Title: Opera. Prima, Secunda, Tercia Pars, and Inventarium, 1494. Complete works of Jean Gerson, with One Beautiful Ink Initial
Author: Jean Gerson
Publisher: Strassburg, Martin Flach
Condition: Very Good
A late 15th century edition of the works of Jean Gerson, being the fifth edition reprinted from the 1489 Basel edition published by Nicolaus Kesler. All three parts, as well as the Inventarium, are present,
One of the most influential theologians of the fifteenth century, Gerson Chancellor of the University of Paris, being one of the most significant theologians at the Council of Constance, here the fate of the Hussites where largely influenced by him. He helped to lay down the groundwork for natural rights theory, was among the first to defend Joan of Arc, and worked greatly towards resolving the Great Schism. His works were printed heavily during the second half of the fifteenth century.
At the beginning of each volume and part is a repeated large full-page woodcut, depicting Gerson as a pilgrim, totaling three woodcuts. More significantly, the woodcuts are a copy after the original design by Albrecht Durer. Leaf A3 to the second volume bears a beautifully detailed initial in brown ink. There is also some scattered marginalia to the second and third volumes.
The second and third volumes have been bound in contemporary alum tawed pigskin, with functioning clasps (added on later), while the third is in a later vellum binding.
Leaves r3 and A1 (the title page to the Inventarium) are lacking to the first volume.
Four books bound into two pigskin volumes and a vellum volume in folio, 266 of 268; 257; 355 leaves
These volumes are in very good shape, with minor rubbing and wear to the first vellum volume, and wormholes to the covers of the last two volumes, and a lack of leather to the front cover of the third volume. Leaf A2 to the first volume has some marginal paper loss
Wormholes on the covers of the last 2 volumes. Tear sewn back on the second cover of the second volume. Lack of cut leather on the first cover of the last volume. Missing leaves r3 and A1 in the first volume. Light watermark on upper margin. in the first volume. Lack of paper in the margin (including one restored) on the A2 sheet of the first volume (without loss of text). Galleries of verses in the margins of the very first pages of the second volume. Marginal tear with loss without loss of text on f. I6 of the second volume. Small angular tear with missing f. M3 of the 2nd flight. Small scattered wormholes in the 2nd volume. Scattered wormholes in the last volume, very numerous on the very first and very last pages.