1556 Latin Theological Book in Period Vellum – Arnoldus Vesaliensis, Lyon
1556 Latin Theological Book in Period Vellum – Arnoldus Vesaliensis, Lyon
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A wonderfully early 16th-century Latin theological volume, printed in Lyon in 1556 and retaining a beautifully aged vellum binding.
The title page reads:
Epitome singularum distinctionum in quatuor libros Sententiarum… Arnoldo Vesaliensi viro doctissimo autore… Lugduni, apud Antonium Vincentium, M.D.LVI.
The work was written by Arnoldus Vesaliensis (1484–1534) and is an epitome, or condensed treatment, of the four books of Peter Lombard’s Sentences, one of the foundational theological texts of the medieval university tradition. Bibliographic records confirm multiple 16th-century editions of Vesaliensis’s work, including this 1556 Lyon printing by Antonius Vincentius.
The petite volume is especially charming for its untouched, scholarly character. The vellum has developed a warm honey tone with centuries of natural variation and wear, while handwritten inscriptions remain on both the exterior and title page.
The front cover appears to bear an early French ownership inscription beginning “Livre du…”, while the title page contains a further period manuscript inscription, adding an appealing element of provenance and evidence of the book’s long working life.
Era
Renaissance / Mid-16th Century
Dated 1556
History
Arnoldus Vesaliensis, also known as Arnold of Wesel, was a German theologian active in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. His Epitome singularum distinctionum in quatuor libros Sententiarum summarizes the individual “distinctions” of Peter Lombard’s four books of the Sentences.
Peter Lombard’s Sentences, composed in the 12th century, became one of the central theological textbooks of medieval Europe. Generations of university theologians studied and wrote commentaries upon it, making condensed works such as Vesaliensis’s useful teaching and reference books.
The Bibliothèque nationale de France records Vesaliensis as 1484–1534 and documents editions of this text from the 1540s onward.
This copy was printed:
Lugduni [Lyon]
Apud Antonium Vincentium
M.D.LVI [1556]
The title page further states that the edition had been carefully compared against various copies and augmented with scriptural concordances in the margins.
Provenance
Sourced in France.
Early handwritten ownership or library inscriptions appear on both the vellum cover and title page. The precise names have not yet been definitively deciphered, but they appear consistent with period or early historic inscriptions rather than modern additions.
Materials
Printed paper
Vellum binding
Iron-gall or similar historic manuscript ink
Hand-sewn binding structure
Dimensions
Dimensions: Please insert exact measurements.
Condition
Good antique condition with significant and desirable age-related character consistent with a book dating to 1556.
The vellum exhibits overall darkening, staining, surface variation, rubbing, creasing and edge wear. Small punctures and exposed binding/fastening points are visible. Interior pages show toning, scattered staining and foxing, edge wear and handwritten inscriptions.
The binding appears substantially intact based on visual examination.
Please review all photographs closely as they form an important part of the condition description.
Disclaimers
Identification, dating and attribution are based upon the visible title page, bibliographic research and visual examination.
Handwritten inscriptions have not been fully deciphered and no specific former owner is being attributed without additional documentary evidence.
Due to the age of the volume, minor imperfections, losses, staining, repairs or other evidence of historic use may be present beyond those specifically noted.
A wonderfully early 16th-century Latin theological volume, printed in Lyon in 1556 and retaining a beautifully aged vellum binding.
The title page reads:
Epitome singularum distinctionum in quatuor libros Sententiarum… Arnoldo Vesaliensi viro doctissimo autore… Lugduni, apud Antonium Vincentium, M.D.LVI.
The work was written by Arnoldus Vesaliensis (1484–1534) and is an epitome, or condensed treatment, of the four books of Peter Lombard’s Sentences, one of the foundational theological texts of the medieval university tradition. Bibliographic records confirm multiple 16th-century editions of Vesaliensis’s work, including this 1556 Lyon printing by Antonius Vincentius.
The petite volume is especially charming for its untouched, scholarly character. The vellum has developed a warm honey tone with centuries of natural variation and wear, while handwritten inscriptions remain on both the exterior and title page.
The front cover appears to bear an early French ownership inscription beginning “Livre du…”, while the title page contains a further period manuscript inscription, adding an appealing element of provenance and evidence of the book’s long working life.
Era
Renaissance / Mid-16th Century
Dated 1556
History
Arnoldus Vesaliensis, also known as Arnold of Wesel, was a German theologian active in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. His Epitome singularum distinctionum in quatuor libros Sententiarum summarizes the individual “distinctions” of Peter Lombard’s four books of the Sentences.
Peter Lombard’s Sentences, composed in the 12th century, became one of the central theological textbooks of medieval Europe. Generations of university theologians studied and wrote commentaries upon it, making condensed works such as Vesaliensis’s useful teaching and reference books.
The Bibliothèque nationale de France records Vesaliensis as 1484–1534 and documents editions of this text from the 1540s onward.
This copy was printed:
Lugduni [Lyon]
Apud Antonium Vincentium
M.D.LVI [1556]
The title page further states that the edition had been carefully compared against various copies and augmented with scriptural concordances in the margins.
Provenance
Sourced in France.
Early handwritten ownership or library inscriptions appear on both the vellum cover and title page. The precise names have not yet been definitively deciphered, but they appear consistent with period or early historic inscriptions rather than modern additions.
Materials
Printed paper
Vellum binding
Iron-gall or similar historic manuscript ink
Hand-sewn binding structure
Dimensions
Dimensions: Please insert exact measurements.
Condition
Good antique condition with significant and desirable age-related character consistent with a book dating to 1556.
The vellum exhibits overall darkening, staining, surface variation, rubbing, creasing and edge wear. Small punctures and exposed binding/fastening points are visible. Interior pages show toning, scattered staining and foxing, edge wear and handwritten inscriptions.
The binding appears substantially intact based on visual examination.
Please review all photographs closely as they form an important part of the condition description.
Disclaimers
Identification, dating and attribution are based upon the visible title page, bibliographic research and visual examination.
Handwritten inscriptions have not been fully deciphered and no specific former owner is being attributed without additional documentary evidence.
Due to the age of the volume, minor imperfections, losses, staining, repairs or other evidence of historic use may be present beyond those specifically noted.