The Casale Pilgrim. A Sixteenth-Century Illustrated Guide to the Holy Places
London: The Soncino Press, 1929. Limited facsimile edition. Hardcover. 1/580. 91pp. Modern vellum boards with decorative gilt design on the front cover and gilt lettering on the spine. Top edge of book block in gilt. This is copy #59 from a limited edition of 580 copies printed on Van Gelder mould-made paper, hand numbered on the colophon at the front. This beautiful work produced by British-Jewish historian Cecil Roth contains his English translation of the 16th century illuminated manuscript which he named "The Casale Pilgrim". The manuscript acts as fascinating travel guide for important Jewish historical sites in the Middle East and the Holy Land, completed in the year 1598 in Casale Monferrato in Northren Italy. The original illuminated manuscript leaves are here faithfully and vibrantly reproduced in facsimile in their entirety, including the original color and the manuscript Hebrew text which accompanies each image. Roth provides English translation and commentary for each leaf on a separate page below the image. The initial pages contain Roth's introductory text which provides historical background and other scholarly information.
Binding with bowing to the vellum boards, as is the case with many copies. Inteiror with sporadic minor to light foxing to pages, mostly to the margins, with most images still quite clean. Binding and interior in very good- condition overall. vg-. Item #52741
Price: $375.00