Obra a Llaors del Benaventurat lo Senyor Sent Cristofol

In August of 1488, a "poetry fair" was held in Valencia, a record of which was produced a decade later
It was reprinted in Valencia by Pedro Trincher on February 3rd, 1498 with initials and various decorative elements
The only surviving specimen was auctioned in Paris in 1891 after being owned by a long line of bibliophiles

Obra a Llaors del Benaventurat lo Senyor Sent Cristofol

Inc. 1471 Biblioteca Nacional de España (Madrid, Spain)

Description

Obra a Llaors del Benaventurat lo Senyor Sent Cristofol

This is the only surviving copy of a codex that has been highly coveted by bibliophiles for centuries. The work of fifteen poets from a Valencian poetry fair in August of 1488 is presented with splendid initials and other décor.

Obra a Llaors del Benaventurat lo Senyor Sent Cristofol

This incunabula, an early printed book predating 1501, was published in the Valencian print shop of Pedro Trincher on February 3rd, 1498 and is stored today in the Biblioteca Nacional de España under the shelf mark Inc. 1471. Acquired from a Parisian auction in 1891, it represents the only surviving copy of the work and this coveted codex has been owned by a long line of bibliophiles. In August of 1488, a poetry fair was held in Valencia, a record of which was produced a decade later. This codex contains the work of fifteen poets, one of them anonymous, in neatly printed Gothic text with initials and various decorative elements. The title page is a woodcut with a mandorla containing the Virgin of Montserrat, the overleaf has an image of St. Christopher, and an image of Christ Crucified comes at the end.

Codicology

Type: Printed book on paper
Size / Format: 108 pages / 20.0 × 14.0 cm
Origin: Spain
Date: February 3, 1498
Epochs: Late Middle Ages Onwards
Style: Gothic
Genre: Literature / Poetry
Other Religious Books
Language: Spanish
Script: Gothic
Illustrations: Woodcuts and adorned initials
Content: Party religious poems by fifteen different poets
Artist / School: Lluís Roís (author)
Pedro Trincher (printer)
Previous Owners: Croft
White Knights
Herber's
Thorpe
Salvá
Count of Benahavs
Ricardo Heredia
Livermore

Available facsimile editions:

Detail Picture

Obra a Llaors del Benaventurat lo Senyor Sent Cristofol

Madonna and Child

The title page includes a mandorla or almond-shaped aureola featuring the Virgin Mary, who is dressed in sumptuous flowing robes and crowned as Queen of Heaven, holding a naked baby Jesus among a mountainous landscape featuring two crosses. The image, modelled on the Virgin of Montserrat, is flanked by two acanthus leaves. The details of this woodcut are unfortunately obscured by too much ink, e.g. the eyes of both figures are too large and dark, giving them an ominous look.

Single Page

Obra a Llaors del Benaventurat lo Senyor Sent Cristofol

Saint Christopher

According to legend, Saint Christopher carried an unknown child on his back across a river before the child revealed himself as Christ. He has since been regarded as the patron saint of travelers who often carry images of him. Instead of the archetypal composition of the saint crossing a river from left to right, he is depicted here walking toward the viewer.

Halos adorn the heads of both saint and child, who is dressed in a flowing cape and holds a globus cruciger while making the sign of the benediction. A beggar stands on the right bank and a praying man on the left. This fine woodcut is presented in a splendid vegetal and zoomorphic frame featuring rabbits, songbirds, falcons, dragons, and a coat of arms with a squirrel and three roses.

Facsimile Editions

#1 Obra a Llaors del Benaventurat lo Senyor Sent Cristofol

Vicent Garcia Editores – Valencia, 1997

Obra a Llaors del Benaventurat lo Senyor Sent Cristofol – Inc. 1471 – Biblioteca Nacional de España (Madrid, Spain) Facsimile Edition Copyright Photos: Ziereis Facsimiles

Publisher: Vicent Garcia Editores – Valencia, 1997

Limited Edition: 3160 copies

Binding: Parchment on wooden board.

Commentary: 1 volume by Francisco Calero
Language: Spanish

1 volume: Exact reproduction of the original document (extent, color and size) Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.

Price Category: € (under 1,000€)

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