Vita Christi. [Dutch] Tboeck vanden leven Jhesu Christi.

Sm. folio: [10]-cccxlvii [= 344 (on 345)] ff., 2 col., 42 ll. (ff. CCCVI torn out and last blank missing, large tears on 1st f. with sm. losses of letters, ff. I-CCXXX with oil stains, some marg. tears incl. 1 touching a woodcut, upper part of f. CCLI torn with loss of foliation on recto and running title on verso, age-toned, soiling, spotting, some marg. dampstaining, 1st and last quires loosening, f. CCCXLIII loose, some ff. and tears reinforced, occ. contemp. and modern ms. annot., ff. CLXI-CLXII with stamp of 19th-c. Belgian coins in lower margin).

18th-c. calf, gilt orn. spine (used, old repairs).

Rare incunable edition (1st: Antwerp, 1487) of the Dutch translation of the voluminous "Life of Christ" by the Carthusian spiritual writer Ludolf of Saxony (1300-1378). Meditative life of Jesus, with doctrinal, spiritual, and moral instructions, as well as prayers and extensive patristic extensions. It was not meant for religious people only, but for laity as well. Ill. with 220 woodcuts (25 full-page, 65 half-page, 130 smaller), from the same series used in the Van Os' 1495 edition. Printed in Gothic (first use by Van Os of types designed by the prolific punchcutter Henrick Lettersnyder). The colophon reads erroneously M CCC CXIX, actually printed in 1499. Decoration: 1st f. hand-couloured, blue and red paragraph marks and initials, capitals touched in red, large initial on f. I later hand-couloured.
Ref. ISTC il00357000. - GW M19276. - Goff L357. - ILC 1507. - CIBN L-282. - Polain 2547. - HPT I:107. - Not in BMC, BSB-ink, Bod Inc.