Psalterio Davitico…con lo latino intertexto declarator de & de sententia in sententia volgarezzato.
Bologna, Heirs of B. Hector di Faelli 1524.
4to (222 x 157 mm.). 197 [r. 198] leaves. White-line woodcut title frame of flowers, peas, strawberries, a rooster, snail and butterflies, title verso with A CONTEMPORARY PAINTED COAT OF ARMS of the ?Ricchini family of Modena (see Crollalanza, Dizionario III: 285).
18th-century vellum over boards (soiled), flat spine gilt with gilt-lettered tan and blue morocco labels, old gilt blue edges gauffered, yellow silk marker.
FIRST EDITION: THE FIRST PRINTED LATIN-ITALIAN PSALTER AND THE FIRST NEW ITALIAN TRANSLATION OF THE TEXT TO BE PUBLISHED SINCE NICOLÒ MALERMI’S (1471).
The Ferrarese painter and poet Luigi Bigi (called Pittorio; 1454-1525) presents each verse of the Latin Vulgate Psalms, then paraphrases it in simple Italian. He frequently adds his own short vernacular commentary — from a few words to a few lines — to sharpen the reader’s understanding and guide their private meditation. On the title and in the dedication, BIGI EXPLICITLY ADDRESSES NON-LATIN LITERATE CONVENTUAL AND LAY WOMEN, as well as the broader public. To forestall criticism of his vernacular text, he sought and received the approval of the vice-inquisitor of Ferrara, Father Domenico da Reggio.
This luxury copy has the painted arms of its first owner, who had the book block edges colored, tooled and gilt. I have found two examples in U.S. libraries. In excellent condition, early signature on the title of di Sa Simonetta, bookplates of George Dunn (Wooley Hall, in Wm. Morris’ “Golden Type”) and of Arrighi Casmellani.
¶La Bibbia. Edizioni del XVI secolo ed. Lumini no. 164; Boillet, “La Fortune du ‘Psalterio Davitico’ de Luigi Pittorio en Italie” in La Bibliofilia 115 (2013) 621-8; Darlow & Moule, Historical Catalogue of the…Holy Scripture 5575n.; Sander, Le Livre à figures italien 1018; EDIT16 CNCE 5884.
Price: $14,500.00