Terenti Cum Directorio Vocabulorum Comoediae

Strasbourg: Johann Gruninger, 1499. Vellum. Very Good Indeed. 12" by 8.5". Gruninger. An extremely scarce, complete copy of Terence's comedies. The second Guninger edition, adorned with detailed woodcuts. An extremely scarce work. In the original Latin. Collated, complete, with all 178 leaves. Retaining the original blanks. This is the second Gruninger edition. The first Gruninger edition was printed in 1496, and was the second illustrated edition of Terence, following Trechsel's edition of 1493. This was one of three classical texts printed by Gruninger, and was the first. He followed with Horace's 'Opera' and Virgil's 'Aeneid'. With the signatures: [a]6, b-c8, d-z6, A-F6.  Quire K is misbound, but all leaves are present. Terence's comedies were performed for the first time around 170-160BC.  Gruninger innovatively used interchangeable panels for his woodcuts, and each play to this work has a full page pictorial 'Dramatis Personae'.  In a full vellum binding. Externally, smart, with just some light shelfwear to the boards and spine. Internally, firmly bound. Closely trimmed to the top edge, affecting part of the title-leaf and the odd running title. Repair to the gutter of title page, and to the bottom edge. Repair to the corner of D2, D6, G6, I2, V6, Z4. Contemporary inscriptions to the margins have been trimmed, mostly visible to O2-Q. Contemporary partial colouring in red to H6, Z1 and Z2, C4, D2, E3, F3. Spill-burn to L2V, only to the margin, not affecting the image. Marginal worming to the first few leaves, with only a few holes to the text of a2, ending by quire f. Title page has browned slightly. Otherwise, pages are very bright. The occasional handling mark and spots. A lovely copy of this scarce incunable. Very Good Indeed