Description

Signatures: a¹⁰ b-r⁸.


Title from incipit in red on a2r.


Imprint from colophon.


Colophon on r7v reads: Opus elementoru[m] euclidis megarensis in geometria[m] arte[m] In id quoq[ue] Campani p[er]spicacissimi Co[m]mentationes finiu[n]t. Erhardus ratdolt Augustensis impressor solertissimus. venetijs impressit. Anno salutis.M.cccc.lxxxij. Octauis. Calen[das] Jun[is]. Lector. Vale.


Contents: Erhard Ratdolt. [Dedication letter addressed to] Johannes Mocenicus, Doge of Venice, a1v; Euclides. Elementa geometriae, Books 1-13, translated by Adelardus Bathoniensis, revised by Campanus Novariensis, a2r-q3r; Campanus [Novariensis]. [Commentary on Elementa], a2v-r7v; [Pseudo-] Euclides [i.e. Hypsicles]. Elementa geometriae, Book 14, translated by Adelardus Bathoniensis, revised by Campanus Novariensis, q3r-r4r; [Pseudo-] Euclides; [Pseudo-Isidorus Milesius]. Elementa geometriae, Book 15, translated by Adelardus Bathoniensis or Gerardus Cremonensis, revised by Campanus Novariensis, r4r-r7v; colophon, r7v.


Also published on vellum and illuminated. Variations in the incipit, dedication, headlines in the first signature, etc. are recorded, issued with the same colophon.


Text begins on a1v with a dedicatory letter by Erhard Ratdolt to Doge Mocenigo: Erhradus ratdolt Augustensis impressor[um] Serenissimo alme vrbis venete Principi Ioanm Mocenico. S.


Woodcut three-sided ornamental border on leaf a2r.


Ornamental woodcut initials, large and small, throughout.


Woodcut geometrical diagrams in the margins throughout.


Printed running titles from leaf a10r giving book numbers, Liber I-Liber XV.


The first two leaves a1 and a2 are unsigned.


The final leaf r8 is blank.


Indexed in: ISTC no. ie00113000.


Indexed in: BMC V 285 (IB.20513); Goff, E-113; Sander, 2605; GW 9428.

Features

Leaf numbers 1-42 have been added in black ink manuscript to the top right of rectos from leaf [a2r] to f1r, i.e. up to the end of Liber VI.


Marginal annotations throughout, late fifteenth- or early sixteenth-century.


Nine leaves with notes in black ink manuscript, late fifteenth- or early sixteenth-century, accompanied by geometrical diagrams and an attempt at a table of contents, have been bound in at the front of the book.


The large ornamental woodcut initial on [a2r] has been coloured in blue and green.


The circle at the bottom of the woodcut ornamental border on [a2r] has been coloured in green and brown.


Paragraph markers highlighted in red until e2r.


Some worm damage.


Bindings


Late fifteenth-century or early sixteenth-century binding of full dark brown calf over bevelled wooden boards, rebacked. The upper and lower covers are blind-tooled with a border of triple fillets with three rows running hoizontally and one vertically to form a grid containing eight compartments. Each compartment is blind-tooled or marked with a different geometrical figure. The new spine has three raised bands. Gold-tooled in the second panel are the words: Euclidis Geometria. Gold-tooled at the base of the spine are the place and date: Venetiis 1482. Above the place and date is the University Library Leeds stamp in gold. On the back cover are two decorated metal clasps in the shape of a flower and there are the remains of two sets of three small star-shaped rivets on the upper cover where the other part of the clasp was once attached. Parts of the lower cover have been restored. Size: 316 x 225mm. Leaf size: 301 x 210mm.

Provenance

Inscription, eighteenth-century, in black ink manuscript on leaf [a1r]: Del M[arche]se Manfredi Malaspina di Filattiera Aº: 1746.


A book label of the University Library Leeds on the front pastedown reads: Presented by An Anonymous Donor. The book was given to the Library by Sir Michael Sadler, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds from 1911 to 1923.


Pencil manuscript accession number 7547 on the verso of the first of the nine leaves bound in at the front of the book. Date of accession to the Library of the University of Leeds can be identified as 28 September 1922.

Access and usage

Access

This material is not subject to restrictions under Data Protection or other relevant legislation that might limit access. However, other protections, such as donor conditions or conservation considerations, may still apply where advised.

Related subjects / tags

WARNING: many of our records have not been classified by subject. So if you search our catalogue by subject using the links below then you are unlikely to find all relevant records. But you will find some...

On our website

Profile: Manfredi Malaspina, marchese di Filattiera (1720-1787)

Biography of Manfredi Malaspina, marchese di Filattiera, who is associated with the incunabula held in Special Collections at Leeds University Library.

View full details...

Profile: Sir Michael Sadler (1861-1943)

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds, 1911-1923. A progressive educationalist, Michael Sadler believed strongly that a rich cultural knowledge greatly enhanced a student's learning. He introduced a wider curriculum and facilitated more interaction between the University and the community. Sadler donated artworks and papers to the University in 1923.

View full details...