Pollux, Julius. Iouliou Polideukous Onomasticon. Iulii Pollucis Vocabularium [Greek and Latin]. Venice: Aldo Manuzio, April 1502

[Bound with:] Stephanus Byzantinus, Stephanos Peri poleon. Stephanus De vrbibus [Greek and Latin]. Venice: Aldo Manuzio, January 1502

Another pairing of the editiones principes of these two essential texts, in a very fine contemporarꦰy alla greca binding incorporating the recent Italian 🌃innovation of marbled morocco—an effect achieved by utilizing wild beet juice as a mottling agent.

Two works in one volume, Super-Chancery folio (322 x 212 mm). Pollux: Greek type, with some Roman, 55 lines plus headline. collation: AA⁴ [ΒB]⁴ αa–vn⁸: 112 leaves. Principal text in two columns, three-, five-, and six-line initial spaces with guide letters. Stephanus Byzantinus: Greek type, with some Roman, 55 lines plus headline. collation: ΑA–ΕE⁸ ΗG–ΛL⁸: 80 lea😼ves. Principal text in two columns, four- and five-line initial spaces with guide letters. (Very occasional marginal staining, some wormholes at 🍸front and back of volume.)

binding: Contemporary Venetian alla greca binding (324 x 215 mm), russet marbled goatskin over wooden boards, edges cut flush and grooved, raised headcaps, border of intersecting blind rules forming empty squares at the corners, holes in groove of upper cover for clasp pins, two sets of three holes in lower cover once occupied by three strands of braided clasps, smooth spine undecorated, plain endpapers and additional flyleaves (5 at beginning, 4 at end; watermarks similar to Briquet 2523 (Vi🌞cenza 1501) and Briquet 2594 (Venice 1500)), blue edges stained blue with ink-lettered title running down fore-edge between clasps PO꧃LLVX STEPHAN. (Minor loss to lower headcap, some rubbing, spine with minor repair, a few wormholes.) Half green morocco folding-case by De Stephanis of Milan.

provenance: Unidentified owner, shelfmark "M1c62" in ink on verso of flyleaf opposite title-page — by repute, Grimani family of Venice where it was in the 1930s — Libreria Antiquaria Mediolanum, Milan, New York Antiquarian Book Fair 2010, item 40 (€160,000). acquisition: Purchased from Libreria Antiquaria Mediolanum, Milan, 2010. references: (Pollux:) UCLA 54; Adams P1787; Aldo Manuzio tipografo 57; Edit16 36138; Renouard 32/1; USTC 850213; (Stephanus Byzantinus:) UCLA 53; Adams S1717; Aldo manuzio tipografo 56; Edit16 36142; Renouard 38/15; USTC 857537