Lot 14
  • 14

Liber Barlaam et Josaphat

Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
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Description

  • [Speyer: Printer of "Gesta Christi", c. 1472-73]
  • Paper
Chancery folio (270 x 195mm.), 77 leaves (of 78, without initial blank), a-f8 G8 h8 I8 k6, 36 lines, semi-gothic type, 3- and 6-line initial spaces, nineteenth-century boards, d8 torn without loss but affecting text, occasional light damp-staining

Literature

Goff B125; HC (+Add) 5914; BMC ii 483; Bod-inc B-057; GW 3396; BSB-Ink B-87

Condition

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."

Catalogue Note

First edition of this early Persian tale, which is a Christianised version of the life of Buddha. Translations, variants, and paraphrases are found in the Middle Ages in almost every language of the Near East and of Europe. Of this eleventh-century Latin version, derived from a Greek version, more than sixty manuscripts are recorded.

The anonymous press may be a continuation of the Printer of "Postilla Scholastica" shop, which dated a book in 1471 (Goff P947). Thirteen works have been assigned to the Printer of the "Gesta Christi", several of them supplied to the printer by the Rathsadvocat of Speyer, Thomas Dorniberg.