[VIRGIL - Publius Vergilius Maro (70 BC - 19 BC)]. Vergilius cum commentariis quinque uidelicet Seruii, Landini, Ant. Mancinelli, Donati, Domitii. Venetiis [Venice] : s.n. [publisher not identified - attributed to Bartholomaeus de Zanis], 1501.
Hardcover. Reprint of Bartholomaeus de Zanis incunable editions. Coeval binding. Thick folio, 2º, (320 x 220 x 70 mm.), ff. [6], 360. Signatures: a⁶ b-z⁸ &⁸ [con]⁸ [rum]⁸ A-V⁸. Latin text printed in large roman type, surrounded by commentary in smaller roman type; marginal references in large roman type. Leaves numbered on rectos. Titles in capitals. Initial and terminal blanks absent. Contemporary studded leather backed wooden boards, remnants of leather clasps. Simple title-page. Woodcut pictorial and ornamental initials throughout. Shoulder-notes. Colophon and register present recto terminal leaf, with colophon dated June 1501 but no mention of printer. Contains: life of the author, the Eclogues (or Bucolics), the Georgics, the Aeneid, and minor poems. Provenance: From the library of Crosby Gaige, and with his book-plate on front paste-down. Crosby Gaige (1882-1949) was an American Broadway producer, writer, and served as president of the New York Wine & Food Society. Condition: Contents complete, else for initial and terminal blanks. Binding slightly shaky but secure nonetheless, rear board sympathetically replaced at some point, worn and soiled, clasps lacking, front board corner chipped. Title-page worn and soiled, old inscription at top of same. Damp staining at fore-edge and top corner of many leaves. Top corner of leaf 182 torn away with some loss to text. Leaves 244-45 darkened and soiled. Top corner of leaves 359-360 slightly tattered. Most leaves variously soiled to a small degree. Minor marginal notes.
Notes: Very rare and only 4 known library copies. Not in: G. Mambelli, Gli annali delle edizioni virgiliane. Venetian post-incunabulum of Virgil's works with the commentary of Servius, Donatus and Landinus, printed in the same year, and in the same city, as Aldus' iconic octavo edition. Although no printer is given, it is clearly the work of Bartholomaeus de Zanis who produced editions between 1491 and 1495 for Octavianus Scotus and Lucantonio Giunta, respectively; see Catalogue of books printed in the XVth century now in the British Museum, volume V, page 432. [USTC 862689; OCLC 43331215].
