Meshal Ha-Kadmoni, Isaac ibn Shahula, Venice; Meir Parenzo, [1547]

64 leaves (7 ¼ x 5  1/8  in.; 185 x 130 mm). Printer’s device on title. Eighty woodcut illustrations; several show traces of light brown wash. Marginal repair f. 8 affecting only a few letters; trace worming expertly repaired,  ff.2-8, affecting only a few letters . Running title shaved in final quire. Modern blind-tooled brown Morocco

Illustrated collection of moral fables and animal stories by Isaac ben Solomon ibn Abi Sahula (b. 1244), an itinerant scholar and physician. in rhymed prose interspersed with verse. Ibn Sahula writes that his material is original but based on the Talmud and Midrashim, and that in style he has followed the example of the prophets who presented moral lessons in allegorical form. He also wished to demonstrate that Hebrew, now neglected for Arabic fables, was as suitable and fine a vehicle for conveying moral lessons as Arabic. The stories show both kabbalistic and Indian influence. Some eighty woodcut illustrations grace the 64 leaves of this book, with one or two captioned woodcuts to a page. Though modeled on the program of illustration of the incunable editions, Meir Parenzo, the printer of this edition, commissioned an entire new series of woodcut illustrations providing more detail and artistic sophistication.

This copy was formerly in the possession of Solomon Dubno (1738–1813), bibliophile, bible scholar and Hebrew poet; his signature on title page.

 Literature: Vinograd, Venice 319;  A.M. Habermann, Kiryat Sefer vol. XXIX pp. 199-203; Amram, pp. 367-71; Roth, Jewish Art cols. 476-77.