Praeceptorium Divinae Legis.

Cologne:: Johann Guldenschaff, 1481., 1481. First edition. Small folio. 311 of 314 leaves; CCXII and CXV supplied in early manuscript, lacking [a1, blank]. Gothic type, rubrications in red or blue, leaves 90-132 with paragraph marks, initial strokes, and underlining in red; first four leaves with repairs to fore-edge margin, some dampstains. BOUND in full 19th century polished calf over wooden boards and decorated in blind, five raised bands, gilt spine lettering, decorative blind roll to edges, inner dentelles stamped in blind, marbled endpapers; moderate edgewear, joints starting, rear joint partially split, rubbed and worn with some losses, small sticker to upper board. Housed in modern custom brown cloth clamshell case, spine lettered in gilt, minor edgewear. Very good. EXTREMELY RARE: A FORE-EDGE PAINTING ON AN INCUNABLE. Fore-edge painting by John T. Beer depicting "Monastic Ruins at Mount Sinai, " signed & dated 1895 in the lower left corner. [NOTE (see below): 'yellow' circle marking the location of Beer's signature on the painting]. Beer inscribed the title of the fore-edge scene on his bookplate and also on a rear endsheet. This is one of four books from the fifteenth century that Beer painted a fore-edge painting on. FIRST PERSON TO SIGN HIS FORE-EDGE PAINTINGS & ALSO PAINTED ON BOOKS FROM HIS PERSONAL LIBRARY. PROVENANCE: John T. Beer (bookplate) – Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge 12 November 1903 [Beer Library sale] (lot 311 "Gotscaldius, Fra.) – William Ridler [bookseller] – Wican Free Public Library (bookplate) – Bonhams, London, Sale 20412, lot 158 (October 2, 2012) – Reiss & Sohn (April 23, 2013) – Bloomsbury (12 June 2013, lot 69) – Jeff Weber Rare Books – Randall J. Moskovitz, MD – Heritage Auction 9 June 2021, lot 45002 – Jeff Weber Rare Books. REFERENCES: BMC I, 225; Goff H-294; Hain 8766; Weber, Jeff, The Fore-edge Paintings of John T. Beer, 2005, no. 116; Weber, Jeff, Annotated Dictionary of Fore-edge Painting Artists & Binders, pp. 54-59. From the Estate of Randall J. Moskovitz, MD, Memphis, Tennessee.