GRATIANUS, the Canonist (d. ca 1150). Decretum. Venedig: Petrus de Plasiis, 25 January 1483.

4to.  Collation: A-I12 K8 L-Y12 2A12 2B8 a-x12 y-z8. 547 leaves (of 548, lacking A1, blank). Double column, 49 lines of text, 59 lines of gloss enclosing text, headline. Types: 76G (text, headlines), 63G (gloss, register). Printed in red and black, capital spaces and red printed Lombards. 

FIRST PAGE ILLUMINATED BY A CONTEMPORARY ARTIST in gold and colors, large initial in red on gold ground, leafy vine border filling upper lower margin, arms of the Bishop of Brixen lower margin, other initials supplied in blue. (A few short marginal tears with occasional repairs, z7 and z8 with repairs to gutter margin affecting a few letters.) Modern brown niger preserving old bookplate and old annotations. Provenance: contemporary or near-contemporary annotations; Baron Furstenberg (armorial bookplate).

Second quarto edition published in Venice, preceded by an edition in quarto format printed by Adam de Rottweil, ca 25 January 1480.  Numerous editions of this collection of canon law, compiled in the 12th century and first printed in Strasbourg in 1471 in folio format, proliferated, especially in Italy. The present edition includes the commentary by Bartholomaeus Brixiensis.  BSB-Ink. G-265; GW 11365; Hain 7900; ISTC ig00373000.

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