Ovid. Il clarissimo poeta Ovidio De arte amandí libro primo chominza.
DAWSON'S BOOK SHOP
An Inexpensive Incunabulum in Roman Type
OVID. DE ARTE AMANDI. Roman letter. Opening initial "A" illuminated and large initials throughout rubricated in blue and red. Small 4to (5 1/8 x 7 3/8 inches), 48 leaves, lacking the final 8 leaves (?), old limp boards. Blank margin of first leaf repaired, water- stains, n.p., n.d. $15.00
Hain (No. 12226) does not know where or when this Italian Ovid was printed, but he calls it the FIRST EDITION in the Italian language, and indicates that it was printed before 1480!
VERY RARE. According to the new census of Incunabula in American libraries, there is NO COPY OF THIS BOOK IN AMERICA.
This is a defective copy indeed of this precious little book, but a thousand defects could not hide the noble grace of the early Italian roman type nor the beauty of the opening page, with its initial letter illuminated in blue and gold, its illuminated border extending almost the full length of the margin, and the heading, printed in three lines of roman capitals: "II Clarissimo Poeta Ovidio de Arte Amandi Libro Primo Chominza".
