early copy of this information is tipped in to the endpaper, certainly from the 19th century.
We also find ownership inscriptions of various people, including Geo Sheldon (c.18th century), C. Chamber (also c.18th century), f.n.f. (?) Hunter (1864), and the bookplate of W.A. Foyle, the notable book collector. This book sold at his sale at Christie's and includes the original Christie's sale bookmark.
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Size: 115 x 157 x 65 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[AA8, BB4, a-y, A-Z, AA-MM, A-E8]. Lovely Gothic type in double column with 54 lines and a headline throughout. Capital spaces with guide letters beautifully rubricated in red throughout and occasionally in blue, with additional letters rubricated in red throughout the New Testament. Lacks BB2-4 of the Exortatio at the front of the book, but is otherwise complete including the main title page with the full 508 leaves of the main text all called for and even the original blanks E1 and E8 of the Interpretationes are present, bound in at the rear. It remains very rare to find a textually complete copy of this book, and indeed to find this book at all is a feat in and of itself given its rarity. Some very minor soiling but generally exceptionally clean throughout. A small number of marginal repairs to the edges of a few leaves which does not affect any text. Truly internally excellent, very mildly toned throughout, more so to the main title page.
The binding itself is in the style of Cambridge panelled bindings and circa the early to mid 18th century, and may well have been bound in Cambridge, with some minor wear at its extremities and some scuffs to the rear board, but is otherwise in excellent condition, without shelf lean and structurally fine with both boards securely attached. Gilt to the spine between raised bands bright and shows attractively, reading "Biblia Sacra" and "1495" at the foot of the spine. All page edges gilt, a bit dulled at the top edge as typical with some scratches, but without staining or chips etc. Pastedowns and endpapers contemporary with the binding with an attached red morocco bookplate to the front pastedown covering some earlier pencil writing which describes some details of the book. Also with an ink ownership inscription to the ffep blank and some earlier ownership inscriptions to the title page with the ones at the top and bottom slightly erased.
A truly excellent example of this rare incunable Bible.
[HC 3118; Pellechet 2335; Bibles Paris, 752; GW 4275; Goff B598]
