Auction 18 · Lot 11

Mishneh Torah (Yad Ha’chazaka). [“The Strong Hand”- Rabbinic code]

Estimate: $30,000–$40,000
Hammer price: $68,000

Historical auction record. Hammer prices exclude buyer’s premium and taxes.

author

MOSES BEN MAIMON (MAIMONIDES/ RaMBa”M).

printer

Gershom ben Moses Soncino

Place

Soncino

Publication

23rd March, 1490

Description

Second Incunable Edition. Text printed in two columns. f. 2r within full historitated woodcut border incorporating winged chrubs and foliage. Title letters within decorative foliate woodcut vignettes. Ten large headings with elaborate woodcut surrounds on ff. 12v,29v,48v, 99v,152r,201r247v,253v.

references

Vinograd, Soncino 39; Mehlman 10; Goff Heb-77; Freimann & Marx, Thesaurus A-55; Goldstein 59; Offenberg 88; M. F. Wild, Incunabula in the Libraries of the University of London (1963), no. 193 (the present copy)

summary

AN ELEGANT EARLY EDITION OF THE MOST IMPORTANT OF MEDIEVAL HALACHIC TEXTS. Maimonides’ famous Code

ff (290 of 380), lacking ff.1(half-title, with seven lines of text on verso), 8,19 and 293-380(blank). Few light dampstains in places, clean tear on f. 2 repaired slightly affecting a few letters supplied in manuscript, some worming on upper margins of first few leaves and few interior leaves, scattered old-hand marginalia in places, library stamp on front-free endpaper and f.2. Despite these flaws, a clean, crisp copy. Recent brown half-morocco over marbled boards, gently rubbed at extremites, crimson gilt-titled spine label. Folio

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