560J Ovid 43 B.C.-17 A.D. or 18 A.D. With added commentary by  Volsco, Antonio,; active 15th century-16th century, ; writer of Hubertinus,; Clericus Crescentinas,; approximately 1405-1500, ;  Bonisoli, Ognibene,; approximately 1412-1474, ;  Calderino, Domizio,; 1447-1478, ; Zarotti, Cristoforo,; active 1501-1550. 


Epistole Heroides Ouidii diligenti castigatio[n]e exculte aptissimis figuris ornate, commenta[n]tibus Antonio Volsco, Vbertino Cresce[n]tinate et Omnibono viris eruditissimis, jn Jbin vero vltra Domitii scripta habes Christophori Zarothi exquisitissimas declarationes cu[m] gratia et priuilegio.


Venice, Giovanni Tacuino, 1505
[Colophon, at the end:] Venetiis per Ioannem Tacuinum de Tridino, 31 Julii 1505. . Price $12,000

Folio. 31 x21 cm. Signatures: A-M8, N-P6, Q-R8, S6, T4 (140 leaves) Contemporary half leather binding and wooden boards. Many historiated initials on a black background, Roman font. 24 woodcuts in the text, two in the Frontispiece. This vignette is of St. John the Baptist standing with the lamb of God holding a cross with a ribbon on which appears the inscription: Ecce agnus Dei. with the title above him and then above it is a woodcut which depicts laurel-crowned Ovid at his desk, accompanied by the three commentators, captioned “Antonius” (Antonio Volsco); “Vber.” (Hubertinus); and “Omnibo.” (Ognibene Bonisoli). Throughout this book there are 20 triptychs illustrating each letter, 2 large half-page figures at the beginning of the last two poems. On leaf 3 there is an elaborate figured frame that frames the text. The woodcut border Here on what constitutes first page of text is of Penelope Ulyxi, featuring vignettes of Penelope weaving, and resisting the many suitors who approached her during her husband’s absence.This incipit of the first letter is framed in a magnificent collection of images with grotesques, ramages, cherubs and a coat of arms underneath. 

      The woodcuts are quite different from those of the 1507 edition listed in Ruth Mortimer’s Harvard College Library. Catalogue of books and manuscripts. Italian 16th century books,; #334 (note); Sander, M. Livre à figures italien depuis 1467 jusqu’à 1530,; 5265; Essling, V.M. Livres à figures vénitiens de la fin du XVe siècle et du commencement du XVIe. 

     The text follows the 1497 and the woodcuts the Tridino 1501 edition which is far more represented than this one.

 Ovid’s series of poems in which women of Greek and Roman mythology address the men who have wronged or abandoned them. Also includes “In Ibin,” Ovid’s invective against Ibis. Each epistle begins with a large and small white-on-black floriated initials.  The Heroides and Ibis are printed in large roman type in the centre of the page, with commentaries in smaller roman type surrounding the original text; each is printed with two commentaries: Heroides is accompanied by the commentaries of Volscus and Hubertinus; Ibis is accompanied by the commentaries of Calderino and Zarotus. 

Rare (OCLC only lists one) Second (?) illustrated edition. The text is printed in two types of Roman font, one for Ovid’s work, one for the commentary that encloses it. The comments are by Ubertino da Crescentino, Domizio Calderini, Cristoforo Zarotti and Antonio Volsco.

The one copy I could locate. Verzeichniss der Manuscripte und Incunabeln der Vadianischen Bibliothek in St. Gallen, St. Gallen 1864, bearb. von Gustav Scherer, Nr. 1061 ; Schenker-Frei, Verena, Bibliotheca Vadiani, St. Gallen 1973, Nr. 101

Aa stated above it’s quite rare: OCLC lists only one copy  at ST GALLER BIBLIOTHEKSNETZ  Not in: BMC XVth c. ; National union catalog, pre-1956 imprints; Goff; ISTC ; or EDIT 16.

For the 1497/8 edition : Goff O165; H 12200*; Essling 1134; Sander 5261; Pell Ms 8868 (8733); CIBN O-101; Sajó-Soltész 2499; Borm 2017; Mittler-Kind 471; Oates 2118; BSB-Ink O-125; GW M28814

 1499 edition (not Illustrated) see Goff O166; H 12211?; R 1298; Sander 5263; IBE 4244; IGI 7104; IBP 4096; SI 2885; Coll(U) 1130; Walsh 2580; GW M28817