Sefer Teshuvot, David ben Hayyim Kohen of Corfu (Maharadakh), Constantinople: Eliezer ben Gershom Soncino, 1537

225 leaves (7½ x 5 5/8 in.; 190 x 142 mm). Woodcut title border; owners' inscriptions on title and flyleaf, library stamps removed from title, some marginal spotting heavier in first quire. Nineteenth-century half calf and marbled boards, gold-tooled border and central stamp; rebacked, rubbed.

Vinograd, Constantinople 160; Yaari, Constantinople 125; Mehlman 703

225 leaves (7½ x 5 5/8 in.; 190 x 142 mm, woodcut title border; owners' inscriptions on title and flyleaf, library stamps removed from title, some marginal spotting heavier in first quire. Nineteenth-century half calf and marbled boards, gold-tooled border and central stamp; rebacked, rubbed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Also known by the acronym Maharadakh, David ben Hayyim Kohen of Corfu (d. 1530) studied under Judah Mintz in Padua and later held several rabbinic positions, most notably in his native Corfu and in Patras. His collected responsa, entitled simply, Sefer Teshuvot was published by his son, Hayyim.  The title page has the decorative and intricate frame used by Soncino in numerous works, here obviously well worn. The title page also chronicles the miraculous rescue of the original manuscript of Kohen's responsa from a fire in his son's home in Adrianople. Sefer Teshuvot was arranged for publication by the author's son-in-law and student, David Vital who divided the work into 33 sections called batim (houses), each subdivided into numerous hedarim (rooms.) In his preface, Vital writes that as there are many hedarim, he has marked them in the margins of the book by means of a "hand with a pointing finger" in order to assist the reader in locating the beginnings of each section. The printer, Eliezer ben Gershom Soncino included these "hands" when setting the type for this volume. Known as manicules, these typographic symbols were in common use since the 12th century in manuscripts and appear in Latin incunabula but their extensive utilization here represents a new and novel practice in Hebrew typography of the sixteenth century.