Conradus Gritsch (um 1409-1475) – Franciscan, Jesuit preacher, taught in Paris and Vienna
Quadragesimale – Comprehensive collection of Lent sermons
Printed by Johann Wiener in Augsburg, 1477
Voluminous copy, with unusually wide margins, of this rare early print
Almost immaculate text area with blank initial spaces
Original Gothic pigskin binding over massive wooden boards
Dimensions of folio volume: 32.5 x 23 x 11 cm
The incunabula is complete and in good condition
Provenance: Dießen monastery on Lake Ammer, diocese Augsburg
Decorative, both rare and early incunabula in a very nice monastery binding
Object is regular taxed. The 7% VAT of the hammer price will be taken off the bill.

This voluminous incunabula is a both rare and early print from the Augsburg printing shop of Johann Wiener, who was active as printer in Augsburg between 1475 and 1479. Only twenty prints from his printing shop are known of. This incunabula is the overall third edition of the 'Quadragesimale', however, the first printed by Johann Wiener, who mentions his hometown Vienna in the colophon for the first time. As far as the type that Wiener used is concerned, the influence of the type from Günther Zainer's printing shop can clearly be observed.

The 'Quadragesimale' is a comprehensive collection of Lent sermons by the then highly acclaimed Jesuit preacher Conrad Gritsch. The title refers to the 40-day Lent period between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday.



Illustration

Gothic type. Single column. 38 lines. Genuine, immaculate print with blank initial spaces. Colophon on last leaf. Dimensions of the leaves: 30.7 x 21 cm. Text area: 23.3 x 13.6 cm.

Collation

509 unnumbered leaves. The incunabula is complete.

Gatherings: 1?–4?10; 5?6; a–i10; k10+1; l10; m8+1; n–z10; A–B10; C8+1; D–X10; Y–Z12.

Binding

Original Gothic pigskin leather over massive wooden boards. Rare copy without blind-tooling. Three raised bands. Former chain binding. Chain hooks, corner fittings, center buckle and clasps removed in former times. Two 18th century paper labels on spine. Compact and well-preserved binding without clasps and decorative elements. Book block and binding firm and stable. Several small wormholes in boards. Boards with traces of aging, slightly edgeworn. Spine with longer tear to leather. Lacking front pastedown, making the medieval manuscript writing and the wooden board visible. Dimensions of the folio volume: 32.5 x 23 x 11 cm.

Condition

In good to very good condition. Sharp original print on strong laid paper with wide margins. First 8 and last 3 leaves with stronger worm tracks and wormholes, slight loss of letters. Otherwise only a few tiny wormholes in margins, not affecting the text. Few leaves finger-stained and stained in places, else very clean copy. Some contemporary handwritten marginalia. No splits, tears and loss of text.

Provenance

The incunabula is a doublet copy from the monastery Dießen on Lake Ammer. A hand-written entry thereto on leaf 1 'Monasterii Diessen'. Front pastedown also with hand-written ownership entry of the Dießen monastery 'Inc.Imp.Nr.1185 Duplum'. This is a former monastery of the Augustinian Congregation in the diocese Augsburg in Bavaria.

From the possession of the criminal law expert and lawyer Dr. Detlef Mauss. An appealing blindstamp 'Ex Bibliotheca Dr. Detlef Mauss' in lower margin of leaf 1 with autographed commentary in pencil in which Mauss expresses his regrets about having put his stamp into such a genuine book in former times.

References

ISTC ig00492000; BMC II 357; BSB-Ink G-393; GW 11542; Goff G492; IGI VI 4488-A; IBP 5880; Sajó-Soltész 1514; Proctor 1731.

Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance.