Single leaf from Pesaro edition of Tractate Berachoth [ff.56-57]

AUCTION 38 | Thursday, November 29th, 2007 at 1:00

Fine Judaica: Printed Books, Manuscripts, Autograph Letters & Graphic Art

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Lot 231

(TALMUD).

Single leaf from Pesaro edition of Tractate Berachoth [ff.56-57]

Creased, minor marginal holes in Rashi's commentary with very minimal loss of text. 8 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches Vinograd, Pesaro 16; Habermann, "Bnei Soncino," Perakim be-Toldoth ha-Madpisim ha-Ivrim, p. 60, no. 41; Manzoni, Annali Tipografici dei Soncino (Bologna, 1883), p. 272

Pesaro: Gershom Soncino circa 1511

Est: $2,500 - $3,000

The Soncino tractates of the Talmud are remarkable for the fidelity of text and esthetic appearance of layout. Gershom Soncino, the most prominent of this family of Hebrew printers, issued books in several Italian locations, including Pesaro. Of Tractate Berachoth, the date of this edition is given by Habermann and Adler as c.1511 and by Friedberg as c.1507. Manzoni observed the uniqueness of the fragment of Tractate Berachoth found in the Turin Library, by saying, "Il solo frammento noto di questa edizione." The copy found at JTSA is likewise incomplete. See Heller, "Earliest Printings of the Talmud," in Printing the Talmud: From Bomberg to Schottenstein (Yeshiva University Museum, 2005), pp. 70-71 and Heller, Printing the Talmud, pp. 103, 120-121