Beschreibung:

BIRGITTA (1302/03-1373, Saint). Revelationes . Translated from Swedish into Latin by Petrus Olavi. Foreword by Matthias de Suecia. - Johannes de TURRECREMATA (1388-1468). Defensiorum super Revelationes caelestes sanctae Birgittae [extract]. - Vita abbreviata S. Birgittae . - Hymnus ad Beatam Birgittam . Edited by Florian Waldauf von Waldenstein (c. 1450-1510). Nuremberg: Anton Koberger at the instigation of Maximilian I, 21 September 1500. Chancery 2 o (307 x 215 mm). Collation: [1 6 2 8]; a-z A-F 8 G-H 6; 2a-f 8 g 6 title with full-page woodcut, editor's preface, 1/2r full-page woodcut arms of Maximilian I, 1/2v full-page woodcut arms of Florian Waldauf, 1/3r Turrecremata, 1/6r Bull of Birgitta's canonization by Pope Boniface IX on 7 October 1391, 2/2v confirmation of the canonization by Pope Martin V on 7 January 1419, 2/5r-2/6r prayers with woodcuts, 2/6v prologue by Matthias de Suecia, 2/8r list of contents, 2/8v prayer with woodcuts; a1r text, H5v colophon, G6 blank; 2a alphabetical subject index, 2g5v explicit, 2g6 blank). 311 leaves (of 312, final blank removed). 57 lines and headline, double column. 7 full-page woodcuts, including 2 portraits of St. Bridget and two armorial cuts, plus 51 smaller cuts assembled to form 10 more full-page illustrations, THE WOODCUTS FINELY COLORED BY A CONTEMPORARY HAND in orange, red, green, blue, purple, ochre and brown. 11-line and smaller initial spaces, most with printed guide- letters. Unrubricated. (Some worming in first and last few quires, causing loss to a few letters in quires d and e, a few sheets a bit darkened, repaired tear to x5 crossing corner of woodcut.) Binding : contemporary Swiss binding of blind-tooled pigskin spine over wooden boards, the leather decorated with flowering vine and fleur-de-lys rolls framing repeated impressions of two armorial stamps of Peter Falck (stamped in later), two brass fore-edge catchplates (lacking clasps), parchment index tabs, manuscript paper label on spine. Provenance : Peter Falck (1468-1519): woodcut armorial device printed directly on final page (in 1516 or later), an assemblage of small Maltese crosses added neatly in ink by Falck; binding stamps as above; his armorial insignia supplied in ink to the blank shield of the woodcut of a kneeling man flanking the cut of St. Bridget on 2/5r, those of his wife Anna von Garmiswil added in pen-and-ink to the shield of the female worshiper on Bridget's right -- by descent to Anna Maria von Lanthen-Heidt, donated by her to -- Heinrich Fuchs (d. 1689), Vicar-General of Bishop Knab, later administrator of the diocese Lausanne-Geneva: inscription on title dated 1677 ( Henrici Vulpii decani 1677 Vicarii Generalis , partly effaced), bequeathed to -- Fribourg, Capuchins: inscription on title dated 1689 ( L. ff. Capuc. fribg. Helv. 1689 , effaced); sold after 1918 -- [Lathrop Harper, 1979]. A FINELY COLORED COPY, FROM THE LIBRARY OF PETER FALCK, of the second Latin edition and first Koberger edition of the visions of the motherly Swedish saint. As the young wife of a Swedish nobleman Bridget had studied Latin with her sons under Nicholas of Linköping. After the death in 1344 of her husband, who had retired to a Cistercian monastery in Spain, she began to experience visions, and undertook the study of theology with Magister Matthias (who himself had studied under Nicholas of Lyra in Paris). In this work she recorded the visions and prophecies given her by Christ and the Virgin Mary. Including both instructions for the betterment of human life and terrifying visions of divine punishment, her visions prompted her to urge the Pope's return to Rome from Avignon and to found a new religious order. Bridget's confessor Petrus Olavi, priest of Alvestra, translated her massive work into Latin. He was also the author of a Vita S. Birgittae , the source of the Vita abbreviata in the printed editions. The affective spirituality of Bridget's teachings, which paid particular attention to the Virgin, won her