Title: Confessionale sive Interrogatorium; Bound With; Interrogationes faciende infirmo morienti, 1474. Rare at Auction, and Nicely Illuminated. Rare at Auction
Author: Bartholomaeus de Chaimis; Anselm of Canterbury
Publisher: Milan, Christophorus Valdarfer 3 Kalendas Octobres [29 Sept. 1474])
Condition: Good
A late 15th century, first edition of the Confessionale of Bartholomaeus de Chaimis, a popular Franciscan confessional text. This work also represents the second book ever printed from Valdarfer’s second press.
A Milanese Franciscan, de Chaimis lists not just sins in general, but specific questions relating to the sins of different people, whether they are children, married couples, priests, merchants, students, craftsmen, farmers, butchers or tavern keepers. The Interrogationes, questions to ask the dying, are adapted from the Admonitio Morienti of Anselm of Canterbury. This was a very popular work, circulating in both print and manuscript.
This work has been rubricated throughout, with some beautifully illuminated drop caps, and then some regular initials in red and blue.
Leaves 88, 89, 95, 130, 137-143 are lacking.
This work is relatively rare at auction, having only appeared at one other prior sale in in 2013, hammering for 9600 USD.
One vellum bound volume in quarto, 163 of 174 leaves
This volume is in good shape, with some rubbing and wear to the binding. The text block is cleanly detached from the binding, with some of the quires separated from the main block. A few of the illuminated initials have been extracted. There is a small wormhole to the inner margin of the text block, a few signs of restoration to several leaves, and some damp staining to the last 15-20 leaves.