• Fiore di virtù. Venice: Matteo Capcasa (di Codeca), January 15, 1493.

Curatorial note:

A popular introduction to medieval morality, the Flower of Virtue explored humanity’s virtues and vices by means of parallels within the animal kingdom. Full of lore derived from bestiaries, biblical stories, and classical literature, the book provided moral instruction and amusement for young Italian readers of both sexes. Much of the book’s popularity derived from its engaging woodcuts of characteristic animal behaviors, designed by the anonymous “Pico Master,” the leading Venetian book illuminator and woodcut illustrator. Here the book is opened to an image of two loyal cranes guarding their sleeping king while holding stones aloft; should either doze off, his stone will drop and alert the other. Princeton’s unique surviving copy is the only illustrated fifteenth-century example of the Fiore di virtù held by an American university.

and

Rare Book Division. Purchased in 2016 with assistance from the Friends of the Princeton University Library.

Collections:
Title:
  • Questa sie vna vtilissima operetta acadauno fidel christiano chiamata Fior de virtù : laus Deo
Language:
  • Italian
Call number:
  • exi 2017-0004N
  • Electronic Resource
Extent:
  • [30] leaves : ill. (woodcuts) ; 19 cm.
Format:
  • Book
Type:
  • Early works to 1800
Description:
  • Imprint from colophon.
  • With 38 woodcut illustrations by the "Pico Master."
  • Two sizes of Roman type, double-column, 39 lines per page, open floriated five-line woodcut initials, thirty-five column-width unshaded historiated woodcuts (47 x 54 mm.); woodcut Annunciation (69 x 48 mm.) and Nativity (67 x 49 mm.) on the final verso, large title woodcut of a monk gathering flowers in a walled garden with animals at his feet (139 x 102 mm.); above the block a semi-cirlce woodcut of God the Father with a book in his right hand, labeled "Dio Padre."
Publisher:
  • Impressa in Venetia : per Mattheo di Codecha da Parma, A di. xv. zenaro [1493]
Subject:
  • Conduct of life—Early works to 1800
  • Virtue—Early works to 1800
  • Incunabula—Italy—Venice—1493
Title sort:
  • Questa sie vna vtilissima operetta acadauno fidel christiano chiamata Fior de virtù : laus Deo.
Spatial:
  • Italy
Binding note:
  • Ex copy: Bound in early 19th century marbled boards, gilt-ruled spine and gilt-lettered red morocco label; edges sprinkled red and blue.
Created:
  • 1493-01-01T00:00:00Z
Date:
  • 1493
Location:
  • HSVR exi 2017-0004N
  • HSVR Electronic Resource
  • ELF1 exi 2017-0004N
  • ELF1 Electronic Resource
Identifier:
  • ark:/88435/hq37vs53z
Edm rights:
  • No Known Copyright
Alternative:
  • Questa sie una utilissima operetta acadauno fidel christiano chiamata Fio de virtù
Uniform title:
  • Fiore di virtù. 1493
Printer:
  • Capcasa, Matteo
Illustrator:
  • Pico Master, active 15th century
Former owner:
  • Domizlaff, Helmuth, 1902-1983
  • Schäfer, Otto
  • Herzogliche Bibliothek (Gotha, Germany)
  • Otto-Schäfer-Stiftung
  • Librairie Thomas-Scheler
References:
  • ISTC if00185150
  • GW 9929
  • Sander, M. Le livre à figure italien (1942) no. 2729
Provenance:
  • Ex copy: Provenance: Gotha (Germany), Ducal Library (effaced 18th-century stamp); Helmut Domizlaff (1903-1983), Munich rare book dealer; Otto-Schäfer Collection (Schweinfurt, Germany); sold ca. 2010 to Librairie Thomas-Scheler (cat. Sept. 2010), no. 2; Bruce McKittrick since 2015.
Range label:
  • Logical
View in catalog:
Available online: