Balbus's Catholicon

Balbus's Catholicon
Anton Koberger, 1486
BALBUS, Johannes (d. 1298). Catholicon. Nuremberg: Anton Koberger, 21 August 1486.

Second printing of the Catholicon by Anton Koberger, the prolific Nuremberg printer and publisher. To a great extent Koberger built his business on reprinting works of established popularity which he marketed all over Europe. The binding of this copy is typical of many commissioned by Koberger from shops in Nuremberg. HC 2258*; BMC II 430; GW 3192; BSB-Ink-B15; CIBN B-20; Goff B-28; ISTC ib00028000.

Royal folio (402 x 278mm). 328 leaves (of 328, first and last blanks used as flyleaves). A few initial spaces filled by a later reader (worming mainly to margins, light stains to margins, stain not affecting legibility of text, a few small marginal tears and holes). Contemporary Nuremberg blindstamped pigskin over wooden boards, five wooden bosses each cover (replacements), brass corner and edge pieces, remains of two leather straps (some worming to pastedowns). Provenance: marginal annotations by an early hand – “Tobias Kleselius [?] Anno domini 1592" (inscription).