Lactantius, Institutiones Divinae, Venice, Heirs of Aldo & Torresano, 1515, German calf over pasteboards, 1520s?

LACTANTIUS, LUCIUS CAECILIUS FIRMIANUS. Diuinarum institutionum libri septem. De ira Dei, liber I De opificio Dei, liber I Epitome in libros suos liber acephalos. Phoenix. Carmen de dominica resurrectione. Venice: Heirs of Aldo Manuzio & Andrea Torresano, April 1515

2 parts in one volume, 8vo (159 x 97 mm). Italic type, I1:80, 30 lines plus headline. Collation: aa-bb⁸ a-z⁸ A-Y⁸: 376 leaves; Tertullianus: *⁴ AA-FF⁸: 52 leaves. Woodcut Aldine device on title-pages and final verso, early marginalia. (Occasional light staining.)

Binding: German calf over pasteboards (173 x 104 mm), ca. 1520s, tooled in silver and gilt, double lines around sides containing floral border in gilt, central panel with five stripes containing interlocked "S"s in silver, traces of four pairs of red fabric ties, spine with three bands, repeated blind rosettes in compartments, gilt and gauffered edges. (Worn, tooling faded, losses to spine along bands and head- and tail-pieces, front hinge cracked.)

Provenance: Unidentified owner(s), inscription, "O. Pontanus," on both title pages, with a second inscription, "M.D.L.," added on Lactantius — unidentified owner, inscription, "Blasius Khamerhoffen 1552," on upper pastedown — unidentified owner, inscription, "15M93," at top of title-page, and "σιω θεω" below anchor & dolphin device — Justus Rösner (Rössner, Rößner, 1590-1658), inscription, "Ex Bibliotheca Rösneriana 1642," on lower pastedown. Acquisition: Purchased from Daniel De Simone, 1991. References: UCLA 132; Renouard 70/2; Aldo Manuzio tipografo 133.2; Grolier/Aldus 64; Edit16 45472; USTC 837070