Thanatographia [Greek], id est, Mortis descriptio [...].

Sm. 8vo: [8] ff. (somewhat toned, unobtrusive damp stain).

Mod. quarter vellum, marbled paper on covers. Good copy.

Extr. rare (2nd recorded copy). Curious Latin poem (1st: Paris 1545) on death by the prior of the Bonne-Fonts charterhouse, François Quelain, a native of Le Mans. Splendid full-page woodcut on verso of title: "a winged Death in the form of a skeleton, aiming his arrow at mankind, but restrained by God, who holds a bridle with a bit in the skeleton’s mouth" (L.P. Kurtz, The Dance of Death and the macabre spirit in European literature, N.Y. 1934, p. 63). Woodcut mark on title.
Ref. BT 8972 = Machiels (Boekdr. Gent tot 1560) 348 = Bibl. gant. 157 = Pettegree NB 26175 (same Ghent copy). - Not in Adams, Oberlé, STC Dutch (BL).