De proprietatibus rerum. [Basel: Berthold Ruppel, c.1470 or 1480.]
Folio (400 x 284 mm). 219 leaves (of 220, lacking initial blank, unsigned). Modern quarter pigskin to style over old plain wooden boards, old brass clasps. About 20 leaves with a short wormtrail to gutter margins affecting a few letters (partially repaired) final third with small, mostly marginal, worm-holes (heaviest in final 12 leaves), crack to wood on lower cover repaired.

RARE EDITION FROM THE FIRST PRINTER OF BASEL, an attractive and well-margined copy. Ruppel [d. 1495] is believed to be the same person as "Bechtolff of Hanau" mentioned in 1455 as a journeyman assistant to Gutenberg. He introduced printing to Basel and in 1477 became a citizen of the city. See lot 1004 for a description of the text. Goff does not date this printing but GW dates to about 1470 and ISTC to 1479/80. BMC III 716; Goff B130; GW 3402; HC 2499*; Klebs 149.1.