Title: P.M.V. Omnia Opera diligenti castigatione exculta, aptissimisque ornata figuris, commentantibus Servio, Donato, Probo, Domitio, Landino, Antonioque Mancinello viris clarissimis, 1514. Extremely Scarce and Illustrated Virgil, with 18th Century Woman Ownership. No Recent Copies Recorded at Auction
Author: Publius Vergilius Maro; Domizio Calderino; Aelius Donatus; Cristoforo Landino; Antonio Mancinelli; Marcus Valerius Probus
Publisher: Venezia, per Bartolomeo Zani
Condition: Very Good
An extremely scarce early 16th century edition of the Works of Virgil, being the Zani imprint of 1514, and containing the commentaries of Landino, Probus and Donatus from earlier imprints, as well as the most newly added commentary of Mancinelli.
This edition is beautifully illustrated with 17 large woodcuts, one for the beginning of each book within every text. There are numerous woodcut initials throughout as well.
There are several ownership inscriptions for one Marie Derebier, most likely an 18th century owner, judging by the script. I am unable to find other books with her exlibris inscription, but it is interesting to imagine what the early printed collection of an 18th century lady of France could look like.
The preliminary leaves and the title, as well as leaves 355-387 and the last text leaf are lacking. The Eclogues, the Georgics and the Aeneid are textually complete. The Maphaeus Vegius is mostly present, but incomplete.
Collation and digital comparisons indicate that the 1514 Zani imprint is the likely match (USTC 862696), due to the fact that the 1508 and 1510 editions have slightly different header placements.
USTC records six existing copies of this edition in libraries. There do not appear to be any auction records for ANY of the Zani editions, which is an unusual sight.
One finely bound volume in folio, 355 of 387 leaves
This volume is in very good shape, with some rubbing and wear to the binding, with the head of the spine split. There is staining to the right-side margin of leaves 130 to 186, significantly heavier to the middle count of those leaves, and lighter at the beginning and end. There is very little soiling or staining elsewhere, only heavier to the first and last leaves.