Clavis theologiae sive repertorium... in summam doctoris irrefragabilis Alexander de Hales.Basel, Nicolaus Kessler, 1502.

IN A SUPERB CONTEMPORARY MONASTIC BINDING

Rubricated: initial spaces with large red initials, underling in red.

4to (235 x 160mm). [260]ff. Contemporary blindtooled pigskin over bevelled wooden boards, covers panelled with blind fillets, upper cover with outer border with repeated 'maria' scroll, large inner panel with dotted background, swirling stems, large fleurons and two birds facing each other, lower cover with ornamental outer border, inner panel of repeated rosette stamp, and two inner columns infilled with repeated 'maria' scroll, clasps and catches (leather for catches possibly renewed, signs of previous metal furniture and label). 

First edition of the alphabetical index to the Summa Theologiae of the English divine Alexander of Hales (d. 1245), compiled by the 15th century Franciscan Petrus de Keschinger of Ingolstadt, with a preface by the humanist Jakob Locher (1471-1528). Hales was one of the earliest scholars to be familiar with Aristotelian philosophy and its Arabic commentators; his work shows definite influence of the Eastern Arabs such as Avicenna and Algazel.

 

In a superb contemporary monastic binding, with a distinctive central panel on upper cover; however, we cannot trace the stamps on EBDB although there are close similarities to the workshop of the Bamberg Franciscans (EBDB w000078, Schwenke-Schunke II, p. 26, K006).

 

Provenance: Inscription and library stamp on title-page of the Franciscans at Dettelbach. The Franciscans were at Dettelbach in Bavaria from 1616, when the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn (1545-1617) invited them to look after the pilgrims who visited the long-standing shrine there. A fine baroque church, Maria im Sand, and monastery were built and, except for a temporary departure following secularization early in the 19th century - the Franciscans returned in 1826 - they remained there until 2017 when the monastery finally closed.

 

One or two marginal wormholes at the end, but generally a very fresh copy.

VD16 K783.

Stock Code: 242116