Hymnal. Czech.

folio (299 x 183mm.), title printed in red within an elaborate hand-coloured woodcut border, second leaf with hand-coloured woodcut borders on both sides, first opening of text and other section headings with woodcuts and woodcut borders (mostly hand-coloured), woodcut portrait of King David opposite p.1, woodcut initials (mostly hand-coloured), some initial-strokes and underlining (mostly in green), extensive type-set music, a few pages printed in red and black, hand-coloured woodcut portrait of Jan Hus at end, manuscript note on W4v in Czech dated 1662, 3pp. manuscript notes with music at end dated 1584 and attributed to Joannes F. Collinus, contemporary Czech binding of blind-stamped pigskin over wooden boards with initials IGZR and AGZL and arms on covers, metal corner-pieces and clasps, lacking [2]A1 (pp.493-494 with woodcut title-page), title-leaf torn and repaired with small hole in border with loss of text on verso, small hole in second leaf, first ten leaves or so repaired at fore-edges, some other leaves repaired at top and/or fore-edges, last few quires frayed at edges, occasional damp-staining affecting some colouring, lacking 2 corner-pieces on lower cover and both straps, rebacked retaining some of original spine, binding soiled and chipped

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This is a large and imposing volume of early printed music.  Sixteenth-century printed music, particularly Czech, is rare at auction.

The Unity of Brethren (or Bohemian Brethren), an offshoot of the Protestant Hussite movement, laid great significance on the vernacular for liturgical purposes, and also on lay singing in the vernacular. This is the first of several hymnals produced by their press in Kralice (originally published in 1561 in Szamotuly, Poland) which was also responsible for the first Czech Bible. All copies are rare.

Jan Blahoslav (1523-1571), a bishop of the Unity of Brethren, was the author of a treatise on music and the driving force behind the publication of this hymnal, which contains 735 hymn texts, many of them by Blahoslav himself (see The New Grove Dictionary of Music, 3, p.672).