A Leaf from Voragine's "The Golden Legend," Translated by Caxton and Printed by Wynkyn de Word

VORAGINE, Jacobus de. LEAF; WYNKYN DE WORDE|CAXTON, William.

[Leaf from "The Golden Legende"].

Westminster: Wynkyn de Worde, 1498.

CAXTON, William, [translator]. LEAF. WYNKYN DE WORDE. [Leaf from "The Golden Legende"].. Westminster: Wynkyn de Worde, 1498.

Full Description:

[VORAGINE, Jacobus de]. [CAXTON, William, translator]. [WYNKYN DE WORDE, printer]. J The Golden Legend. [Westminster: Wynkyn de Worde, 1498].

A leaf fragment of Wynkyn de Worde's 1498 edition of Jacobus de Voragine's The Golden Legend, translated by William Caxton. From the second De Worde edition and the fourth overall printing of Caxton's translation. Small folio (10 3/4 x 7 5/8 inches; 274 x 194 mm). 47 lines of blackletter text in double columns printed on recto and verso. Tipped in with a facsimile title-page printed by Dauber & Pine Bookshop. Leaf is folio Clxxix, "the lyf of saynt Marye magdalene." Leaf without watermark.

Leaf and title-page laid in to a rebacked quarter calf over marbled board portfolio. Front board with brown morocco label, lettered in gilt. Leaf with some very minor browning to edges. a light crease to bottom outer corner. A small quarter-inch closed tear to bottom blank margin, not affecting text. Previous owner's bookplate and bookseller clipping on inside of portfolio. Overall very good.

An excellent example from the most famous story of the lives of the Saints by the Italian hagiologist Jacobus de Voragine, first printed and translated by William Caxton in 1483, with the first Wynkyn de Worde edition appearing ten years later in 1493. This leaf fragment of Wynkyn de Worde's 1498 edition of The Golden Legend is from "the lyf of saynt Marye magdalene" and is folio Clxxix.

"William Caxton completed his translation of the 600,000-word text, largely from Jean Vignay’s French version, on November 20, 1483. His Golden Legend is the first book in English to include portions of the Bible." (Clark Library).

"Wynkyn de Worde was Caxton's chief printer and successor. De Worde's first illustrated books were those in which he could use Caxton's blocks (which became his after Caxton died in 1491), and he continued to use them until they broke down. In his career, he issued almost 450 illustrated titles, and although many were reprints, the great number demonstrates Worde's commitment to illustrations in books. These pages are from Worde's edition of one of Caxton's most important and popular illustrated books, THE GOLDEN LEGEND, which recounted the lives of the saints." (Toledo Museum of Art).

"St. Mary Magdalene, also called Mary of Magdala, (flourished 1st century CE, Palestine; feast day July 22), one of Jesus’ most celebrated disciples, famous, according to Mark 16:9–10 and John 20:14–17, for being the first person to see the resurrected Christ." (Britannica).

Duff 411. Goff J151. Proctor 9708.

HBS 68894.

$1,000.

Price: $1,000.00

Item #68894