Ortus sanitatis.

Accession number: 
PML 63
Uniform title: 
Hortus sanitatis. Latin.
Published: 
[Strasbourg] : [Johann Prüss], [not after 21 October 1497]
Description: 
[360] leaves : illus. (woodcuts) ; 30 cm. (fol.)
Credit Line: 
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1903.
Notes: 

Title from contents (leaf a1r).
Printed in Prüss's types 4:300G, 8:80G, 9:150G with 13:150G and 15:210G, also with Grüninger's types 15:64G and 20:82G.
Proctor assigned the printing to Cologne: Heinrich Quentell.
The Harvard Arnold Arboretum copy has a note of acquisition dated 21 Oct. 1497 (see Walsh 212).
Collation: a⁸ b-k⁶ l⁸ m-r⁶ s⁸ t-z, Aa⁶ Bb⁸ Cc-Ee⁶ Ff⁸ Gg-Ii⁶; A⁸ B-C⁶ D⁸ E-H⁶ I⁸ K-Q⁶ R⁸ S-T⁶ U⁸; aa⁶ bb⁴; cc-ee⁶: 360 leaves.
Paper format: Chancery folio
Table of contents (leaf a1r): "Ortus Santitatis. De herbis et plantis. De Animalibus [et] reptilibus. De Avibus et volatilibus. De Piscibus [et] natatilibus. De Labidibus [et] in terre venis nasce[n]tibus. De Urinis et ear[um] speciebus. Tabula medicinalis Cum directorio generali per omnes tractatus."
Tractatus de animalibus and Tractatus de vrinis have separate half title pages.
Three full page and 1049 smaller woodcuts of plants, animals, birds, fish, and stones.
Onion woodcut (leaf g4r) damaged by impression of fallen type (20 x 6 mm) with angled foot during production (PML 63 without damage to woodcut). On fallen type, see Claire Bolton, "Fallen Type: A Catalogue," Journal of the Printing Historical Society, third series, no. 2 (2021): 29-68, Hortus sanitatis not included.
PML copy leaf dimensions: 29.3 x 20.2 cm.
PML copy missing 1 leaf: aa1r, replaced in facsimile with worm holes added to match surrounding leaves.

Binding: 
Modern half brown goatskin over paper boards covered in decorative paper (31 x 21 cm), by Duprez-Lahey. Plain paper pastedowns and fly leaves; plain endbands; all edges gilt. Former binding's pastedown preserved on rear pastedown.
Variant Title: 

Hortus sanitatis.

Inscriptions/Markings: 

Hand decoration: Rubrication unrealized. Annotations: Many plant woodcuts and a few animals are annotated in a contemporary hand with the English name.

Provenance: 
Contemporary English ownership, annotations to woodcuts; unidentified sale catalogue description (lot 413), with ms note "WB no. 99;" Richard Bennett (1849-1930), armorial bookplate (front pastedown), notes from former binding preserved on rear pastedown, No. 274, 22/10/97, om/-/-; Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), purchased from Bernard Quaritch, 30 June 1903.
Classification: 
Century: 
Department: