Title: Opera, Grammatici in Eadem Commentarii, 1532. Extremely Scarce Estienne Virgil, in a Beautiful Gilt Tooled Vellum Binding
Author: Publius Vergilius Maro; Robert Estienne; Maurus Honoratus Servius; Giovanni Pietro Valeriano
Publisher: Paris, ex officina Robert Estienne (I)
Condition: Fair
An extremely scarce, early 16th century First Estienne edition of the Works of Virgil, with editorial commentaries from Robert Estienne, Servius, and Valeriano.
The volume has been beautifully bound in a vellum binding, with gilt tooling to the covers, and repeating fleur-de-lys. The names of Jesus and Mary are tooled to the center of the covers.
The three preliminary leaves at the beginning, including the first title, are lacking. The second title has been misbound to the beginning of the volume. The main texts are complete however.
USTC records five existing copies of this edition in libraries.
Two parts finely bound into one vellum volume in folio, 707+(30); 205+(1)+(12)
This volume is in fair shape, with rubbing and wear to the binding. The volume has been heavily affected by old staining and foxing, mostly to the right-side margins, causing those sections of the pages to become more brittle. Some of the pages with those affected margins have chipped and broken, with thankfully very little text loss save for a few leaves. Two pages have old tape repairs, but they don’t appear to have helped much. Several pages are just lacking the margin portions affected by the chipping. There is some scattered foxing and staining throughout.