Euripides, Tragodiai, Venice, Aldo, 1503, Parisian brown morocco, ca. 1550

Euripides. Εὐριπιδου Τραγωδιαι επτακαιδεκα ὀν ἐνιαι μετ'εξηγησεων εἰσι δε αὐται … Euripidis Tragoediae septendecim, ex quib. quaedam habent commentaria, et sunt hae. Hecuba Orestes Phoenissae Medea Hippolytys Alcestis Andromache Supplices Iphigenia in Aulide Iphigenia in Tauris Rhesus Troades Bacchae Cyclops Heraclidae Helena Ion. (Venice: Aldo Manuzio, February 1503)

[Bound with:] Euripides. Εὐριπιδου Ηλεκτρα. Euripidis Electra. Nunc primum in lucem edita [Greek]. Rome: [Antonio Blado], 1545

A sixth copy, bound with the editio princeps of Electra, the only one of the nineteen extant plays by Euripides not included in the Aldine collection (of the ninety-two plays attributed to him by the Suda).

Tragoediae: Volume 2 (of 2) only, 8vo (166 x 98 mm, preserving deckle on a few lower edges). Greek types, 30 lines plus headline. collation: Vol. 2 (only): ΛΛ⁸ MM¹⁰ NN-PP⁸ ΣΣ¹⁰ ΤT⁸ ΥΥ⁶ ΦΦ-ΧΧ⁸ ΨΨ⁴ ΩΩ⁸, ΑΑΑ-ΒΒΒ⁸ ΓΓΓ⁶ ΔΔΔ-ΖΖΖ⁸ ΗΗΗ⁶ ΘΘΘ-ΚΚΚ⁸ ΛΛΛ⁴ : 190 leaves (ΣΣ10, ΥΥ6 blank). Woodcut Aldine device on ΛΛΛ4v, section-titles, four-line initial spaces with guide letters. (A little dampstaining at top margin, especially towards end.)

Electra: Greek and italic types, 26 lines. collation: Α-Δ⁸: 32 leaves (Δ7, 8 blank). Title with woodcut of the reverse of a coin of Caesar Augustus (Cohen 228) and woodcut coat of arms of the dedicatee Cardinal Ardinghelli, woodcut historiated initial, single six-line initial space with guide-letter. (Dampstained at top third of leaves.)

binding: Parisian brown morocco (172 x 110 mm), ca. 1550, covers with a gilt French fillet border, mitered corners, large central panels richly gilt to an open fanfare design with interlacing curvilinear fillets forming two concentric ovoid cartouches further decorated with azured leaf tools and gold dots in interstices, traces of two pairs of yellow fabric ties, smooth spine similarly gilt with tendrils and azured leaves, in center of spine a cartouche enclosing the gilt-lettered title EVRIP. | II., edges gilt and gauffered to a floral design. (Minor restoration to extremities.)

acquisition: Purchased from Benjamin Spademan, Paris, 2012. references: UCLA 69; Adams E1030: Aldo Manuzio tipografo

71; Edit16 18373; Grolier/Aldus 38; Renouard 43.10; USTC 828498; for Electra: Fumagalli, Blado 79; Adams E1052; Edit16

18376; USTC 828501