AUTHOR: ARCHBISHOP OF MAINZ

LANGUAGE: LATIN

DATE: 1457

PAGE #: 350

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.5 X 8.75 IN

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: THE MAINZ PSALTER IS A PSALTER COMMISSIONED BY THE MAINZ ARCHBISHOP IN 1457. IT WAS THE SECOND MAJOR BOOK PRINTED WITH MOVEABLE TYPE IN THE WEST; THE FIRST WAS THE GUTENBERG BIBLE. THE PSALTER INTRODUCED SEVERAL INNOVATIONS: IT WAS THE FIRST BOOK TO FEATURE A PRINTED DATE OF IT’S PUBLICATION, A PRINTED COLOPHON, TWO SIZES OF TYPE, PRINTED DECORATIVE INITIALS, AND THE FIRST TO BE PRINTED IN THREE COLORS. THE COLOPHON ALSO CONTAINS THE FIRST EXAMPLE OF A PRINTERS MARK. IT WAS THE FIRST IMPORTANT PUBLICATION ISSUED BY JOHANN FUST AND PETER SCHOEFFER FOLLOWING THEIR SPLIT FROM JOHANNES GUTENBERG.

THE PSALTER COMBINES PRINTED TEXT WITH TWO COLOUR WOODCUTS: SINCE BOTH WOODCUTS AND MOVEABLE PRINT ARE RELIEF PROCESSES, THEY COULD BE PRINTED TOGETHER ON THE SAME PRESS. THE PSALTER IS PRINTED USING BLACK AND RED INKS, WITH TWO COLOUR INITIALS AND LARGE COLOURED CAPITALS PRINTED IN BLUE AND RED INKS. THESE CAPITALS WERE PARTLY THE WORK OF THE ARTISAN KNOWN AS THE FUST MASTER, WHO LATER ALSO WORKED FOR FUST AND SCHOEFFER ON THE 1462 BIBLE. THE MUSICAL SCORE ACCOMPANYING THE PSALMS WAS PROVIDED IN THE MANUSCRIPT AND MAY HAVE BEEN THE MODEL FOR THE TYPE STYLE. PRINTING IN TWO COLORS, ALTHOUGH FEASIBLE ON THE MOVEABLE PRESS OF GUTENBERG’S TIME WAS APPARENTLY ABANDONED SOON AFTERWARD AS BEING TOO TIME-CONSUMING, AS FEW OTHER EXAMPLES OF SUCH A PROCESS ARE EXTANT. THERE ARE TEN KNOWN SURVIVING COMPLETE COPIES OF THIS MANUSCRIPT; NINE ARE IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT EUROPE WHILE ONE IS MAINTAINED AT THE PRINCETON LIBRARY IN THE UNITED STATES.

REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

NOTE: ALL OF OUR FACSIMILES ARE MADE TO ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR NOTIFICATION OF SHIPMENT.

Citation Link: http://tudigit.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de/show/inc-v-7/0001