Vallensis, Joannes. Tov Ta'am / Opus de Prosodia Hebraeorum in quatuor libros divisum. Quorum primus accentuum… [“Work of Hebrew prosody, divided into four books, of which the first, accents…: study of the te'amim, cantillation marks or trope.”]

AUCTION 50 | Thursday, February 24th, 2011 at 1:00

Fine Judaica: Hebrew Printed Books, Manuscripts, Graphic & Ceremonial Art Including: The Alfonso Cassuto Collection of Iberian Art

Back to Catalogue Download Catalogue

<Previous Lot

/426

Next Lot>

Lot 183

(MUSIC)

Vallensis, Joannes. Tov Ta'am / Opus de Prosodia Hebraeorum in quatuor libros divisum. Quorum primus accentuum… [“Work of Hebrew prosody, divided into four books, of which the first, accents…: study of the te'amim, cantillation marks or trope.”]

FIRST EDITION. Latin and Hebrew. On f. 3r. a Christological woodcut which has been partially illuminated. So too the floriated initial on f.1r. has been illuminated. ff.38-42, Hebrew printed in red type. On f. 42v., the cantillation marks are provided with Western musical notation. Wide-margined copy. From the Cassuto Collection ff. (3), 59, (1). Trace foxed. Contemporary mottled calf, rubbed; spine in compartments, gilt extra. 4to Freimann, p.86

Paris: Jacob Bogard 1545

Est: $1,000 - $1,500

PRICE REALIZED $5,500

Early notation of Pentateuch-cantillation, here produced utilizing a most attractive font. The work contains copious references to "Elias," i.e. the Hebrew grammarian Elijah Levita (1469-1549) who argued, on the basis of the Aramaic names of the various te'amim or cantillation marks, for their post-Sinaitic origin. He believed they were likely assigned by the Masoretes of Tiberias in the 8th-century