Auction 55 · Lot 167

Bassani, Israel Benjamin. Ottave Ebraiche.

Estimate: $600–$800
Hammer price: $850

Historical auction record. Hammer prices exclude buyer’s premium and taxes.

author

(ITALY).

printer

Bragadin

Place

Venice

Publication

1750

Description

Fully vocalized Hebrew and facing Italian translation, both in large fonts. Wide margins. Headpiece, historiated intials (in both languages), tailpieces. On p. 5 engraved portrait of Francis III.

references

Vinograd, Venice 1871.

summary

Hebrew poems with Italian translation, in honor of Francis III, Duke of Modena. Francesco III d’Este (1698-1780), ruled as Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1737 until his death. R. Israel Benjamin Bassani of Reggio (1703-90) was the son of R. Isaiah Bassani (teacher of R. Moses Chaim Luzzatto). Bassani was a skillful poet in both Hebrew and Italian. The present work contains eighty Hebrew poems (in ottava rima) that he composed in honor of the Duke. Bassani also authored a halachic collection, Todath Shelamim (Venice, 1741). See JE, Vol. II, p. 585.

pp. 59, (1 blank). Wrinkled, some stains. Elegant modern half-calf marbled boards. Sm. folio.

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