n.p. n.p., ca. 1530. An exquisite small leaf taken from a French Book of Hours from the early 16th century. Books of Hours were personal prayer books and were not only works of art, but cultural documents of their time. They were made of the finest materials, by the best artisans, for the small portion of the population that could both appreciate and afford them. The book's Latin text is printed in black, with horizontal gold ink ornaments at the end of each sentence. The text has a gold ink border with an ornamental bow at its bottom. The border and ornaments are highlighted with a thin line in red ink. There are fourteen initials in gold and black. There are thirteen two-initials and one of three lines. This leaf is for pages 161-162 of the book. It measures 2.5 x 4.25 inches. In fine condition with the outline of the intials from one page visible on the other page. MANUS/031723. Fine. More

Basle [Basel]: Nicolaus Kesler [ Kessler], 1496. A handsome leaf from Moralia in Job, printed by Nicolaus Kessler in 1496. Moralia in Job, also called Moralia, sive Expositio in Job or Magna Moralia, is a commentary on the Book of Job by Gregory the Great, written between 578 and 595. It was begun when Gregory was at the court of Emperor Tiberius II in Constantinople, but finished only several years after he had returned to Rome. [Wikipedia] Nicolaus Kessler was born around 1445 in Bottwar in Württemberg. Around 1471 he received the academic degree of Baccalaureus artium liberalium in Basel. From 1475 he worked as a bookseller for the printer Bernhard Richel and married his daughter Magdalene. He was naturalized in the city of Basel on December 23, 1480. In the same year he became a member of the guild of the key. After the death of his employer Bernhard Richel in 1482, he took over his shop in the Zum Blumen house. In 1496 he became a guild master and thus also a member of the council. He died in 1519. This leaf is in Latin, printed in double columns with 55 lines and headline in gothic letter. There are three red initials and shoulder reference in black. There is light age toning around the margins and the edge of the leaf is chipped where it was removed from its bound book. A nice example of early printing. Measures 8 x 11.75 inches. Proctor 7690 EPHEM/061323. More

Ulm: Johann Zainer, 1474. Two handsome and well preserved incunable leaves from a bible printed in Latin at the press of Johann Zainer. Zainer was the second printer in Ulm, and is documented there with a first printed book in 1473, the Pestordnung by the Ulm city doctor Heinrich Steinhöwel. He further developed book decoration and published the first German translation of a work by Giovanni Boccaccio. Like Günther Zainer, printer in Augsburg, Johann Zainer came from Reutlingen; the two men might have been, or almost certainly were, related. He received his training as a printer in Strasbourg. After an initially successful career, Zainer's business declined after a few years; he was expelled from the city in 1493, probably because of debts, but returned later and resumed printing, albeit only a few books, until 1515 and was mentioned for the last time in 1523 [German Wikipedia]. The leaves are printed in double columns, with 50 lines in a gothic type. There are four red and black three-line initials, one initial in gray and black, and red underlining to mark new paragraphs. The paper is toned and has some darker staining, primarily in the margins but affecting some of text block. Light creasing along margins and pinpricks and slight chipping where leaves were removed from their book. A nice example of early German printing in very good condition. Measures 11 x 16 inches. EPHEM/053123. More

Köln (Cologne): Ludwig von Renchen, 1485. A scarce German incunable leaf from the press of Ludwig von Renchen. The text is taken from Jacobus de Voragine's Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea). Jacobus de Voragine (c. 1230 - 1298) was an Italian chronicler and archbishop of Genoa. He was the author, or more accurately the compiler, of the Golden Legend, a collection of the legendary lives of the greater saints of the medieval church that was one of the most popular religious works of the Middle Ages [Wikipedia]. The leaf is printed in double columns with 43 lines of text, which is rubricated. A good copy with browning and some staining. There are small chips along the margin where the leaf was removed from a bound volume. Measures 7.5 x 10 inches. Goff J-171; Proctor 1262. EPHEM/060123 I. Very Good -. More

circa 1800s. 14 lines of script on both sides. Pages have been professionally mounted onto archival paper. Red and black ink with red, black, and gilt ruled borders. A few worm holes, tears, and a tape repair. 14 lines of text on each side. Size of original Koran leaf: about 10 x 6.5 inches (including tab). Full page: about 11.5 x 8.5 inches. Very Good. More

circa 1800s. 14 lines of script on both sides. Pages have been professionally mounted onto archival paper. Red and black ink with red, black, and gilt ruled borders. Small area of paper repair to fifth line. 14 lines of text on each side. Size of original Koran leaf: about 10 x 6.5 inches (including tab). Full page: about 11.5 x 8.5 inches. Very Good. More